just curious about Australia nurses/living

[ilmbg]

I got onto an Australian newspaper online tonite. I was reading the classified section- saw several nursing jobs. I also was reading about the housing/building problems in some areas. Other areas don't seem to have a housing shortage-they are planning on building a large amount of new homes. The paper also mentioned that the large houses that have been built in the last 2 years have not sold- Aussies seem to prefer smaller homes- 'fibro', nearer to beaches. Anyway, how is living there compared to the US? I know there are so many different areas- I am just asking generalizations.

Is there a need for nurses? Is there a shortage- I have read several threads where it seems that there is understaffed hospitals.

I take it that a US nurse can apply for a AU license- they accept accredited schools?

What is the annual pay scale- I saw several jobs listed at about $65,000-$80,000- is that a norm?

Housing is expected to take a huge leap upwards as far as monthly cost- what does a nice/safe 1 bedroom apartment/condo rent for?

How are US nurses looked at by AU nurses? Do you guys like us to come there- or is there a cold shoulder?

Has anyone moved there with a dog or cat- is there a quarrantine period? If you did take a small dog or cat, how did the animal travel- in the cabin- or is it mandatory to have the animal in 'baggage'?

I read both ways in posts here- that AU nurses are not allowed to do as much as US nurses do- that what US nurses do, only is done in AU by doctors.

I would love to come see your country- always have wanted to, but even if I get to, I would only be allowed to work part-time due to my health.

Are there any 'groups', similar to a foriegn exchange student-for example: you come live in the US, live at my home for 1 year, then I come and live/work with you at your home for a year? For nurses who want to travel something like that would seem ideal- each other could 'show' the other his/her country and way of life/work.

Compare AU to the US for me, please. I guess it would have to be somebody that has lived/worked in both places to be able to tell me.

Thank you!

[talaxandra]

I won't be able to answer all your questions, but if you look through the Australia/NZ forum you'll find some that have been previously addressed.

The first thing to keep in mind is that, despite our population, Australia is the same size as the contiguous US, so there's significant differences in almost every aspect of work and life, depending on where you are. Costs of housing (rental and ownership) vary widely even within the same city, so you need to have an idea of where you want to live before investigating costs - to get a rough idea check online real estate sites like realestate.com.au and domain.com.au.

As in the US the fate of the Australian housing market is uncertain - there's been an increase in first home buyers, buoyed by an increase in the first home buyer's grant, but despite this (and the fact that the housing market wasn't as overinflated as in the US), prices are still high in many areas. Some commentators advise buying now, other recommend waiting, and though rental prices are tipped to rise it's anybody's guess what things will be like in a year or so, which could be the length of time it takes to get registered and a visa. Details on both processes are available through the relevant state nurses' boards and DIMIA.

I doubt there's anywhere in the west where nurses aren't in demand, though this obviously varies geographically. At the moment my hospital is significantly overstaffed, because every ward was forced to take a dozen grads (significantly shifting the skill mix), but this will be temporary as attrition inevitably drops the number of nurses of the wards.

Pay varies greatly depending on which state you're in, how much experience you have, what (if any) post-grad qualifications you have, and what shifts you work. More specific examples have been given on other threads in this forum. As far as I know most public hospitals provide the option of salary packaging, which decreases your taxable income, so the advertised figure isn't necessarily what you'll take home. Living costs vary enormously depending on where you live and work, and your lifestyle.

Most Australian nurses are used to working with colleagues and patients from a wide variety of nations - Melbourne is one of the most multicultural cities on the planet, and Sydney's not far behind. Though it's hard for me to judge, as I'm an Aussie and therefore not been on the receiving end, for the most part people are judged on their competency and personality rather than where they're from.

Australia has the strictest quarantine legislation anywhere. For specific information you can check out the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service site. I imagine where the animal travels depends on the airline rather than Australian regulations, but I've travelled overseas quite a lot and never seen animals in the cabin so suspect they go in the hold.

Range of duties and patient load vary depending on where you are - the more remote, experienced or acute the service the more autonomy you have, but there's significant variation. We don't have PCAs in acute care in Victoria, respiratory therapists in ICU, or nurse anaesthetists. As I haven't worked in the US, nor worked with a US-trained nurse in many years, I can't be more specific than that.

Good luck

[ilmbg]

Thanks for the reply! The more reading I do about your country, the more complicated it seems to get- but I'm sure that is because it just is not faniliar to me! Are your hospitals 'forced' to take a certain number of new grads each year? It seems a bit strange that anyone would ever be 'overstaffed'! (at least in my world!!). Here, in the US, new grads have to apply for jobs, just like anyone else- if there are no openings they just don't have a job.

Thank you!

[Kosmonavt]

I don't know about Australia, but in Canada the government pays hospitals to train new grads for 6 month.

[talaxandra]

I don't know if the pressure came from the government or from admin (we get extra funsing for grads, too), but twelve is just too many to absorb in a three month period (ten in five weeks!). What I love is that my chargie told him co-director that we didn't have that big a shortfall, and now she's harassing him about being over budget!

ilmbg - which bits are more complicated? I'm sure you're right,a nd a chunk of it is just not being familiar with the place, but maybe someone can help? Have you being overseas before, because I've found the things that are the most surprising are the things you don't expect to be different (I find that when talking to people who live overseas, too, like on this board!)