Scooby-Dooby-Doo

Which hospitals are sponsoring in NSW?

Thank you all for the responses and the insights that you've shed light to. I have a better understanding of how many things work now. I will try my best when it comes to job hunting, and have been given hope that it's not all bad! I'll be coming on a working holiday in hopes for PR next year. Thank you so much again!

Hello fellow Australian nurses and student nurses! I've heaps of questions that I want to ask. I am a US-educated RN and currently have AHPRA registration as a division 1 RN, which in my registration certificate says from 31JAN18 to 31MAY18. I also have my ANMAC being assessed at the moment. 1.) Do I need to complete 5+ hours or 10+ hours for CPD since my registrations was from 31 of Jan? I'm trying to catch up with my CPD hours before I pay for renewal May 1st. Any CPD sites or organizations that you can recommend to me that I may get started? 2.) I'm still waiting for my actually AHPRA certificate of registration that was supposed to come in the mail. AHPRA said that they would mail my hard copy of my registration certificate when I appreared at the AHPRA office to show proof of identity, however that was over 7 weeks ago and now reaching 8 weeks. I still havent received anything, so how would I explain this situation and who would I need to contact to have this sent again? I'm lost because I emailed the AHPRA office in VIC and they said they didn't deal with those issues. I'm also currently living overseas. I used my friend's address to have my registration certificate mailed to, but she said nothing has arrived yet. I'm planning on doing my working holiday visa scheme in Australia next year 2019, and wanted to demystify some of these concepts that I came across and are new to me when I was doing to researching over nursing in Australia. My situation is also different in that I left nursing and currenly working in a non-working position. I am currently serving in the military working something completely different than nursing roles as an enlisted, not officer/nurse corps. The last time I had nursing experience was back in 2015. I started off straight in ICU for 6-7 months after graduation, and in a community/public health setting from then on casually on and off until 2015 when I enlisted in the military. I leave the military next year and plan on going back to nursing in 2019. Since I don't have recent, current, and less than a year's experience, I'm thinking of being a new graduate again. I understand that the job market isn't good for new grads in Australia. 4.) Why isn't it good? I don't plan on going into saturated and competitive places that have hospital graduate programs. I don't have roots in Australia, so I am WILLING to go ANYWHERE in Australia, even rural, regional, and remote hospitals or clinical settings. 5.) How is the competition in rural, regional and remote areas? 6.) Would new grads be able to enter a specialty like ICU or ER? Because I started in a busy university teaching hospital's trama center ICU, I was wondering if I can jump into an ICU position as a new grad in Australia (pending that it isn't in a competitive area)? 7.) How are new grads getting jobs nowadays? 8.) I understand that new grad programs in hospitals prefer their locals first before national and international, but I was wondering howare new grad programs structured in 12 months? Would the trainee be paired up with a preceptor the whole time during the orientation phase and program? From some international nurses that I interacted with and whom wanted to gain permanent residency status and were seeking sponsorship, which I would like to gain eventually as well, they told me about agencies and angency nursing. 9.) Don't you need to have experience before applying to agencies? At least here in the US, agencies are used for travel nurses with experience. 10.) Do agencies take new grads as well? 11.) How would it work with new grad placements if they did take new grads? 12.) What is agency nursing anywhere in Australia? 13.) How does Agency nursing work? Would be bounded to a long-term contract? I hear pros and cons about going to an agency. 14.) Why is that? 15.) What are some pros and cons that you can explain about agencies? 16.) How is the pay compared to non-agency and how are the hours? 17.) What is casual work? Since I'm going on a working holiday visa, I'm only able to work with one employer for a maximum of 6 months, which is why I can see why Irish and UK RNs do a lot of agency nursing. 18.) What does working casually as an RN mean? 19.) What is practice nursing? Are there any pros and cons to it? To me, it sounds like practice nursing is a regular nurse working. The last few questions that I have pertain to nursing education in Australia. When I was looking for jobs online, I keep seeing things like graduate certificate and graduate diploma in a specialty of nursing. I am interested in doing these as I really want to move to Australia and start my life and settle down there. 20.) Are there graduate programs in intensive/critical care that don't require recent experience? I'd love to go do a graduate program in ICU. 21.) If I want to be a Nurse Practitioner in Australia (or NZ), would I need to have experience in a certain specialty? For example, I don't know if there are NPs in Australian ICUs, but if it did, would I need to have experience in acute care or solely in ICU? 22.) How do Graduate dimplomas work? Do I need to have a graduate certificate first before a diploma? 23.) If I have a bachelor's degree, can't I go for a master's in nursing without getting a certificate or diploma? lol the Australian system confuses me sometimes, but I'm trying to learn how it works in the Australia, because apparently it is working! Aged care. I understand that there are plenty of positions for aged care. Why aren't many new grads going in them though? How would future career prospects look for an RN with gaining aged care experience if they want to go into acute or emergency care settings? How are the hours and pay for aged care? I hear that pay is the same across all RNs depending on the state's mandate regardless of specialty? So how would this tie in with agency's pay then? Lastly, for someone like me in this situation, what would be some of your recommendations in job hunting, location, and prospective permanent residency? Sorry for the long post!!

Wow. I'm a US-educated RN and I got my AHPRA easily in 3 months after lodging my application. It was tedious work, but I was able to provide the documents, every single one needed and my registration officer was very specific in what I needed next that I provided from my job and school. I got my BSN school to even send AHPRA that my education was conducted in English! When I got my registration in pending upon showing up to the AHPRA office, I used my friend's address in Melbourne and appeared to the AHPRA in VIC. Sent them my ETA VISA as a US citizen and voi-là ! It was fast. I didn't want to start off with NZ because I needed to do an English exam like IELTS or something like that. But, I'm going to be doing the TTMA though once I'm done with my working holiday visa in Australia, I'll be doing a working holiday in NZ.

