Nursing in France

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Is there anyone who can fill me in on RN jobs in France. I prefer the city hospiitals, I work in ICU currently. I have many years exp in Med Surg also. Would like to hear from someone. If you know about pay scale and such include that also. Thanks, bambi007;)

Hi, I am looking for nursing books in French, can anyone give me suggestions? I have had NO luck on e-bay. thank you

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Specializes in Cardiac, Progressive Care.

For nursing books in French, I recommend trying Amazon.com's French website: amazon.fr. I just checked and found many books on nursing. Just do a search on "soins infirmiers" and you'll also find sub-sections popping up in the search window, such as surgery, etc. If you already have an account at amazon's U.S. site, you'll be able to use it there, it carries over. Good luck!

Dennis

US RN and certified francophile

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Specializes in Pedi, geri, derm, med/surg.

I am thrilled and encouraged by your blog. Was planning to start learning Vietnamese or Chinese, but think I will switch to French! I speak a little French, and find I learn languages a lot faster if I immerse; but you're saying that one cannot get a job unless fluent to start out with? Any tips greatly appreciated. I'm in my late 50's and have been an agency nurse for nearly 20! Don't like hosp work (mostly because of short-staffed/lo pay)....Should I move and hope for the best? Any work while I'm learning French? I'm a pedi nurse now....nanny work?Getting real depressed in the USA. $ ruling as usual, but nurses that are not adequate are being hired keeping pay scale low.

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Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.
paris je t'aime,

If you do not have a EU passport or French citizenship you CANNOT practice nursing in France even if UK (or other country that is a member of EU) recognizes your diploma. canuck

There must be ways around this. I worked with an American nurse several years ago, and I know of another foreign nurse, neither of them EU citizens, who managed to work here. I think you need to get a potential employer involved to get your work papers, and you are essentially tied to that employer until you one day beome an EU passport holder. You may even have to actually sit the French IDE exam. The DDASS shoud be able to advise you, or if you come up against a fonctionnaire "pas possible" routine, try getting advice from an employment lawyer.

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I was in France last week and tried to register my Psychiatry nursing (part !3) -project 2000 qualification, but unfortunately the staff at DRASS referred me to a different person at the Minitere de la jeunesse and Sport. Having explained to her about my intention to work in France as a Psychiatric nurse, she then asked about 'statement of entry', which i had already translated in french; but unfortunately they don't have Psychiatric nurse training any more. The only nursing qualification they accept is General nursing (ie Part 2 and 12). Apparently they will be able to work anywhere ie mental health, general etc. I am a British Citizen. If anyone knows any other way so i can register my qualification in France, please let me know. thanks

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Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.
I was in France last week and tried to register my Psychiatry nursing (part !3) -project 2000 qualification, but unfortunately the staff at DRASS referred me to a different person at the Minitere de la jeunesse and Sport. Having explained to her about my intention to work in France as a Psychiatric nurse, she then asked about 'statement of entry', which i had already translated in french; but unfortunately they don't have Psychiatric nurse training any more. The only nursing qualification they accept is General nursing (ie Part 2 and 12). Apparently they will be able to work anywhere ie mental health, general etc. I am a British Citizen. If anyone knows any other way so i can register my qualification in France, please let me know. thanks

Have you checked out the NMC website? It comfirms my fear that as a nurse with an MH speciality only you may not be able to work here. France, like most countries has a single registration with a comprehensive training that encompasses mental health, paeds, learning disabilities etc. as well as general adult nursing, hence specialist nurses from Britain without a general training are often not recognized. There was once a 2 year psychiatric nurse training in France but it was phased out long ago - everybody now has to be a comprehensive IDE. I'm not sure there is any way round this for you. Have you tried the health ministry as suggested on the NMC website? Or the new Ordre Infirmier? Or contacting the DRH of a psychiatric hospital directly? Bon courage.

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Thanks a lot for the info. I will write to the Health ministry and find oiut more. My understanding of their training is equivalent to Project 2000, which they implementing now. Basically, we covered paed, learning dis, etc and then you specialise in your chosen area. So what the French is doing now is Project 2000 equivalent.

