Pommie qualified in Australia comes home

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OK. Now is there anyone in my boat? I came to Australia as a UK citizen born and bred, married an Aussie, had two kids, went through uni and am now an RN. I've now worked a year in an Australian public hospital and now want to drag my Australian family back to Blighty so that the kids can learn to eat Marmite and appreciate dark windy mornings.

As an Australian nurse in a medical ward, I usually have 5 patients, earn a basic wage of about $45,000 (aus). Get 6 weeks holiday. half hour lunch break, half hour tea break. So, if I choose to work in a medical unit for the NHS (my only experience of a UK hospital was being born in one and watching No Angels - do the doctor's really shout at the nurses and boss them about like that?) am I in for a pleasant surprise or a nasty shock? Also, is it true that uk nurses don't have to shower their patients every morning?

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
OK. Now is there anyone in my boat? I came to Australia as a UK citizen born and bred, married an Aussie, had two kids, went through uni and am now an RN. I've now worked a year in an Australian public hospital and now want to drag my Australian family back to Blighty so that the kids can learn to eat Marmite and appreciate dark windy mornings.

As an Australian nurse in a medical ward, I usually have 5 patients, earn a basic wage of about $45,000 (aus). Get 6 weeks holiday. half hour lunch break, half hour tea break. So, if I choose to work in a medical unit for the NHS (my only experience of a UK hospital was being born in one and watching No Angels - do the doctor's really shout at the nurses and boss them about like that?) am I in for a pleasant surprise or a nasty shock? Also, is it true that uk nurses don't have to shower their patients every morning?

:welcome: to the forum

Be prepared for problems, the NHS is suffering in a lot of places with layoffs, nurses not able to find work, so a lot will depend on where you are looking. I can't remember since I qualified back in the late 80's of any doctors shouting at nurses and find more now than then that they actually listen to nurses and nurses have a lot of input into care management. Don't believe that about showers. If able patients were able to they did their own hygiene needs otherwise assistance was given to the ones that need it. Having done your training in Australia you will need to meet requirements for foreign trained nurse (overseas) which does include english exam.

some sites to look at

jobs http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/

NMC http://www.nmc-uk.org/

Nursing times http://www.nursingtimes.net

Hope this helps

Anna

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
OK. Now is there anyone in my boat? I came to Australia as a UK citizen born and bred, married an Aussie, had two kids, went through uni and am now an RN. I've now worked a year in an Australian public hospital and now want to drag my Australian family back to Blighty so that the kids can learn to eat Marmite and appreciate dark windy mornings.

As an Australian nurse in a medical ward, I usually have 5 patients, earn a basic wage of about $45,000 (aus). Get 6 weeks holiday. half hour lunch break, half hour tea break. So, if I choose to work in a medical unit for the NHS (my only experience of a UK hospital was being born in one and watching No Angels - do the doctor's really shout at the nurses and boss them about like that?) am I in for a pleasant surprise or a nasty shock? Also, is it true that uk nurses don't have to shower their patients every morning?

Hi

First of all good luck in your venture to return to the UK. I have heard that nursing is Australia is very similiar to working in the UK, so I doubt you would many problems settling down. I cannot translate the money so I cant tell you if the money is the same or not. No nursing in the Uk is not like 'No Angels' though the social life may be lol.

Uk nurses get 7 weeks vacation time, more than 5 pts and sometimes dont get a lunch break. As for a shower every morning well more often or not it is a full bed bath for a lot of folk.

Good luck

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Specializes in midwifery, gen surgical, community.

Hi Sister S,

No, nurses do not get shouted at by doctors in the UK (more likely to be the other way around).

Every patient is offered a wash, shower, bath every morning depending on their need.

Expect to have about 16 patients to each RN on the ward.

Expect to lose lots of weight as most nurses do not manage to get any food during their shifts.

Pay levels are pretty much the same I think.

I have worked in the UK and Australia. Nursing is not so much different in either country. You will miss the lovely weather though.

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Thanks for the info. It all sounds pretty similar, but 16 Patients! Jeepers! So that's half hour per patient (assuming an eight hour shift with no breaks) to see to hygeine needs, drugs and IV therapy, wounds, notes, linen and any other procedures necessary? Surely not.

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Specializes in midwifery, gen surgical, community.

You do get a Health Care Assistant to help with washes etc, but it is pretty hard work.:welcome:

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical.

The salary might be roughly the same, but the cost of living in the UK is higher.

I did the reverse, trained in the UK, moved to OZ for my first job.

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