I don't have any work experience as a nurse. I just put in the QNC application kit where they ask for work experience as newly grad. If you're a foreign trained nurse (except those coming from the UK system) with or without experience, you 'll have to go through the bridging program before the QNC recognize your qualifications. But it would really help a lot if you have some clinical experience because when you do the clinical placement, the patients and the OZ nurses expects that you know what you're doing. Because part of the clinical skills you have to show you are competent is delegating activities to enrolled nurses, patient support assistants or assistant in nursing as well as the orderlies and also how to work with other medical personnel like physiotherapists. So all of them will ask you questions with regards to the patient/s you're looking after, they wil not ask your preceptor, your preceptor will only intervene if he thinks what you suggested is not right. It's like you're practising as an RN already. Going on duty is very different from what we do here. You have a preceptor so it means 1:1 teaching, and this preceptor will always challenge your decision, will always be asking for the rationale on your actions. And these things might be quite daunting to a non-experienced nurse. But if you have a solid experience while doing your duties in school, then it wouldn't be that difficult even if you're a newly graduate nurse. But to those who have at least 2 years work experience especially in a special areas like ICU, CCU, High dependency unit then peanuts or chicken lang placement:D
I'm already starting to process my 457 visa, before I left for the Phils. I applied to the hospital where i did my placement and they gave me a job and will sponsor me for my visa. So hopefully I'll be back 1st quarter of 2009 in AUS, in Bundaberg QLD.
That's a very informative post. :) I'm sure it will be very helpful for those going thru this specific route. Didn't think it will be that hard for the placement part. But it's good that you have shared your experience so the others will be able to prepare themselves for it.
Congratulations too on your job! I hope all goes well so you'll be in Aus soon! So happy for you :)
I submitted my application to QNC Late July 2007, was given a go to have the CAS program late Oct 2007. Since I was doing this by my own, I encountered different problems with regards to documentation, the OZ system is very different from us, so I have to send and resend my documents, this problem is what me and the CAS Program coordinator would like to address by making a "guide" specifically for Fil RN's. Anyways, I took the Challenge Test Dec. 2007, I was able to pass two modules (Legal and Cultural) and failed the other 2 (Transition to Professional Practice and the Clinical Prac), by February 2008 I started with my educational module (Professional practice), I was able to finish my educ module only last Oct. because of work and some personal stuff, it was only last Sept. that I really worked on it and I was able to finish the module in 1 month. Then late Oct. my placement was confirmed, when it was confirmed, I started to apply for my VISA, It only took me 2 weeks to process my VISA. Last Nov.10 I started my prac until Dec. 05. that's 4 weeks, 5 days/week, 8hrs./day = 160 hrs. I was glad that I did the prac or I failed the challenge test, because even if I passed the challenge test, I would surely fail the clinicals...their nursing practice is really different from ours.. anyway that's only my 2 cents worth with regards to OZ nursing.
Specializes in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical.
Hi branyan thanks for the reply. that is really good news. especially that they will also sponsor you for your work. what specifically are those problems regarding documentation if it's okay for you to share it with us. Are there still any chances of failing the 160 clinical placement? are you the one who chose the dates for the 160 hour clinical placement? and lastly, if you fail any area in the Challenge test, say for example you only failed in the Cultural area and passed all the other areas, will it mean that you are no longer required to take Part B within three months time?
what specifically are those problems regarding documentation if it's okay for you to share it with us.
the problem that i encountered was with regard to the certification of documents. qnc sent back my docs because the notary public just only stated that the copy i have is a certified true copy, qnc specifically want that the notary state that he has seen the true copy or has sighted the true copy. i also made the mistake on the statutory declaration, the date i put when i signed it is different from the date the notary signed. it happened because i signed the declaration a day before going to the notary.
are there still any chances of failing the 160 clinical placement?
yeah! you cannot be complacent in doing the clinical placement, its not what we call here in the phils. na "formality" lang, there are competencies or skills you must need to demonstrate to your preceptor and assessor. and from my experience, the preceptors will not spoon-feed you the info on the competencies you need to complete. it is your responsibility to assess if your accomplishing your goals. to give some analogy, for instance during college, you are required to complete 5 cases of nsd to pass ob rotation or 5 scrubs in surgery, in clin prac or placement you have competencies to accomplish, and you're only given cues on how to demonstrate certain anmc competencies, not specific cases to complete. the cues will guide you to think of how to demonstrate the required competencies. the anmc has 10 competencies, during your prac you wll need to give 3 supporting evidence for each competency for the first part (first 2 weeks) then another set in the 2nd part (last 2 weeks). supporting evidence are situations/interventions that you did that demonstrated the competency. then your preceptor and assessor will mark your competencies, you need to get a 4 on a scale of 1-4 to pass on all competencies. so you really have to utilize all the time you're in the hospital to accomplish these competencies and to think of situations that you can demonstrate your competencies otherwise you wouldn't have anything to write on your clin comp. record book for your preceptor and assessor to mark.
