NZ Nurse curious about Oz!

Seawitch · Feb 27, 2011

Hey there,

If you haven't had any experience you'll probably need to apply for a Graduate Nurse Programme. It takes about a year (10 months) to complete and is basically a transition year. I think it's really beneficial because you get that support while you adjust to your role as an RN and you also get to work in different areas (med, surg & crit care). I did it about 700 years ago and I highly recommend it.

Which state do you plan to go to?

carolmaccas66, BSN, RN · Apr 11, 2011

U won't get a job without experience. I am an experienced carer, NA - only been an RN for over 2 years now, and I am finding it hard to get ANY work.

You could try for a GNP as above, but they do try to fill these with Australian nurses first.

Try and do a year where u r, then think about coming over here, otherwise you will not get employment.

talaxandra · Apr 13, 2011

You could try for a GNP as above, but they do try to fill these with Australian nurses first.

That's not quite true - my ward takes 8 grads a year, and we regularly have Kiwis as part of the intake; last year half our grads trained in NZ, so it's certainly possible.

The rest of Carol's post is right, though - with the exception of agency work, which is really difficult without experience, you'll be hard-pressed to find work.

rednalexa · Apr 18, 2011

Misscherie,

Kia-ora from a kiwi nurse who jumped the ditch to the land of Oz!

I finished my degree in Nelson in 2008. I moved to Australia in January of 2009 and started/completed a graduate nurse programme at The Royal Melbourne Hospital.

In your case, fresh from uni, i highly recommend doing a grad year. Going straight from uni in NZ to nursing over here in Aus would be tough, things are a little different over here. Not that you wouldn't survive, you just may not get the love & support you need to lay vital "foundations" for your nursing career.

Should you chose to jump over here, remember you will need to apply online a fair bit earlier in the year. "Computer Match" is where you must apply for graduate nurse positions in Australia. Most hospitals will offer phone interviews however some tour NZ to interview (The Austin Hospital here in Melbourne toured whilst I was in my final year of training in NZ).

Hope you chose whats best for you & your partner.

Good luck

Sarah

carolmaccas66, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2011

That's not quite true - my ward takes 8 grads a year, and we regularly have Kiwis as part of the intake; last year half our grads trained in NZ, so it's certainly possible.
The rest of Carol's post is right, though - with the exception of agency work, which is really difficult without experience, you'll be hard-pressed to find work.

All I can say to this is that the hospitals should LEGALLY have to take Aussie nurses first. It absolutely breaks my heart that many Australian nurses are finding it hard to gain work.

The government should pass a law that Aussie GNPs should get first choice - and nurse recruiters should not be able to fill positions - of any kind - without having first got Aussies first. I feel very strongly about this. Its the government that lets nurse recruiters get people from overseas, when young and probably very good Aussie nurses cannot get jobs.

It breaks my heart, it really does. Whatever happened to our beautiful, lucky country?

Thank GOD I won't be in nursing soon after I pay off all my debts.

talaxandra · Apr 18, 2011

Given that there's more effort in recruiting overseas nurses rather than locals ones, I imagine there's a reason for the practice.

Certainly the NZ-trained grads we've had have been very good; I'd rather work with great, enthusiastic nurses, wherever they're from, than Australian nurses who are sub-par. There are certainly final year students I've worked with that I'd have concersn about recommending, let alone working with post-registration.

I'm certainly not saying that all newly-graduated nurses who've been unsuccessful with finding a GNP are problematic, but I'd certainly be concerned that an exclusionary requirement would constrict our options to hiring local nurses rather than the best nurses.