New grad Filipino nurse wanting to work in Australia/New Zealand

[rnrn07]

Hi everyone, please help me.

I graduated last march 2007 here in the Philippines and I have my license here already.

Because of oversupply of nurses here, it's too difficult to find a job.

That's why I'm looking forward to working in Australia or New Zealand.

However, I'm confused. Esp about Australia.

I already have my bachelors degree here.

When I go there in Aus to work as RN, must I take a diploma in nursing first? can I work while studying?

After obtaining my diploma there, am I already a registered nurse?

Thank you!

[javRN]

Hey, guys..what happens to those who have been granted eligibility letters by the nursing council but have yet to take the bridging program?

I would really appreciate your inputs on this matter. Thanks in advance.

Stay kewl, guys! :rckn::rckn::rckn:

what are you waiting for? finish your BP then apply for licensure with nmba. get your license, then look for an employer!

don't wait till nmba will change its mind. naaah it wont change its mind. your eligibility letter i think is still valid.

[javRN]

what is the difference between RN bridging and RN bridging/OS in the approved course list? does this mean BP is still available as what a previous post have mentioned that there will no longer be BP for nurses?

yes.apparently, the BPs are still available. thank God! for both OS and RNs(Oz) who cannot meet the recency of practise standards and want to get their Oz RN license back

[javRN]

JAVRN - I appreciate your post and also what an asset you are to the nursing profession here. But with all due respects, I do not buy it. If Terd..jay has a score over 7 in IELTS in english, then we are talking the same language.

so sorrry I really won't interrupt this thread again, seeya

Thank you for your kind words. Of course I respect your option not to buy the explanation offered. I choose to disregard your deleted comments on me going to law school and defend Ned Kelly, as I am not sure of your communicative intent. I don't know if it was meant to insult, to inject Oz humor, or to compliment.

Getting perfect scores in IELTS does not guarantee that miscommunication won't ever occur when communicating in English. It is true that there is a standard meaning for "bending the rules", "legal", or "back door" no matter in what country those words are spoken. But the meanings can change depending on the context, the background knowledge of the speaker, and the communicative intent the speaker has in mind. Conversely, It does not mean that a person whose scores in IELTS are all 5s cannot communicate effectively in English and I agree with you that the IELTS is not a true measure of one's "communicable language"( in my country, because it feels awkward we don't normally use the adjective "communicable" to describe language; because for us its standard meaning is capability of being communicated; or capable of being transmitted by infection as in "communicable disease"; it can also mean contagious; or readily communicated as in "communicable ideas", we don't normally use it to describe language because language is the medium in which ideas are made communicable. But it is perfectfly normal, acceptable and correct in your country). I think IELTS is culturally biased but IELTS will have to used until a better measure is developed.

The background context and background experience of the person is very important in conveying meaning, and we use language as a medium to convey meaning. Take for example the very simple word "FARM". Take the word farm, close your eyes and picture it in your mind. The word farm in English is supposed to have the same meaning, whether the person using it has an IELTS score of 5, or has an IELTS score of 9, or whether the user of the word is English, Kiwi, Filipino or Indian. But the picture the word farm will conjure in your mind I bet is totally different from the the picture it will trigger in my mind. To you it may give you pictures of brocolli fields, wide sprawling fields of wheat, or cows or kangaroos or whatever depending on your experience with farm. I am sure the picture you had in mind would not include a carabao, rice paddies, a buffalo drawn plough, bamboos and coconuts etc.., but this is exactly the picture I will have in mind when I think of the word farm. It would differ from yours. And I think that there is greater likelihood that a Filipino would think of the same pictures because of shared experiences and shared backgrounds. And the word farm is supposed to have the same meaning in the English language, right?

To illustrate further that background knowldge and context is important in conveying meaning, read the following paragraph:

The procedure is extremely quite simple. First you separate the items into different groups according to color. Of course one pile may be sufficient depending on how much there is to do. If you have to go somewhere esle due to lack of facilities, that's the next step. Otherwise you are pretty well set.

