Ahpra application refusal

World Registration

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Hi everyone,

I´m a registered nurse from Germany with 4 years experience. Went to the whole registration process with ahpra and waited 7 months. Today I received an email, that they are considering to refuse my application. The reason for that is, that they do not consider my training as equivalent with the Australian one. That is really a joke. Has someone ever been in this situation before? How did you write your appeal letter?

Specializes in Critical Care/NICU.

Having a look in the Internet a c1 country seems to be UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, NZ, Hong Kong, and Singapore. You also need to have at least 2 years working experience in one of these. If you are from a country other then them mentioned above if you have taken an adaptation course and gained registration in the UK you are eligible for registration. This is also on the requirement of two years work experience in that country

I found an appeal with aphra on the Internet and it states all this.

This is what I found on the Internet

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Thank you Gem1210390, I saw this appeal you recommend. I made my appeal and now I am waiting for their answer. If anybody has similar experience, please share.

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Hi everyone,

I received an email from the National Board today. They refuse my application. My appeal didn't help. They say my three year training is equal to the 1,5 year diploma in Australia. That's ridiculous. One point really made me laugh. They say it's not equal to a Australian degree, because I didn't have the subjects indigenous health and rural health. No one has that in his degree beside the Australians. They really just put the facts how they suit them.

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Then it is the end of positive assessments for all overseas nurses with AHPRA with this reasoning.

That will curb the many 457 hopefuls invasion. Have they given you any idea what to do, pick these subjects up at an Australia uni?

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Hi you all,

The same here, just received the news that I have to do a competence of assessment course ... How ridiculous.

My name is Matt and I'm a nurse from Belgium. I have a bachelor and master degree in Nursing from Europe (EU directive) and a Master in ICU nurse from Sydney University ... I'm waiting for the reason now why.

@Pusteblume_695: What a joke, I might probably receive the same arguments.

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Hi everybody,

My appeal will be examined on 2/10. They are SO SLOW. Is the government happy with this situation? Are they happy to have in the country experienced European nurses that are not allowed to work? And what's this descrimination between working experience in UK, Ireland and the rest of the Europe? A friend of mine, who is psycologist from Canada, got her registration but STILL has to have a supervisor for a year (she has to pay him). So, her Canadian bachelor and experience gave her a registration under conditions. I think all this situation is because they want us to pay them for their ridiculous courses. It's all about money. And now I am not even sure If all these nursing vacancies really exist. I am very much disappointed.

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and.....you will probably find vica versa, each country has a different culture, different health care system,different resources, different funding sources, different views on health, different immigrants, different indigenious culture and each country wants to protects it community against health care professionals that are not efficient in these things and these are usually only covered in first basic degree.

For an Australian educated nurse to work in other countries they often do not qualify or are made to jump through hoops as well.

Good luck with appeals, seems petty when others get in with so called nursing degrees that have many subjects that have nothing to do with nursing, from other countries, or as from the UK with specialised degrees, mental health, disability, children's, that are not like an Australian general degree, but are still given RN status.

I would still take it further.

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Specializes in Cath Lab.

Hi again everybody. I'm still collecting more documentation for APHRA. I'm still living in Europe so getting in touch with them is a bit harder than if I was living in Australia. I have had good friends call them on my behalf.

As for my case....I have had a really hard time getting any type of answer from them regarding the reason for not accepting my Danish Bachelor degree. The response I have gotten is - write an appeal and compare/map out all (and they mean ALL) of the Australian Competency Standards to the Danish ones.

Unfortunately for me the competency standards in Denmark haven't been written up like the Australian ones - so it's proving very hard to compare point for point. But I'm giving it a go - on a more basic level. I'm intending on bombarding them with documents such as the complete EU directive 2005/36/EC, the ICN code of Ethics, the Global standards for nursing etc.

fortunately I have completed 8 weeks of clinical training in rural Australia (Broken Hill and Cobar) and thus have gained clinical experience within Indiginous health and rural health (which is more than most Australian nursing students have). So I'll put an emphasis on this since apparently they also require this.

It is possible to do an online course regarding Indiginous Health/Rural Health (with College of Nursing, NSW) and it costs about 630$ - however, you must have an APHRA-registration to be able to apply for it (of course!!).

I'm hoping to have all my additional papers sent to them by October 3rd - and I will keep you all posted. I'm following this thread with great interest.

And Ceridwyn, I'm sure "our" countries do the exact same to nurses trained in Australia. I think we are all just really really frustrated - and none of us have an huge amount of money lying around not knowing what to do with it :)

Crossing my fingers for everybody :) And have a great weekend.

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Hi to you all,

Matthias, did they give you the reason why? I made a small research on the bridging courses. The spaces are limited and I am not sure I would find a spot if I wanted to finish it on time. I will call on Monday to see into it.

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Dear ceridwyn,

Australian representatives from immigration came to Athens, almost two years ago, and informed Greek nurses and doctors that are welcome in Australia, since there is a great need for these professions, and that Greeks are elidgible to work in Australia since their bachelors are according to the EU directive 2005. Some of us believed them, because they were the State's representatives, and applied for a registration in Australia...to find out that the assessment criteria are not crystal clear and misleading. As an applicant I have the right to be informed about the criteria my qualifications are to be assessed. If Australia doesn't need any experienced nurses, it's fine with me. But Australia has to tell us that, and not mislead us and bring us here for nothing. The places in the bridging courses are limited, we have given 12 months time to finish this course, it costs a fortune and the Board does not guarantee that if you finish the course you will get the registration!!!!! In this process we are all experienced nurses with qualifications and high cultural status. All this situation is not fair, we have been deceived.

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Nosileia: No reason yet. The will send it to me on monday or tuesday.

I had a call with the college of Nursing on friday, however the person who is responsible for the enquiries was not working that day. I will give them a call tomorrow to find out if there is any space left in one of the upcoming courses.

I called the AHPRA as well on friday and she did guarantee me that If I pass the course, I will get my registration within 15 days ... Waiting for the papers to see if this really true.

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Matt, are you going to appeal? I certainly am going to tribunal if i get a negative answer to my appeal.

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