Australian RN moved to USA, where to begin?

[AussiRN]

Hello

I used to work in ICU in Australia.

I recently moved from Australia to Austin, Texas, must say its a pretty fun place.

I just gave my NCLEX-RN, waiting on results (Fingers crossed).

If I do make it in my NLCEX-RN, I do not know what else I should be doing ( like certification/courses ) to be able to work as an RN here in Austin.

Not sure if I need to get a certificate in Basic Life Support, Advanced Life Support, etc. ; from where and how much does these courses cost?

Unfortunately, I do not have any friends in Nursing and Health care here so would really appreciate my fellow nurses to guide me.

Thanks

AussiRN

[dzadzey, MSN, RN]

Well, If you want to continue in an ICU setting you'll need both ACLS and BLS. You can google "Red Cross ACLS" to find offerings in your area, but the cost varies from provider to provider.

And I don't know how things are in Australia, but it has been my experience that there is a definite sense of antipathy for nurses, and anyone who punches a time clock in general, from hospital and health care system administrators...so be warned.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Welcome to Texas! Houston has a very large Down Under expat community. There apartment complexes near the Texas Medical Center with such a large concentration that they host their own ANZAC festivities every year. We're glad you're here.

BTW, I don't understand the PP's comment re: antipathy toward hourly employees. I wonder what types of behavior would prompt that opinion? What does this have to do with the PP's inquiry?

ACLS is an American Heart Association certification, not Red Cross. Hospitals do not recognize Red Cross programs for CPR either. Hospitals that require BLS, ACLS,or other certifications will provide a means to obtain them as part of the orientation/hiring process.

The Austin job market is very tight right now but experienced nurses, especially those with high-demand skills can find something.. but may have to look in the outlying hospitals in the rapidly growing suburbs. I am assuming that the OP has an unencumbered work status - organizations are just not willing to go through the hassle and expense associated with immigration processes for nurses since there is really no need to do so these days.

I would suggest that you join and participate in your local chapter of Texas Nurses Association & AACN (Critical Care Nurses). Participating in the activities and meetings will provide an opportunity to network and make some employment connections.

[AussiRN]

Hi HouTx and dzadzey,

Thank you for taking out time to reply my post. I have just started looking for work and every where they do need BLS and ACLS, which was not the case back in Australia. There the hospital you work for provides with you with those tranings. The market looks pretty gloomy. It would be nice to have work but its difficult getting a job in Austin than I had thought even with 3 years of ICU experience

:icon_roll

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Hi HouTx and dzadzey,

Thank you for taking out time to reply my post. I have just started looking for work and every where they do need BLS and ACLS, which was not the case back in Australia. There the hospital you work for provides with you with those tranings. The market looks pretty gloomy. It would be nice to have work but its difficult getting a job in Austin than I had thought even with 3 years of ICU experience

:icon_roll

it here too until the market became saturated with nurses. The job market stinks across the nation.

[CocoClicquot]

Hi AussiRN,I'd love to hear more about your experience and the timeframes for getting your registration sorted. I'm due to graduate from Nursing school in Nov, 2013 and I'm very keen to move to Houston on completion. Any advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated. I'll be a new graduate with no experience which will mean a few more hoops to jump through.I have an alternate career to fall back on until my registration is sorted.thanks for your helpCoco