UK trained ICU/ER RN. working in US, looking into work in NZ

[Hagabel]

Hi there,

I have a few questions that I hope someone can help me with. I trained as an RGN in the UK and graduated in 1990, moved to the US in 1992 and have been working here ever since in ICU and more recently ER.

DH and I are tentatively looking into maybe moving to NZ in 3 or 4 yrs time for a number of reasons. We have 2 kids under 3 so feel that a move would be less disruptive for them the younger they are. We all have dual US/UK citizenship so we could always come back if it did not work out.

Any suggestions or thoughts? I have lived overseas in the pacific with my family yrs ago and after having already emigrated once to another country we feel we are fairly educated when it comes to experiencing a different culture and aware of the potential downfalls that may ensue as well as the benefits.

I understand NZ nursing is based more on the UK system than the US. Is this true? What are pay and conditions like in NZ hospitals?

Thnaks for any advice.

[pedicurn, LPN, RN]

have you thought about australia? lots of nz nurses have moved there because of better pay and lower taxation.

I would say NZ is a hybrid of US and UK - not really closer to UK but more of a mixture of both.

NZ is good for job security but conditions can be horrible (depending on where you work). Really shortstaffed - unbelievable workload in some places, horizontal violence is common. Lots of RNs have left and gone overseas and many new nurses would not have been accepted into RN nursing programs in the past. Visitors are out of control and are rude. there is still no recognition for further education in many places. Salary hasn't really gone up despite a recent pay rise. this so-called pay rise was long awaited but actually hasn't even made up for inflation. However if u like the outdoors then NZ is good

[Djuna]

I have said this time and again in this forum, NZ is a beautiful country to visit but not to work in as an RN. I concur with the above OP on the working conditions and wages.

Why don't you do a comparison analysis of Australia and New Zealand? Do a search on wages, prices, benefits, cost of living etc and you will have a better idea regarding why so many people are leaving NZ to come to Australia.

I love NZ, it is my home, however I will never work there again.

[ANnot4me]

Hello. I am a US trained RN who has lived and worked in NZ for several years. I have stayed for reasons beyond the scope of this post. I recommend you research for yourself statistics about NZ form the OECD website. Particularly, standard of living, income and cost of housing. They will speak for themselves. You will have a lower standard of living.

I agree the system is a hybrid between the English and UK sytems. The relationships are informal, but favor a medical model. If you want, you have a job for life, but being assertive, a patient advocate or more than mediocre will cause you problems: I suggest you research "Tall Poppy Syndrome." Bullying is a pretty common part of the culture here and very difficult thing to dealt with. Informal relationships/culture far outweigh the law, policy or what is fair.

Racism is openly expressed and tolerated and can be a shock to one who is not used to its open expression. Crime here is high. Violent crime is increasing. Again, see OECD stats. Crystal meth is a big problem here and called P.

The weather is great as it is rarely very hot or very cold where I live. The scenery is amazing and the lifestyle relaxed. You are always close to the water. Australia is nearby (relatively speaking) and so are many of the Pacific Islands. Great place for hiking and fishing and outdoorsy stuff. No snakes or bears or anything like that.

I am not trying to say not to come here, but do your homework. It will cost you tens of thousaands of dollars to get here and once you are earning NZD, it is a whole different storey. there are many people here that have not found NZ to be the same place it was when they came here for a holiday or two. It is well-marketed and people are very friendly on the surface, but very hard to get to know on a deeper level.

I know many British Immigrants here who have shared my experiences.

Best of luck!

[Hagabel]

Thanks for everyones replies. Very interesting points that I had not considered.

A couple of other questions:

I work ICU and ER. IN the UK the nurses did the vents with assist of PT, in the US it is RT. What happens over there? Can nurse start IVs, do ABG's? Do you wear a uniform or any scrubs like in the US? Is nursing seen as a respected profession? Is it a degree based training?

I am planning a 2 week trip in the Summer (July), flights go to Auckland. Thoughts about where to check out whilst I am there? I have heard mixed reviews about Christchurch and good things about Wellington.

[pedicurn, LPN, RN]

Hi Hagabel. In NZ nurses do the vent with vent settings ordered by the medical staff. Vented p'ts are normally 1:1 ( that's one good thing about NZ ). Nurses start IV's . And can do arterial stabs in some ICU units though most p'ts have an arterial line - i am not aware of nurses doing arterial stabs in ER's. They wear scrubs and ICU's usually have 12 hr shifts.

Nursing has been going through a period of upheavel - NZ has stopped training enrolled nurses (LVNs). RN's mostly do a 3 year Bachelor of Nursing - as opposed to a BSN. This limits their oppportunity for further study as they can only really go on with nursing postgrad study. A lot of hospital diploma trained RN's have been allowed to do postgrad work without a bachelors - 'grandfathering' i think it's called though they don't use that term in NZ.

It would be good to check out Auckland Hospital ICU as it's the main ICU in the country. Middlemore Hospital in South Auckland has a good one too. Auckland Hospital ED has a good name.

Good luck and best wishes