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Specializes in Cardiac surgery, ICU.
There must be ways around this. I worked with an American nurse several years ago, and I know of another foreign nurse, neither of them EU citizens, who managed to work here. I think you need to get a potential employer involved to get your work papers, and you are essentially tied to that employer until you one day beome an EU passport holder. You may even have to actually sit the French IDE exam. The DDASS shoud be able to advise you, or if you come up against a fonctionnaire "pas possible" routine, try getting advice from an employment lawyer.

Hi DavidFR,

Honestly, I'm not sure how the nurses you are speaking of were able to work in France. My husband is a lawyer and I did write a letter to Mme **********(Minister of Health and Sport) last year about the difficulty that qualified foreign nurses have to go through to be able to work in France. The answer is exactly that: when I'll have my French citizenship and certificate stating that my Canadian diploma is recognized by one of the members of EU, then I'll have no difficulty getting an authorization to practice nursing in France. This is of course absurd and it is obviously a political issue, but it is a current law. I've been living in France for the past 2 years and travelling back home once a year to do working missions to maintain my Canadian licence. I will be looking now into applying for UK licence to be closer to France and waiting for my French citizenship. What a drag!!! :uhoh3: But oh well, what needs to be done needs to be done. I will welcome any suggestions from you or someone who has been in similar situation.

Thanks a lot,

canuck

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There must be ways around this. I worked with an American nurse several years ago, and I know of another foreign nurse, neither of them EU citizens, who managed to work here. I think you need to get a potential employer involved to get your work papers, and you are essentially tied to that employer until you one day beome an EU passport holder. You may even have to actually sit the French IDE exam. The DDASS shoud be able to advise you, or if you come up against a fonctionnaire "pas possible" routine, try getting advice from an employment lawyer.

Hi David,

If you find more info please let me know.

Thanks

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paris je t'aime,

If you do not have a EU passport or French citizenship you CANNOT practice nursing in France even if UK (or other country that is a member of EU) recognizes your diploma. 2 years is a long time from now one and things might change, but for now it is firm without exceptions. Perhaps some people do not do their research and post inaccurate information on this forum and it becomes confusing for those seeking answers. If you are a nurse in NZ and were to come to France now with a goal to work as a nurse, you must have strong command of French language, both written and oral because you have to write entrance exams in French into a nursing school. If you pass the written test (questions are nursing related), then you move on to oral and practical parts of the entrance exam. If you succeed in oral and practical portions of the exam, the committee will review your nursing education transcripts and decide where to place you. It means you may start nursing school from the beginning or you'll have to take 2 or 1 year of training or perhaps just several courses. Remember, this is not just an entrance exam, this is a "concours", or a competition. Even if you accumulate enough points, 2% quota of foreign nurses intake applies. For example if there are 100 French applicants in one particular school, there will be only 2 seats reserved for foreign nurses in this particular school providing they pass all tests successfully. I hope it helps a bit in your search for answers.

canuck

Hi Canuck,

Thank you for the detailed information. Do you know any nursing school in Paris? I'm actually in my 2nd year of Nursing in New Zealand and in future if I plan to live in Paris I don't mind studying Nursing again in Paris for another 3 years perhaps. Please let me of any decent nursing universities in Paris.

Merci!

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hello...

can some1 help me pls..i've been dying to go to france to work there as a nurse however, i was not given the opportunity.some1 told me to get a tourist visa and apply as a nurse when im there.is that a good idea?and pls tell me where to start ( with the processing of documents) for i really have no clue on which step to take first...and by the way, i've got relatives in france and switzerland..maybe u can give me a hint if they can help me and how to help me.....

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
hello...

can some1 help me pls..i've been dying to go to france to work there as a nurse however, i was not given the opportunity.some1 told me to get a tourist visa and apply as a nurse when im there.is that a good idea?and pls tell me where to start ( with the processing of documents) for i really have no clue on which step to take first...and by the way, i've got relatives in france and switzerland..maybe u can give me a hint if they can help me and how to help me.....

Where are you from? What sort of RN training do you have? We have had US and Canadian nurses post that they have issues getting their training recognised to the same as French. I wouldn't recommend abusing the tourist visa like that and you may not even be given enough time to stay and sort things out

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