are you the one who chose the dates for the 160 hour clinical placement?
i just told ms. jenny anastasi of cas that i would like to do the placement asap, if possible before xmas and i am okay wherever there is a schedule open and i'm very happy to where i was placed for prac. it's a very nice hospital, the people you work with are so friendly and supportive, if you ask them like can i do this because i really need this to complete my requirements, they will gladly help and teach you. and i think, most of the hospitals in aus are like that, they really value students and will give opportunities for students to learn. it's really up to you how you would make the most out of your placement. if you're having trouble meeting your competencies then talk to the course coordinator or discuss it with your preceptor or clinical coordinator of the hospital. another plus for me is the place, it's a very nice place, the filipinos i met are all very helpful, especially the officers of the aus-fil assoc., they really treated me well. i could say they are my angels i can't wait to see them again.
if you fail any area in the challenge test, say for example you only failed in the cultural area and passed all the other areas, will it mean that you are no longer required to take part b within three months time?
you can only proceed to part b or the one day clinical challenge test if you passed the 4 subjects in the challenge test. if you fail any of the 4 subjects, you have to do the failed subject/s + clin. placement.
I can't say for sure if you'll receive the remuneration for the same level as an RN with 2 years postgrad experience. Ideally, the work experience should be paid. However, there are always exceptions to the rule so I don't know. It will really depend on the employer or the agency.
But like what I always say, any type of experience is given value anyway, so, it won't really be wasted. Just that, they might just prefer paid experience over volunteer experience.
For me personally, i don't think staying as a volunteer for too long, say for 2 years, is a good idea. If you really want to sell yourself, it would be better if you stay for a long time in a paid position as this would be useful not only in Australia but also to other countries should you want to migrate somewhere else.
thanks,, im actually thinking of 1 year nursing exposure and would expect that it would not be counted as experience for salary purposes,. nonetheless, i just want to be sure that despyt such agencies/employers would still consider me as a a"skilled nurse" (not an inexperienced nurse) considering my so called volunteer/training..
I submitted my application to QNC Late July 2007, was given a go to have the CAS program late Oct 2007. Since I was doing this by my own, I encountered different problems with regards to documentation, the OZ system is very different from us, so I have to send and resend my documents, this problem is what me and the CAS Program coordinator would like to address by making a "guide" specifically for Fil RN's. Anyways, I took the Challenge Test Dec. 2007, I was able to pass two modules (Legal and Cultural) and failed the other 2 (Transition to Professional Practice and the Clinical Prac), by February 2008 I started with my educational module (Professional practice), I was able to finish my educ module only last Oct. because of work and some personal stuff, it was only last Sept. that I really worked on it and I was able to finish the module in 1 month. Then late Oct. my placement was confirmed, when it was confirmed, I started to apply for my VISA, It only took me 2 weeks to process my VISA. Last Nov.10 I started my prac until Dec. 05. that's 4 weeks, 5 days/week, 8hrs./day = 160 hrs. I was glad that I did the prac or I failed the challenge test, because even if I passed the challenge test, I would surely fail the clinicals...their nursing practice is really different from ours.. anyway that's only my 2 cents worth with regards to OZ nursing.
branyan, hope you keep in touch in this thread forum.. your experience that you will be sharing with us would be of great help.. i think every member of this thread would agree that we are lucky to have you here.. if you noticed in our previous discussions, it 's like "theoretical" because no one of us have that actual experience that you have..
i guess our thread is complete with aelith and branyan around... right guys..
I submitted my application to QNC Late July 2007, was given a go to have the CAS program late Oct 2007. Since I was doing this by my own, I encountered different problems with regards to documentation, the OZ system is very different from us, so I have to send and resend my documents, this problem is what me and the CAS Program coordinator would like to address by making a "guide" specifically for Fil RN's. Anyways, I took the Challenge Test Dec. 2007, I was able to pass two modules (Legal and Cultural) and failed the other 2 (Transition to Professional Practice and the Clinical Prac), by February 2008 I started with my educational module (Professional practice), I was able to finish my educ module only last Oct. because of work and some personal stuff, it was only last Sept. that I really worked on it and I was able to finish the module in 1 month. Then late Oct. my placement was confirmed, when it was confirmed, I started to apply for my VISA, It only took me 2 weeks to process my VISA. Last Nov.10 I started my prac until Dec. 05. that's 4 weeks, 5 days/week, 8hrs./day = 160 hrs. I was glad that I did the prac or I failed the challenge test, because even if I passed the challenge test, I would surely fail the clinicals...their nursing practice is really different from ours.. anyway that's only my 2 cents worth with regards to OZ nursing.
