Nursing abroad

8-ball, BSN · Mar 2, 2016

I have a friend that just took a contract in Australia. It is a little different than regular travel nursing in that the contracts are typically longer. She had to get her visa first along with an interview, then once hired she signed on for a 16 month contract. I don't know if they do any shorter than that there. I know you can get contracts at many of the U.S territories like virgin islands, Hawaii, american somoa etc. but I don't know if those are any different.

NedRN · Mar 2, 2016

There are barely any two week contracts in this country (mostly strikes) and I don't think you want to go through the months of hassle getting a foreign license for two weeks work at less pay than you make here even if they were available. If you want a third world experience, try a travel assignment at USVI, or a mission.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Mar 2, 2016

LPN is not recognized in countries other than Canada. In Canada US LPN is not equivalent as theirs is a 2 year program

NedRN · Mar 2, 2016

LPN is not recognized in countries other than Canada. In Canada US LPN is not equivalent as theirs is a 2 year program

Original poster is in an RN program.

chare · Mar 2, 2016

...I know you can get contracts at many of the U.S territories like virgin islands, Hawaii, american somoa etc. but I don't know if those are any different.

FYI, Hawaii has been a state, not territory, since 1959.

guest769224 · Mar 3, 2016

I have a friend that just took a contract in Australia. It is a little different than regular travel nursing in that the contracts are typically longer. She had to get her visa first along with an interview, then once hired she signed on for a 16 month contract.

Very intriguing. Which agency did she use? I wonder if long term foreign contracts have a negative impact when searching for work upon U.S. return.

NedRN · Mar 3, 2016

Nope, exactly the opposite. Just like a travel nurse, exposure to other ways of doing things makes for a stronger nurse, and one capable of cross pollinating best practices.

PMFB-RN, RN · Mar 12, 2016

I have a nurse acquaintance who has been working in hospitals around the world for years. She works in American hospitals and clinics owned by the US government, usually military hospitals. No need to get a new license and few visa issues. She has worked in Japan, Italy, Germany, the UK and some others. She usually stays a year or two and finds her next job on USAjobs.com.

I have worked as an RN in New Zealand. The license process took 8 months and was very tedious. Every foreign RN is looked at individual by the NZ board of nursing and licenses are granted on a case by case basis.

As my wife is a NZ citizen I was able to secure a resident visa. If that were not the case I have little doubt that the work visa process would have been as tedious as the license process, if it were even possible to get a working visa.

guest769224 · Mar 12, 2016

I have a nurse acquaintance who has been working in hospitals around the world for years. She works in American hospitals and clinics owned by the US government, usually military hospitals. No need to get a new license and few visa issues. She has worked in Japan, Italy, Germany, the UK and some others. She usually stays a year or two and finds her next job on USAjobs.com.

How is an opportunity like that lined up and what are the qualifications?

NedRN · Mar 12, 2016

Where did you work in NZ and for how long? I went to high school in Wellington and have been back a couple of times for three, then six months bicycling and tramping about. I applied for a license, but they wanted me to do some sort of observed practice in NZ for two weeks (they were not happy with my school clinical hours) and I never followed through.

License in hand, I don't think the visa process would be too difficult. Different branch of government. Unlike most countries, you can look for work on a tourist visa and convert to a working visa without having to leave the country first.

elkpark · Mar 12, 2016

How is an opportunity like that lined up and what are the qualifications?

It's actually www.usajobs.gov, not .com, and that website is the site for all US government jobs, within the US and around the world. Go to the site and do a search, and apply for the jobs that interest you. Although I'm no expert on government jobs abroad, I've always heard there is a lot of competition for the jobs in the desirable locations (as one would expect). Since military bases are technically US soil, there are no visa or licensure issues. There's a system of who gets preference for the healthcare jobs on military bases abroad (same as in the US); military vets get preference, spouses of military personnel stationed on the site get preference, and, of course, it's easier to get future jobs once you're in the system than it is to get into the system in the first place. But it can't hurt to try if that's something that interests you!