frellyou

Yeah, bring as much documentation as you can, because there's quite a lot of competition for rental properties in Sydney. When we left our place in June last year there were at least 10 groups coming through to inspect the place, and most of them seemed interested. Having said that, as a woman living alone who has a full-time job you're quite a respectable candidate. You could also check out suburbs like Kingsford, Maroubra and Kensington, which aren't quite as nice as Randwick but still close by.

I used to live in Randwick before rising rents pushed me out, and I think that if you want to rent a place by yourself you'll have trouble as demand is really high. However, like others have said, the population is pretty transient so there are always rooms available. Having said that, if you're working full time it shouldn't be too bad, and it's definitely worth living so close to the beach, at lease for a little while. Good luck!

If you're going to invoke statistics to justify your own prejudices, then perhaps you should reconsider leaving your children alone with family members and close friends. After all, they are the main perpetrators of child abuse.

Ah NSW Health...it's interesting that they site both being busy and not having to do anything as reasons for why nights are so 'popular' (I'm sure it's nothing at all to do with compulsory rotating rosters!) I also wonder who their witness is. I think I'll be heading into Victoria when I graduate so that I can watch the state implode from a safe distance.

Is this usual in Victoria? Up in NSW 4 to a room seems to be standard, with a few private rooms for isolation (although one of the older wards I was on for clinical didn't have any!) I kind of like the four bedded rooms, it's easy to check on all your patients at once and there's less chance of someone being forgotten (yes, it did happen to a nurse I was buddying with, though to be fair it was one thing in a long list of stuff that went wrong that shift. :icon_roll)

Our lab instructor told us a night nurse at a place he worked at was fired for commencing a sexual relationship with a patient (young guy in traction, motorbike accident). Apparently they just closed the curtains!

The 3rd edition has been rewritten from an Australian perspective, whereas the 2nd Australian one has amendments tacked on to the American edition and I think the units changed (so the 3rd edition is a lot lighter and more streamline). The social issues and healthcare systems considered are the Australian and NZ one. I don't know why you'd even think about getting the American one if you're studying in Australia, unless there was a hell of a big discount.

I was speaking to a nurse from NICU at RNS who thought that the UTS bachelor of midwifery students didn't really have the basic nursing skills they needed, so a combined degree would be good. How much longer does it take? Buttercup, can you talk to your careers centre at uni? Other than that I would play up any community type roles, maybe P&C or something? Organising a family is a hard job (I can't even organise myself, lol) be confident in the skills you have learned rather than focussing on what you don't have. Anyway, I'm sure you're not the first nursing student to be in this position. :)

I'm really liking it so far, it's good to have some variety. I always thought it seemed like a stupid idea, until I went to the open day the last day before the cut off for changes and everyone was so nice I changed my mind! I was going to go to UTS. The classes are quite small too, and because there's a post-grad program there's a good mix of people doing the course, it's not your standard fresh from high school group. I've only done one shift at the nursing home so far. It's ok, but I guess I'm having trouble reconciling my idea of how residents are treated and how they actually are...the hard part is I guess that because I don't have any experience I'm not sure if I'm just being too 'by the book', you know? Like when the AINs rush through things it's in part because they have to. The hospital was a much more pleasant experience though. I'm looking forward to being fast and comfortable doing the AIN tasks at the home so that I can try and interact with the patients a bit more easily while I'm caring for them.

I'm second year BA/MN at Usyd, so only started nursing subjects this year. Just had my first week of clinical, it was awesome! I also just started work at a dementia nursing home (they called me at 5:45 this morning, presumeably to start work at 6:30. I didn't answer :S)

Hey, this sounds like an awesome idea, maybe we could convince allnurses to set up a sub-forum? I agree about the student forums here, the American system seems quite different to ours (they're all obsessed with their GPAs!)

They had a big investigation in NSW, Australia into the hospital system (the Garling report) which recommended that each profession wore a different colour, with charts all around the ward showing patients what the colours meant. His research revealed that patients were basically clueless when it came to knowing what each member of staff did and this added to the general confusion of being admitted to hospital. Of course we all wear uniforms over here anyway, and did so in school, so maybe we'd be more amenable to the idea?

