Nursing Jobs in the Caribbean

[LuvDaTrauma, BSN, RN]

My fiance recently got accepted at the American University in the Caribbean and I am looking forward to going but I am worried about nursing jobs there for me. I am an ER nurse now and would like to continue this but I am not sure what is available there for me if anything? How can I find out? Do I go through a travel agency? Someone please help! Thanks!

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Oooh that would be too cool. Personally, I absolutely love St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands - US territory. I actually took a look at their hospital last year when I was there - very small, everything gets shipped out to PuertoRico and from to Florida if necessary. I'm an ER nurse too - in the midwest. I was told when I looked into it that most nurses were travel nurses and the pay was abysmal but with the weather and scenery - I'd pay them! Good luck - I'll be watching this thread!

[bargainhound, RN]

What about working for a cruise line....at least you would have a chance of seeing your fiance at intervals.

[NurseFirst]

What about working for a cruise line....at least you would have a chance of seeing your fiance at intervals.

I had to think about that for a second....yep, medical school. That's about all her fiance will have a chance to see her :).

Seriously, go check out my friends at http://www.valuemd.com -- a site which, if your fiance doesn't know about it, he should become acquainted! The site is set up for foreign medical school students, or those trying to get into foreign medical schools--particularly from the U.S., but there are some foreign-born med students/docs there as well.

The site has Very useful, good information--about everything: island life, dealing with administrations, etc., etc.; the students share lots of information about life on the island--but, do a search on the threads as many of the questions have been asked over and over again, and some of the regulars get a bit perturbed.

AUC, I believe, also has a "spouses" club. From the things I've read on that site, I'm not sure you would want to do nursing on St. Maarten...something about the level of practice, especially when it comes to standard precautions and the like (and there is a lot of AIDs in the Carribean). For instance, from what I understand, most of the wives return to the states to have their babies. Remember, the Carribean Islands ARE third world countries.

NurseFirst