New grad Filipino nurse wanting to work in Australia/New Zealand Part 2

adyhottie · Feb 10, 2012

Did they ask for additional docs in your application? Why did it take 6 months?

joiemike · Feb 10, 2012

Okay, you may call me the unluckiest nurse on earth...
To cut the loooong story short,
I successfully finished my application for Overseas' Nurse Program (ONP)
for registration to United Kingdom's Nursing and Midwifery Council (Yup, I am certain I'm on the right thread)...
I have received NMC's decision letter, and I am to take the 20-day adaptation program.
I rang already about a quarter and a half of the long list of NMC's recommended universities/institutions
where I could finally have my ONP, only to learn that the nursing climate have drastically changed over the past few months,
so most of the schools have already stopped the program,
or are still running the program, but is required to be in UK first with both Working and Student Visas in order to be accepted...
To cut it shorter, I lost hope.
And I am currently looking for alternatives.
And I'm thinking of trying it out with Australia.
But, considering my previous experience with UK's NMC (Oh my, thinking about all of the documents I have tediously collected, not to mention all of the time, effort, and money spent makes me wanna kill myself, haha),
I can't help to be a bit skeptic and ponder that the exact same scenario might happen to me in Australia.
Anyone wanna share their two cents on this?
Please wish that I haven't yet killed myself so I could read your replies, aha...
Thanks!
:)

All I could say is never lose hope. I was on the same boat as you are now.

I first applied for registration with New Zealand Nursing Council. Had my eligibility to undergo their CAP (Competency Assessment Programme) on July of 2010. I was very excited thinking I was able to hurdle the biggest obstacle. Finding a CAP school would be a cinch (or so, I thought). All of the CAP schools were fully booked and had long wait-lists. I even hired an immigration agent to help me find a school ASAP. Cost me another US $500. If finding a school was a problem, what more with finding a job after getting your license?

So, on December 2010, I decided to submit my documents to AHPRA Vic. Cost me another $450 excluding the postage and all the other documentary requirements. I was still hoping that I can get in New Zealand. But Australia will be my fallback. My mindset at that time was whichever comes first (NZ or Aus) I will grab the opportunity.

Got my AHPRA Letter of Eligibility on July 2011. I immediately sent applications to all the BP schools. In the meantime, still no positive news from NZ. Requested for extension from NZNC to undergo the CAP. Got an approval for a 6 month extension. But still no CAP slot. First week of August 2011, got an offer from ETEA. They were a lot more expensive than most of the schools, but I just decided to grab their offer.

I didn't regret my decision to apply with AHPRA and grab the offer from ETEA. I considered all the cost and effort to be well worth it. Although my lectures were in Melbourne, I was assigned to a hospital in the Central Coast of NSW (that's near Sydney). The hospital is owned by a big network which operates 44 hospitals and clinics all over the country. After my clinical placement, I was offered a job in the hospital.

It's only been a week since I started working here. I love my job. I love the staff and the patients. The area, although about an hour away by train from Sydney, is very quaint, picturesque.

And, my employer is generous and flexible. I will get between 30 to 45 days paid annual leave after 12 months. In the meantime, they will allow me to come home this June for a 2 week unpaid leave. But at the same time, they will allow me to work extra shifts on weekends and holidays to make up for the 2 weeks I won't get paid when I come home on june. They even give free massage services for all their staff once a month. And since they have 43 other facilities all over Aus, they will allow me to transfer wherever I want after the 9 months mandatory period.

So, don't lose hope. I understand what you went through. The roller coaster of emotions we go through is part of the journey. But where there is a will, there definitely will always be a way. Just keep on praying to God for guidance. Cheers!!:)

Noelle18 · Feb 10, 2012

hi! where did you send your application?

I lodged my application to AHPRA VIC :)