The immediately preceeding paragraph when read casually by an English language user( Kiwi, Australian, Kenyan, Filipino, IELTS fiver or niner) in great likelihood would be hard pressed to understand the meaning conveyed when deprived of the context the paragraph was made. Even if there is no difficulty in understanding the individual words contained therein. The words: facilities, pretty, procedure, sufficient, etc. are simple words that can be understood quite easily by the reader. But devoid of background context and communicative intent, the paragraph simply does not make sense.

But when provided with background context and communicative intent in which the paragraph was made, see how it changes everything. If I provide you a background about the paragraph and let's say the intent was to describe "Washing Clothes". Now read back the paragraph and keep in mind " Washing Clothes", you will be surprised this time to discover that the paragraph is not senseless at all.

The same way, if you read casually the posts of lithotomy(a fellow forumer who is very smart) in this thread; devoid of the knowledge of his communicative intent you would readily conclude that this person is dumb, stupid, and incorrigible. Then you would wonder how this person can possibly pass IELTS. But that's the judgment a reader would make if he does not know the background of his posts. I hold him in high regard because I know the context that his posts are deliberate in order to inject humor. A Filipino humor that is hard to understand if you do not share the same backgrounds. If you can only see the response of kreuger to his posts you would definitely agree with kreuger.

I only tried to provide context regarding the "rule bending" post terdjay has made. Of course I could be wrong but I hope I am right. If what he really meant was to cheat, or misrepresent then let us come arm to arm in trying to catch him and with the aid of your friend from the Board and your solicitor hubby let us strive to put him behind bars. Hell, why defend him in the first place, it was his arrogance ( met by my own higher arrogance) that led to a regretable exchange of harsh words that made silverdragon to close this thread for a day, to the dismay of other forumers, and also to my shame.

Oh boy this is really off topic. But I do hope ceridwyn that you interrupt this thread from time to time because somehow you provoke thought. I may not always agree with you and vice versa, but you are always welcome here. You can post anytime here as nobody owns this thread.

And to my dearest terdjay, I am sorry for deliberately trying to bully you because I felt that you were trying to bully an old man like me (to think you are so young and my eldest daughter is probably as old as you are). It appeared that way to me but as you clarifed your communicative intent, I realise I was wrong. Enough of the childish dramas, don't limit yourself to 199 posts. You are needed here and ryan will be glad to have you back, as well as the other forumers. I hope you extend your love not only to ryan but to all of us. (Remember ryan's picture with the girls? He's already filled with love.Acc. to my idol= all girls him only boy).

Who says we can't quarrel and make up afterwards?

[dumb]

you should check out the aged care in nurse tv. you can see it in you tube:)

thanks for the reply to my query!:bowingpur

thank you for sharing doza!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqtjd_-qsxe&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gd6xrgz_ws

*salutes* javrn

[jayBadette]

@RYAN

paging Ryan RN.... if you could help me with the commonwealth fund Thing. one member from here told me that you are well verse in regards with commonwealth fund for the residents. Can you tell me more about this matter? the HOWs? how to apply for a commonwealth fund and etc..

thanks bro.. hoping to hear from you soon..

Goodluck and GodBless to All..

[cioman94]

You should check out the Aged Care in Nurse TV. you can see it in you tube:)

Thanks for the reply to my query!:bowingpur

@Doza... we would be glad if you could "dig" deeper and share to us what really happened about that friend of yours with 2 years experience but was able "only" (i dont mean to disrespect aged care here ha, okey, peace) to get aged care position as compared to getting a hospital job.. as you wonder whether he tried to applied in a hospital or not.. just in case lang if you could learn more kasi it would give us better idea.. thanks..

@dreaminOZ, javRN.... good that you immediately answered aimz7320 query so as to correct the answers i gave earlier..

@javRN... maybe sometimes some forget that they are talking to us, aged 43 and 37...

@drednag.... the approval you received prior july 01 regarding BP is valid.. just have to enrol with your BP as javRN advised.. so no worries.. good luck..

[Doza]

@Doza... we would be glad if you could "dig" deeper and share to us what really happened about that friend of yours with 2 years experience but was able "only" (i dont mean to disrespect aged care here ha, okey, peace) to get aged care position as compared to getting a hospital job.. as you wonder whether he tried to applied in a hospital or not

oops, sorry about only before aged care:eek: didn't mean it that way:) i guess what i was trying to convey was that he only got 1 job offer after all his applications. just 1! makes you want to hope now that you get at least one. like, please, please, please!!!! hahaha.

yup, don't worry as soon as he replies to my email i'll share it with you guys. I guess he's pretty busy there because it took him 2 months to reply to my email.

