AdelaideChic

It sounded a bit dodgy, but it was from a somewhat reliable source. Im hoping to complete my postgrad stuff here first, before travelling, which should help find a position. I think you're right, I think im eligible for some sort of UK citizenship. I appreciate your time.

Hello! I am a R.N. in Australia. I have a years experience since completing my course, with a mix of cardiac, critical/intensive care and oncology. I am seriously considering travelling to Europe (U.K. specifically), I would love to work there for (starting off with) 3-6 months. My mother is a UK citizen, my father was born there but is now a Aust. resident, and my mums parents are from the UK. My dads parents (well his mum anyway) are from Scotland. Anyone got any pointers or tips to get me started? I have heard that it is beneficial to register with the Irish board, and then transfer over... is that true? Thanks VERY VERY muchly, for any advice, pointers or suggestions. Nikki

The hourly rate shown on that website also only reflects early shifts, doesnt take into account lates, nights, saturdays, sundays or even public holidays.

In my opinion, i would disagree. The thing is, it says Salary... When you look at base income presumin we work only mon to fri, only earlies, then the base earning in the public sector is somehting like $44,800 in Adelaide for a full-time first year RN. When you take into account that first year RN's are only a small % of the RN community, it doesnt make it average. However, a lot of the nurses are part-time. Many are not working in the public sector. If you are saying that the figure given, $45,187 is for a full-time graduate nurse on average for a year, it could work out. However, in my first year of nursing, i added about $5,000 to that, because of penalty rates and what not. Hope that makes sense?

I have some friends that did Tafe courses (like certificate things) that get paid the same as i do (even tho i did a 3 year degree, that cost roughly $12,000) that earn about the same as i do. However, i also work weekends, lates, nights, late earlies, public holidays.... I work on my feet, i work with the risk that someone might suddenly arrest and die, i have the risk of giving the wrong med, basically i feel that my job is a lot more risky and potentially dangerous than some of my friends that (for example) work at call centres or are computer programmers. One of such friends recently asked a bank how much he could loan, and he was told that he could loan $160,000 which is an ok amount, but not enough for a house in decent suburbs here. He is looking for a single loan, without a deposit, but still. I earn roughly the same, so in theory thats about what i can loan. Maybe it would be different with our education levels or something, but still... Cleaners at the local shopping centre get paid more per hour than I do. I do feel i am underpaid, but then again, how much is a nurse worth? Everyone in the public is gonna have a different opinion.

Danissa - when those staff were swabbed, what was the outcome? How did it affect postive results employment? Was it mandatory? I once asked where I work (in Aust) if they ever swabbed the staff (I was a student at the time) and the staff laughed and said nope, we would all have it. However, if we all have it, and are passing it on, we wouldnt get negative results on patients i guess. Handwashing is so important. When i was in a cardiac recovery area, a few times the staff on the admitting ward forgot to check the results, and patients would be operated on and admitted to the recovery unit before their positive result was found. I was very concerned that it meant i had become a carrier. Minnie Mouse - were you treated at your place of employment? Were you required to tell your employer? Isnt something like 80% of the community anyway, tis crazy.

The base salary increases each year, as your experience level increases also... so i would say that the $45,000 is for a first year RN (who has graduated), and of course, the lowest on the totem pole usually gets the ickier shifts, so they generally can pick up a fair bit more from penalties... Hope that helps!

In my opinion, the government would be better off by rewarding those of us who complete our program. People that go on the HECS/HELP system, start a qualification, don't finish it and don't earn enough to pay it back or work overseas are thus not paying for any of their debt. I think a system where your degree cost is (for example) halved would mean more people would be inclined to finish it, or even say a financial bonus or tax cut for finishing. Perhaps also there should be a reward for actually using the nursing degree? A few of my friends qualified, but took up different work or become mothers, which meant that their qualifications are temporarily useless, again likely meaning they are not paying back their debt. I don't much mind whether nurses are hospital or uni trained. I was uni trained, as i had to be to gain the qualification at the time. Placements/work experiences/free labour sucks because it means a drop of income, leaving (or using your holidays anyway) of paid income, to become another pair of hands. I was lucky and had great placements where I learnt heaps, but not everything is that lucky, not everyone enjoys the experience (not necessarily because of the nursing, but perhaps staff, other commitments, etc.). I would be somewhat bitter if people got paid to earn the same degree that I now have, without the HECS debt that I had.

You will need to be registered or enrolled with the Nurses Board of Victoria. There is a contact us link at this address, on the left hand side bar http://www.nbv.org.au/ Theres some info/link about coming to Australia as a nurse on this page http://www.health.vic.gov.au/nursing/career/registering Im in South Australia... so cant really help. I love Melbourne though, its prob my fave place other than here... Go check out St Kilda, I love that place! Good luck.

Not ALL of Australia!!! As per my post, I have worked in two units of the same (metropolitan, large) hospital in Aust which each have diff protocols - one with heparin, one without...

Maybe also a gentle reminder that cleaning a bum or putting on bandaids can be learnt in minutes... yet (here in Australia anyway) nursing is a 3 year degree (for registered anyway)... so clearly we are either really dumb (in which case, they better hope none of their loved ones get sick) or learn a lot more.

Few months ago when i was still very new in the ICU, i had a little old lady who had been admitted with CAP and general respiratory failure. We (the physio and I) soon also learnt that she had eruptive explosive diarrhorea. We learnt this, as when we stood her, the plug musta come out.... I was most bemused and also frustrated when the physio flopped her (his side of her anyway) onto the bed, and walked out the room to wipe his shoes... meanwhile I am holding her, comforting and reassuring, making sure she doesnt slip straight off the bed... I managed to heave her bottom back, meaning she is kinda splayed in all her bareness across the bed... but i was fixing her up, with as much dignity as possibly, and she was having a giggle...when the co-ordinator walks in, sees the physio wiping his shoes, and asks if i need a hand. I havent seen him again. I was so shocked that he blatantly abandoned his patient!!! Obviously he was shocked that little old ladies can have not so little bowel actions!

Im a new RN, and ive worked on two crit care places for my first two rotations. In the general ICU, normal saline is used, however in the cardio-thoracic ICU (where 95% of pts are post CABG, MVR or AVR) they use the heparin as mentioned above. Both units use pressurised bags to give about 3ml/hr (more really though, as we use their art lines to take blood regularly for BSL's...). I have only seen one episode of HITs, and interestingly that was in the cardiac ICU, where a guy was transferred from another (less major) metro hospital with cardiogenic shock (he had EF of 8%..and various other ailments!). However, he was also on bd sc heparin 5000u, so the 3ml/hr was probably minimal in comparison. Ive always kinda wanted the research of whether one or other was more effective, seems odd two different units in the same hospital (actually they are so close they share walls!) have different protocols.

In the unit i work on, mouth care is strictly at least 3 hourly on any ventilated patients, to protect the mucosa, comfort as well as VAP minimization. We used close suction on both trachy and ETT.

I wish i had seen this post earlier!!!! I love my pump. I have days where i hate diabetes, but not as many now with the pump than before. Hope it si going well, and if you ever want to chat, vent, or anything, fell free to msg me! I also know of a few online resources if your interested. Mine is the minimed too, i got the blue though (i had blue hair at the time, hahahaha!!!).