branyan, may ask for your idea or opinion since you were already there in aus..
first of all, it encourage us well that even if you had no substantial work experience but still you were hired by a hospital.. normally when we contact aus agencies they would require 2 years experience..
would you say that your case was just an isolated case, that you were hired because the hospital you are in placement with saw your nsg skills during the placement, thats why they easily hire you despite your lack of experience?
what do you think if someone with aus license with no or limited experience, will apply directly to a hospital, what do you think is his/her chances? would they easily get hired as what happened to you?
im asking this because this is one of concerns we have as discussed in the previous pages, to the point that there is a belief that the advantage of having an agency like ASNC or ANSM is that they help the nurse find a job, as compared to independent applicants like many of us... but which is a complete opposite to your experience..
hope you could share your thoughts .... thank you...
glad to see someone with experience with regard to the cas.
just a couple of questions from me if thats ok with you
1. in applying is there anything that you can recommend to the other people interested in going there. would you still recommend others to do the application by themselves or would going thru an agency be still be easier?
2. how much did you spend ?
3. what if someone fails the clinical placement, then what ?
4. with regard to accommodations, what does that include and how much does that cost? i am scared to actually run out of money when i am there since i will using my life savings on this endeavor.
hope to hear from you soon
thanks.
advance merry xmas to all you readers out there...
branyan, may ask for your idea or opinion since you were already there in aus..
first of all, it encourage us well that even if you had no substantial work experience but still you were hired by a hospital.. normally when we contact aus agencies they would require 2 years experience..
would you say that your case was just an isolated case, that you were hired because the hospital you are in placement with saw your nsg skills during the placement, thats why they easily hire you despite your lack of experience?
what do you think if someone with aus license with no or limited experience, will apply directly to a hospital, what do you think is his/her chances? would they easily get hired as what happened to you?
im asking this because this is one of concerns we have as discussed in the previous pages, to the point that there is a belief that the advantage of having an agency like ASNC or ANSM is that they help the nurse find a job, as compared to independent applicants like many of us... but which is a complete opposite to your experience..
hope you could share your thoughts .... thank you...
I really can't answer with certainty your questions regarding job placements, every employer's needs are different..all I can say for sure is it will be a great advantage if you'll have an OZ registration, Hospitals in OZ have PSA's (patient support assistant), kung hindi kayo maselan, you can apply as a PSA first, then work maybe for 1 year then apply as RN. For instance, the place where I had my placement had a Filipina RN, she's an RN here in the Phils. when she went to OZ, she was sponsored by her relatives, when she tried to look for an RN job, her RN license here was not recognized but she was offered a PSA job which she took then after 2 yrs. of working she learnt of the CAS program which she took and pass and subsequently she was upgraded by the hosp. to an RN position. But I really don't know if they can sponsor you if you'll only going to work as a PSA .
There are also hospitals who have what they call a post-grad RN course for 1 year, this is for newly grads or those with out any experience, you're position is already an RN but your workload and responsibility is less than a regular staff RN, its like a probationary here in the Phils. but it runs for a year, BUT you'll also get paid (so it can be called a paid experience) but at a slightly lower rate than what they give to staff RN maybe 2 or 3 dollars lower, for instance the rate for a staff RN in QLD (Level 2 Grade 1-2) is about 23-24 dollars/hour then as a post grad maybe around 20-21 dollars/hr, hindi na masama di ba? Advice ko sa mga mag placement, do your best kasi they will really notice, lalo na RN na kayo dito Phils. mas mataas expectations nila compared to students there na nasa 3rd level na or 3rd year in college sa kanila who is also doing there placement. Then after your placement, try to apply as an RN, then also tell them that you're wiling to work as a PSA also or be a post-grad nurse, kasi what they can do is sponsor you as RN but since your newly grad, work as a post-grad first or as a PSA then after a year or two be upgraded as a regular RN. What's really important is to do good in your placement so they'll notice you like the NUM (nurse unit manager) or HC (Hospital coordinator) kasi they also give feedbacks to your Clinical Coordinator and the ADON (Asst. Director of Nursing) of the hospital. HINDI PWEDE DUN UNG PAUPO-UPO LANG. You must have INITIATIVE, they will not tell you what to do, HINDI USO DUN ANG UUTUSAN KA, being an RN, they expect that you know what needs to be done to your patient/s. Like if the px needs shower or needs to have her medications or needs a lab result, don't expect your preceptor or the other RN's to tell you. Your preceptor will not ask you, you will be the one to tell her what you want to do with your patient. So anyone who will do their placement, please be serious about it, its not only your money's at stake but the Phil. RN reputation...kawawa naman yung susunod kung pangit magiging impression sa nauna.
