post graduate diploma course in new zealand

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Hi. i would like to ask for an advice.

Im a NICU nurse here in the phil. I already have 2 years and 4 months experiece and took ielts with these scores: listening=8, reading=8, writing=6.5, and speaking=7. Im planning to go to new zealand thru student visa. My agent told me that i would study for post graduate diploma in health care and after a year, i can work there as health care manager or doing admin works in the hospital. While studying, i can work 20 hours per week. I asked her for the nursing career path and she told me that if i really want to become a nurse, i should retake my ielts and have 7 in all categories. I can then process my papers and let the newzealand nursing council assess my documents ( it would take around 4-6 months) , after which they would give me a slot for the bridging course (cap). Last 2012, the nursing council gave the nurses the 2013 slots and early this year, they have given the 2014 slots. My agent said that if i apply for cap, probably i would get the 2015 slot. I am very much worried about the post graduate diploma course that i would take. Are there job opportunities in nz that would require these post grad course? I hope nz nurses can give me some advices. Thank you

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Moved to allnurses Nursing in Australia / New Zealand forum....check out the advice previously posted here.

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Specializes in Psych.

There is no longer a nursing shortage in NZ except in rural areas and aged-care and critical care. Immigration and the Nursing Council are making it more and more difficult for foreign trained nurses to get visas. Having a post graduate diploma will guarantee you NOTHING. I have a BSN and a PGDip and even if I wanted a job in management or administration, it would be unlikely that I would find one as I have no experience in the field and I do not have the right connections. Who you know in this small country is more important than your qualifications and I have worked with a good deal of managers/administrators less qualified than myself. And to be honest, Asian nurses in management and administration here are rare.

If you read our newspapers you will find many articles about the exploitation of foreign nurses by immigration services in the Philippines and also aged-care employers here in NZ.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation Home page (New Zealand Nurses Organisation) They have dealt with this issue many times and you could contact them and ask if they could have a Filipino nurse correspond with you.

Stuff.co.nz - Latest New Zealand News & World News, Sports News & NZ Weather Forecasts A link to several national news papers search the site with "Filipino nurses"

International registration / Nurses / Home - Nursing Council of New Zealand Nursing Council

I am not trying to discourage you, I am trying be be honest and share my experience and hopefully save you from being exploited. Research before you make any commitments.

Best of luck to you whatever you decide.

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Thank you so much for your reply. Do you have some advice on how i can gain entry to nz and have pr.? I have my auncle there as a mechanic wiyh his family. They are now permanent residents in nz. I laso have a concern regarding the cap course in nz if ever i work as a nurse. They said, cap course slots are very limited. If i process my papers, i can probably have my slot by 2015.

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Hi teoray im in the same situation as well. I wanted to apply for CAP but the slots are limited. so im taking my chances to this diploma course which is one year. I hope I could get a stable job and apply for PR. So when are you planning to go to New Zealand?

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I would pull out of this arrangement ASAP. It does not give you RN status it will not get you into a cap course any faster and it will not get you a job as you cannot apply for emigration as Registered nurses are off the skilled shortage list.

Having this post grad does not make you anymore employable, experience in a specialty makes you employable and then post grad in that specialty such as a graduate certificate or diploma in neonate nursing, not a post grad in some generic management.

And to think all that money and time in a post grad diploma and this still does not get you Registered nurse status, would you not be better doing Ielts! Even if you have to do it 2-3 times again until you get he 7 all round then apply for caps shorter and quicker cheaper.

On top of that,you cannot be a care manager, such as that in aged care as you need to be an RN first with experience in aged care.

When told information like this, please put yourselves in the place of your own country, would a foreigner with this or that, be put in any position in a hospital and given pr status.....if it was possible of course, if your answer is no then it is no everywhere else as well. This is madness

Its seems to be the mindset of many here os nurses on this forum, that New Zealand and Australia are so desperate for nurses that they will overlook many things, one of these is experience in a specialty that is required and also understanding competing, now without a nursing shortage, against locals and nurses from the Australia, UK, Canada and US as well as locals.

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Hi ceridwyn what do you mean not employable???

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Having this post grad diploma will not make you anymore attractive to an employer, they will probably guess that you became a student and did this course just as an entry point into NZ as it does not give you RN status and really will not give you much else as you will not be an RN.

As I said before Nurses are off the skilled shortage list unless you have something an employer requires so that they will sponsor, this generic diploma will not give you that.

As for working in administration, there is high unemployment their are locals with degrees as well quite happy to work in hospital admins, this will not make you highly prized as an employee.

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Specializes in Psych.

Before you do anything or pay anyone you need to contact the NZ Nursing Council and gain registration.with the nursing council. The situation in NZ is changing fast and is very different than even one year ago. It is only going to get more difficult. It is a big mistake to come to NZ without your nursing registration as it may never happen for you and/or you will pay thousands and thousands of dollars for English courses, IELTS testing and a CAP course. And then you may not be able to find a job. A work visa of any kind may not be renewed if a NZ citizen or permanent resident can be found to do your job. You will then have to leave NZ and go home or be deported.

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hello there redpink.. did u push thru the student visa in NZ? how was it? :)

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
hello there redpink.. did u push thru the student visa in NZ? how was it? :)

RedPink had not even logged into this site since Sept 2013. This is an old thread. I wouldn't be hopeful for a response. Good luck

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