saramarie

I enjoyed volunteering for a little bit, but I wasn't actually able to use many hands on skills as a volunteer and ended up becoming a substitute teacher for the base school instead. I sub for the school nurse occasionally and intend to use that on my resume in the future. At this point, I've accepted that I won't work as a nurse here, but I believe the experience of living in Japan and being with my spouse was completely worth it. I would not trade this time for anything. There have been occasional positions available for RN's, but they were office type jobs that I had no interest in doing. I hope you are able to find something in Okinawa, but if not, take advantage of the time you have to travel and enjoy Japan. You will love it!!

I started the process in September and finally got to start volunteering in January. I’m not sure if it was a background check that was holding the process up or something else. They never mentioned that. I am in Misawa. Best of luck!! You’ll get to work as a nurse in no time ?

Update for me- I have been here for about 8 months and haven’t been hired yet. Luckily, I was able to start volunteering at the hospital with the Red Cross. I think that’s probably all I’ll be able to do during our time here, but that’s okay. It’s great to be doing something nursing related here!

Hey! Thank you so much for the response. I tried PMing you, but I haven't had enough activity on this website, so they won't allow me to. Do you know what you will do when you move back to the states? I'm worried that when I move back and look for a job, I won't be eligible for new graduate nurse residency programs and won't have the experience needed to apply to regular positions. It's a bit of a predicament! In your opinion, was the experience of living in Japan with your husband worth the hit your career took? Right now, my mindset is that this experience would be more important than finding a job right away, but I'd love to know yours!

I am looking for any type of advice or tips or shared experiences with finding a nursing job as a military (airforce) spouse overseas. I graduate nursing school in May of 2018 and am getting married shortly after. My soon to be husband will finish up training in June 2018 and then could be sent to Japan, South Korea, etc. I've heard how difficult it is to find a nursing job as a new grad especially overseas, so I'm trying to start preparing now. I really don't want to stay in the states after we get married, but I feel like my options are so limited! If anyone can relate, please help!!