For those without clinical experience, If you know of an agency that will guarantee that they can get you a job after getting your registration then it might be better for you to avail of their services, because some agencies are already connected with employers, but I think most of them will put you in a nursing home, pero kunin nyo pa rin, you get paid and you acquire experience and that's = paid experience, and that's what hospital requires right? Konting tiis lang, If I were given that situation, I would rather work in a nursing home and get paid in dollars and get the experience than work here and get paid in pesos and acquire clin. experience that you're not sure the hospitals in OZ will recognize. But scrutinize every detail of the contract first before you sign anything, you can't be too careful. But for those with solid clinical/hospital experience maybe you should try looking first before signing up in an agency. What's good in OZ employers is that they will inform you if they are interested or not. That's what I admire with OZ employers, you would not be left waiting for nothing.
Congratulations !! to you ~ and million thanks for you sharing us your actual experience~ it's really helpful ^__^;;
Honestly, after reading your post, I think I will have a problem about notarization because my notary public wrote only "this is a true copy from a document presented to me". Is that not enough?? Actually, I have just got a letter of acknowledgment yesterday. It also said that I was been selected for a criminal history audit.
Any way, really glad that you pass everything and going to work in AUS. I hope everything goes great for you there ^__^,,
glad to see someone with experience with regard to the cas.
just a couple of questions from me if thats ok with you
hello i would love answering yours or any one who has questions with regards to the cas program. i really want to help the cas team of cqu to make this program known here in the phils. and more importantly to help my fellow kababayans.
1. in applying is there anything that you can recommend to the other people interested in going there. would you still recommend others to do the application by themselves or would going thru an agency be still be easier?
do you mean applying for a job? or the cas program?
2. how much did you spend ?
more or less 6000 aud for the qnc application, cas application and challenge test plus 2 modules, visa application, roundtrip tickets, 5 weeks accomodation and food. i'll try to make a detailed summary.
3. what if someone fails the clinical placement, then what ?
i think you'll have to do another, but you will not fail the placement that easy, because while doing the placement, you can assess if you're meeting your goals, if in the first week you sense that you're having trouble, then tell it to your clinical coordinator or your preceptor or to your course coordinator at once. then they can devise ways to help you meet your goals, to all who will be undergoing the placement, don't hesitate to tell your course coordinator/lecturer if you're having problems, don't wait until the last week. you can contact your course lecturer anytime. di uso dun yung special project.
4. with regard to accommodations, what does that include and how much does that cost? i am scared to actually run out of money when i am there since i will using my life savings on this endeavor.
i was really blessed that i was able to know the aus-fil community before i took my placement. they helped me in looking for my accomodation. i was able to get a unit 2 blocks away from the hospital at 150 aud/week and that includes all (electricity,water and the unit was fully furnished) that's really cheap when you compare to the present rate they have in bundy. the only downside was there were no landline and internet connection, but that can be easily fixed . they have inet shops and you can buy a prepaid sim. food will cost you around 5-7 dollars a meal, its cheaper to buy at the grocery and make your own lunch or dinner. transpo by bus is 2.40 aud/way taxi around 8 aud. so if you can find a unit that is just walking distance then it would be better, you can save a lot and bus transpo has a limited schedule, they are only until 3 pm and comes by only every hour. all prices and transpo i mentioned is in a rural setting, all of these changes when you go to the city.
hope to hear from you soon
thanks.
advance merry xmas to all you readers out there...
i'll try to make an actual summary of my expenses so you'll have some idea.
anyway that's only my 2 cents worth with regards to OZ nursing.
i can't wait to see them again.
.... thank you...
i would love answering yours or any one who has questions with regards to the cas program. i really want to help the cas team of cqu to make this program known here in the phils. and more importantly to help my fellow kababayans.
Aelith
613 Posts
That's a very informative post. :) I'm sure it will be very helpful for those going thru this specific route. Didn't think it will be that hard for the placement part. But it's good that you have shared your experience so the others will be able to prepare themselves for it.
Congratulations too on your job! I hope all goes well so you'll be in Aus soon! So happy for you :)