New immigrant to Australia - how is it going?

biancah · Mar 18, 2013

Hey, we moved to Australia in December only to find that the state we moved to (SA) put a freeze on jobs! We are now looking to move to another state in order to get work. After two months of networking and agency work we may have found an 'in'. We need to be an employee to apply for jobs so getting on the casual pool opened up more possibilities. In the end, we are falling for another state. We started looking out of necessity but we are now seeing better possibilities elsewhere. Luckily we had a bit of cash to fall back on but it would be really hard if people think they can walk in to a job here. We had a contract lined up that fell through and then the freeze on jobs made it super hard. In saying that NSW has loads of job and other states have plenty on offer.

akwa · May 31, 2013

Have been working now for 4months in ICU and slowly getting there. Was so excited when I started but that didn't last for long due to a few things.

1) HR was closed for 2wks from end of December till first/second week in January, and coming from the UK I found that really strange as its a big teaching hospital who are aware that they have new starters. I have never come across a hospital HR department which closes for that length of time because its the Xmas period.

2) It took them 4weeks after me starting to actually get paid and this was after my manager got the hospital head of nursing involved because HR screwed up my paperwork, they had known since November 2012 that I was coming.

3) Somehow payroll has got me working under Renal services rather than ICU so all my payslips went there and 4months later before it got sorted.

4) My name now finally appears on the ICU electronic rosta instead of that of Renal after 4months.

Am not sure if this is the same everywhere in Australia so am not gonna generalise but it sucks as struggling to settle in then all these other things are happening. The scariest thing is that I moved here on my own and do not have the same support system I had at home so had no one to turn to for support. I also found that even though Australian nurses are very intelligent, the ones in my unit are very laid back which I am struggling with. And also the nurse to patient ratio can be unsafe at times. So many little things about the department bugs me and at times I wish I was back in the UK but I am determined to not let the bad outweigh the good I am also experiencing.

ceridwyn · Jun 1, 2013

This hospital in Victoria? There are differences.

Bringonthenight · Jun 1, 2013

Have been working now for 4months in ICU and slowly getting there. Was so excited when I started but that didn't last for long due to a few things.
1) HR was closed for 2wks from end of December till first/second week in January, and coming from the UK I found that really strange as its a big teaching hospital who are aware that they have new starters. I have never come across a hospital HR department which closes for that length of time because its the Xmas period.
2) It took them 4weeks after me starting to actually get paid and this was after my manager got the hospital head of nursing involved because HR screwed up my paperwork, they had known since November 2012 that I was coming.
3) Somehow payroll has got me working under Renal services rather than ICU so all my payslips went there and 4months later before it got sorted.
4) My name now finally appears on the ICU electronic rosta instead of that of Renal after 4months.
Am not sure if this is the same everywhere in Australia so am not gonna generalise but it sucks as struggling to settle in then all these other things are happening. The scariest thing is that I moved here on my own and do not have the same support system I had at home so had no one to turn to for support. I also found that even though Australian nurses are very intelligent, the ones in my unit are very laid back which I am struggling with. And also the nurse to patient ratio can be unsafe at times. So many little things about the department bugs me and at times I wish I was back in the UK but I am determined to not let the bad outweigh the good I am also experiencing.

Laid back is just the Australian way.