__minja__ · Feb 10, 2012

All I could say is never lose hope. I was on the same boat as you are now.
I first applied for registration with New Zealand Nursing Council. Had my eligibility to undergo their CAP (Competency Assessment Programme) on July of 2010. I was very excited thinking I was able to hurdle the biggest obstacle. Finding a CAP school would be a cinch (or so, I thought). All of the CAP schools were fully booked and had long wait-lists. I even hired an immigration agent to help me find a school ASAP. Cost me another US $500. If finding a school was a problem, what more with finding a job after getting your license?
So, on December 2010, I decided to submit my documents to AHPRA Vic. Cost me another $450 excluding the postage and all the other documentary requirements. I was still hoping that I can get in New Zealand. But Australia will be my fallback. My mindset at that time was whichever comes first (NZ or Aus) I will grab the opportunity.
Got my AHPRA Letter of Eligibility on July 2011. I immediately sent applications to all the BP schools. In the meantime, still no positive news from NZ. Requested for extension from NZNC to undergo the CAP. Got an approval for a 6 month extension. But still no CAP slot. First week of August 2011, got an offer from ETEA. They were a lot more expensive than most of the schools, but I just decided to grab their offer.
I didn't regret my decision to apply with AHPRA and grab the offer from ETEA. I considered all the cost and effort to be well worth it. Although my lectures were in Melbourne, I was assigned to a hospital in the Central Coast of NSW (that's near Sydney). The hospital is owned by a big network which operates 44 hospitals and clinics all over the country. After my clinical placement, I was offered a job in the hospital.
It's only been a week since I started working here. I love my job. I love the staff and the patients. The area, although about an hour away by train from Sydney, is very quaint, picturesque.
And, my employer is generous and flexible. I will get between 30 to 45 days paid annual leave after 12 months. In the meantime, they will allow me to come home this June for a 2 week unpaid leave. But at the same time, they will allow me to work extra shifts on weekends and holidays to make up for the 2 weeks I won't get paid when I come home on june. They even give free massage services for all their staff once a month. And since they have 43 other facilities all over Aus, they will allow me to transfer wherever I want after the 9 months mandatory period.
So, don't lose hope. I understand what you went through. The roller coaster of emotions we go through is part of the journey. But where there is a will, there definitely will always be a way. Just keep on praying to God for guidance. Cheers!!:)

I haven't made kudos to you but you have been very instrumental in making me and my boyfriend believe that there are great career opportunities for us in the land down under. For now, we are in search for the BP provider that would suit us. Your posts have inspired us thoroughly joiemike. :bow:

ceridwyn · Feb 10, 2012

joiemike hope they are paying you overtime if you work more than your contract full-time hours, thats the law and visa requirements....and i hope they (i know who you mean) apply for another visa if they change your work site.

aila61 · Feb 10, 2012

I lodged my application to AHPRA VIC :)

hi noelle! you sent your application to vic last jan 20 and got your loe feb 6? that was very fast indeed! now im thinking of transfering my docs to victoria since WA is still processing applications sent last september and i submitted mine just last dec. it would take me forever to receive my loe!

Noelle18 · Feb 10, 2012

hi noelle! you sent your application to vic last jan 20 and got your loe feb 6? that was very fast indeed! now im thinking of transfering my docs to victoria since WA is still processing applications sent last september and i submitted mine just last dec. it would take me forever to receive my loe!

Yeah, it was pretty quick. I was even surprised myself. You can opt to transfer your documents to VIC, but i read in a post in the previous page that she first lodged her application to VIC but it took 3 months and still no reply so she transferred them to WA. Now she's still waiting for her LOE. I dunno, maybe you could just stick it out with VIC? Maybe call them to ask about your papers (just a suggestion) :)

Noelle18 · Feb 10, 2012

I haven't made kudos to you but you have been very instrumental in making me and my boyfriend believe that there are great career opportunities for us in the land down under. For now, we are in search for the BP provider that would suit us. Your posts have inspired us thoroughly joiemike.

Hi minja, sorry I couldn't reply to your PM. Hehe. Anyway, I sent my application to ACFE the other day. I haven't received a reply from them yet. I really wanted to apply to other facilities to see where I could get an offer, but I'm a little worried about paying additional application fees. Maybe I'll wait for ACFE for about a week or so, then I'll try IHNA or Mercy. Have you submitted your application already?

adyhottie · Feb 10, 2012

My friend who went to IHNA for Bp discouraged me from enrolling to enroll there. She said it is dodgy there. No good at all.

adyhottie · Feb 10, 2012

I submitted mine to AHPRA VIC. took them a long time so I had it transferred to WA. I think it is just a matter of luck if you're application got a quick processing time.

Noelle18 · Feb 10, 2012

I submitted mine to AHPRA VIC. took them a long time so I had it transferred to WA. I think it is just a matter of luck if you're application got a quick processing time.

I agree. Thank you for the heads up about IHNA :)

adyhottie · Feb 10, 2012

And to think I submitted mine personally in the AHPRA office in Melbourne amd still it took me a long time like 3 months of waiting, They said to wait for 6 months processing time so I had to tramsfer it to WA. Those who got a fast processing time probably just got lucky.