[Doza]

@javRN... maybe sometimes some forget that they are talking to us, aged 43 and 37...

age is a state of mind. i'm way younger than you guys but i am perpetually 19 years old :loveya:

[imsodizzy]

Hi ceridwyn,

Please don't be angry with terdjay. It is just a matter of semantics and Doza was right that his post might be misunderstood. "Bending the rules" in this context does not mean that we Filipinos would do all in our power and cunning to illegally practise nursing in Australia by misleading the board into believing that we are qualified even if we are unqualified.

By no means we would advocate the entry of any person to the nursing profession if the person does not meet the minimum standards that would at least guarantee safe and competent practise. May the person be Filipino, Indian, Australian or European. We respect the boards; the boards are precisely created in the first place to protect the public, and by all means we would comply with the minimum requirements, whether it be in terms of English language requirements, education and training, criminal checks, CPD, and recency of practise, etc.. The "rules" terdjay was referring to primarily is not about the rules of the board but the rules of bridging course providers and/or employers specifically in terms of post graduate experience.

Terdjay was merely encouraging other Filipinos who are reluctant, weary,and wary in getting registration in Australia because of the uncertainty in finding employment afterwards because the "general rule" now is that Australia will most likely hire experienced nurses. There are exceptions to this rule, hence the phrase "bending the rules." The general rule also for most Bridging course providers is that they accept or prefer experienced nurses, but again there are exceptions.

Her post was meant to encourage others not to do something illegal like passing fraudulent papers or misrepresenting facts in order to gain registration. He is encouraging other aspiring non-experienced nurses to pursue their dream of working in Australia because it is not that impossible to find work afterwards. Heck, there are even hospitals here in the regional areas of Queensland that offer sign on bonuses of 2k, just to attract newly registered nurses to join their graduate program.

I hope that you will not get the impression that we Filipinos are desperate and incompetent that we do all we can just to work in Aus. It would not be fair to us who were granted licenses based on our merit. I knew that the requirements for IELTS is 7 across all bands, and knowing that English is not my mother tongue and I don't use it as an everyday language, I had to study English doubly hard and as a result i got 9's in all bands except in writing where I got an 8.5. And I am sure that not all native English speaking nurses can get scores like that if required to take the IELTS.

I am now working in aged care. The condition of which is exactly the condition of the aged care facility you used to work in, with the ENs and PCWs whose attitudes are exactly the same. You had to get out of that hellhole. But here I am loving it and I get things done on time. My DONACS loves me, my residents love me, and the EN and PCWs are now more cooperative. and that is because of the competence and right attitude that I have demonstrated. So there is a place for Filipinos like me. And to tell you the truth, I never took short cuts.

In a way I also bent the rules. I was told that I will not succeed in becoming a nurse in australia, Nursing being my third course. Second coursers even have been discriminated. That was the rule. So I "bent the rule."

If I personally know any nurse who broke the rules of the Board, I would not hesitate to report it. May the nurse be Filipino, Aboriginal, Australian, African or whatever. Because it would be my duty to protect my profession that I have shed tears, blood and sweat to get into. And it would also be my duty to protect the public at large.

So again, it is just a matter of semantics. Thanks

javRN

Great post as always javRN. :)

[Lithotomy]

lols JavRN. You're my idol !!!

[cioman94]

age is a state of mind. i'm way younger than you guys but i am perpetually 19 years old :loveya:

age? it's just a number, a cholesterol number.. gotta lower it down before my med check up..

[dreaminOz]

yes.apparently, the BPs are still available. thank God! for both OS and RNs(Oz) who cannot meet the recency of practise standards and want to get their Oz RN license back

I have a theoretical question. Anyone may answer. Do you think experienced, supposing two years, ICU nurse from a premiere hospital in the Philippines would meet the recency of practise standard? Like cioman, can BP be legally bypassed if the nurse considered is extra qualified, supposing, aside from being an ICU nurse he also got MSN. Thanks.