*pats*

http://www.smh.com.au/national/inedible-frozen-meals-for-patients-20090519-beah.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/govt-defends-prepackaged-hospital-food-20090520-beuh.html http://www.smh.com.au/national/nurses-to-supervise-feeding-despite-lack-of-staff-20090520-bfsd.html Thoughts? I personally love the fact that their claiming that the food "will ensure its 22 million meals served annually meet strict standards for quality and consistency and stop staff in the state's eight area health services sourcing ingredients and cooking meals without government supervision or control." It's really quite an obvious euphemism for "my tiny bureaucratic mind might explode at the idea of hospitals across the state serving something slightly different. Even if it's better, it's not on!" *sigh*

If he's calling you 'kid' I think that you're completely justified in calling him 'old man'. As in 'thanks old man, but I think I'll get enough practice with paperwork before my time's through!' If he can't take it, then he shouldn't give it.

That's awful! Especially when you consider that the government is funding this and should be regulating this kind of thing. Grrr... Watch out for this one, Ku-ring-gai Campus is NOT a short walk from Lindfield station, it's ages! They lie!

Out of those UTS probably has the best reputation, but visit the campuses and see what you prefer. (I was going to go to UTS until I actually went to Usyd and met the staff there.) It all depends on where you want to and can afford to live, if you go to UWS the rents are significantly cheaper in western Sydney but you're further out from the city and beaches. Pretty much the only thing I know about ACU is from our new lab demonstrator, who says that they keep accepting more students and that they don't really have room for them. All the courses have to be written to meet the Australian competency standards, so it's not like you can miss out on much that's really significant. Good luck.

Pfft, I've lived in Ireland, I scoff at drear!

I had my first ever trip to Melbourne on the weekend, and have decided to defect there as soon as I graduate. Reasons being: * Queen Victoria Markets (Yes, I admit that this is the main reason I want to go, but have you seen all those cheese shops?) * Beer is served in pints, not schooners. * Trams. I heart trams. * Smaller city and generally more relaxed, less flash than Sydney and with a kind of European feel. * Cheaper rent means we could afford to live closer to the centre. All I have to do is convince the other half to feel the same way. My main arguments so far are the olives in QVM and the fact that he can park his motorbike on the pavement. As long as this goes to plan, I'll be seeing all you Melbournites in a few years. :w00t:

My thoughts are with you Ceridwyn. On a more positive note it's great to see the country pulling together. I was listening to the radio today and a bunch of stations managed to raise more than $1 million by midday, and this is on top of all the other donations, I read in the paper that they'd reached $20 million in total. Even the politicians (well, most of them) have put aside their usual bollocks for the time being. I am proud of my country today. :redbeathe I thought I'd end this attempt to be positive (as much as possible in the circumstances) with some appropriate lolcats: http://icanhascheezburger.com/?s=not+all+heroes http://icanhascheezburger.com/2008/06/25/funny-pictures-not-alwayz-ware-costooms/

Are you in Victoria Talaxandra? Saw the news stories, it looks so horrible . For some reason for me fire always seems more devastating than other natural disasters, not sure why. Thinking of you from Sydney:icon_hug:

You just apply through UAC, the Universities Admission Centre for NSW. You can also combine with Science, Health Science or Exercise and Sport Science. Yes, this does lead to nursing registration. The fees depend on what you combine with (Science subjects are most expensive, then Arts. Nursing is classed as a national priority and so is cheaper). If you're an Australian citizen you can put it on HECS. I think late applications are still open, you can check everything out at www.uac.edu.au If you have anymore questions please ask.

Hopefully the doctor got word of it and started wearing bigger pants. Maybe your husband performed a public service?

Eep, how embarrassing! At least I didn't really have to see him afterwards. You've made me feel better already .

I had my wisdom teeth out on Friday, and when I came too the anaesthetist told me I'd been 'showing him some affection with my fingernails'. :imbar I don't even know what he meant because I couldn't talk properly and then they put the oxygen mask on me to shut me up. I hope it was something innocent, that table is pretty much on groin level . He was quite dishy too! Since then I've been comforting myself with the thought that the staff had probably heard worse things from patients. So, what's the funniest thing you've heard from someone coming out from under anaesthetic?