Just spoke to a navy medical recruiter, they said they're always are looking in different areas of nursing which is fine by me. í ½í¸„ doesn't have to be critical care. Thanks

It's not all the same thing because never have I ever been charged with article 15 of the ucmj. My articles charged were 92 and 107. Captain's mast can be a good or bad thing, but anyway, my original comment was intended for anchorRN that's why I got all navy termed.

My BSN is from the US. Accredited by the ccne and all. And I'm laughing about the dying nurse Corps part. I guess the medical recruiters wanted me asap to fill an empty billet stat. The sabbatical program is relatively new. It's for all branches called the career intermission pilot program.

Njp is non judicial punishment. It's not a courts-martial, and where did you get art. 15? I never mentioned that.

May I ask why you left? I'm currently active duty enlisted stationed in Guam with my ship homeported in Guam. I got my BSN did some ICU and public health work and then enlisted as a gunner's mate. I spoke to the naval hospital nurses in the island and they told me that navy nurse Corps is dying for nurses and that me being 27, male and single and no dependents with some experience will be a good fit. I'm nearing the end of my first and last enlistment with no intention of reenlisting but have thought about joining the nurse Corps after doing what I want to do when I leave the navy for say 4-5 years and then possibly come back into nurse Corps. I thought about the sabbatical program too. How likely would I be chosen with an NJP record? I went to captain's mast for 2 ucmj articles lol. Very respectfully, GM3(SW)

I am about to send my AHPRA applicaiton via mail this week. The revised application did not specify that I had to send in transcripts since I graduated from an English-speaking program in California. I did attach a certified copy of my BSN degree.

Thanks! Yea, I'm not after the pay whatsoever, but the sense of adventure and trying something new. I'm sending my AHPRA application via mail today and finally collected all documents. Wish me luck, I hear it's a long process. After, I'm thinking about trying the Trans-Tasman Agreement Act for getting an NZ RN registration.

I've met some nurses who aren't Australian on WHVs and have/are currently working in Australia. I'd love to know if there are any of you out there who have/done/will do this and how and share what were your experiences like? Any tips? Advice? Recommendations on jobs and how to get/obtain? Preferences? I understand that we can only work a max of 6 months in Australia, so any of you able to find short term or temp work? I wouldn't mind working a non-nursing job either like pearling. I'm planning to do this in 2 years after I'm done serving in the US military, still 27 at the moment. I have my BSN and RN from California. I looked into starting my AHPRA application too, how long did that take you on average? I have some ICU and Public Health/community experience too. How is the process for being registered in New Zealand (I want to do a working holiday there too after my year in Australia) once you're registered in Australia? I saw that there was some sort of compact thing between the 2 countries. I've been to Australia before and loved it!

I graduated with my BSN from the US but I very much don't want to practise in the US as I have no intention to be a nurse in the US at all (family issues, I have no plans in taking the NCLEX) but want to practise in Australia (possibly in New Zealand too), would I need to take an exam for Australia from AHPRA or such? What must I do? Would AHPRA accept my US nursing degree without an NCLEX? I would love to return back to Australia. Please advise, I understand this is my fault for studying with a foreign degree in nursing as my other colleagues studied in uni for a business course or such. Any links or websites that can help me with information?

Thanks so much Commuter. My BSN was CCNE accredited (thankfully as a public state school). I think I'll go on with my MBA then at AMU. I don't see my future in other areas but the VA/DoD federal so I'll be okay. Good to know the VA/DoD has hired people from AMU :) That made me feel at ease better. Thanks again!

Thanks! I am joining the military and don't plan to work for those top-notch public/private hospitals nor do I want to go to questionable schools such as DeVry or ITT tech etc... If it helps, the school that I have an option with in the military is non-AASCB and is all online while I'm on deployment. The school's name is American Military University if that helps too. The nursing program BSN is CCNE accredited but the school isnt AASCB for the MBA. I have plans to return to the VA hospital/federal system after the military and was wondering if an MBA that I got with the military would be okay? The VA hospitals aren't top-notch compared to NYU, Columbia, or Johns Hopkins, but I would like to use an MBA somehow with the VA.

Following this thread too. I'm curious to know if an MBA needs to be AASCB accredited too. CCNE is fine, but what about AASCB? The program I'm looking into is also an online MBA (generic), but would love to use it for nursing.

The above poster is right... with a 2.8, sadly you dont have a chance for OCS. Sorry hun, but I hope something else finds your way. What I did was finish my BSN and then enlisted. Didn't do nurse corps or regular officer/OCS.

Lol I enlisted with a BSN... but that's because I left the nursing profession, sad to say. I'm 24, worked as an ICU nurse at a level 1 trauma, one of the best hospitals in the nation, and got burned out and hated being bullied as a new grad. Decided not to work as a nurse in the meantime and enjoy my 20s and life. I want to travel for free, be adventurous, see the world, and meet awesome people as life-long Friends, and have always thought about joining the military since before nursing school so I enlisted. I thought about nurse corps, but told me they were accepting only peds and maternity/OB as well as CRNA and NP (PNP and PMHNP). I was told that you can also gain volunteer expereince in those fields for 90 days and they'll count it as experience too. So I didn't bother with the Nurse Corps, and reminded myself that I didn't want to be a nurse anymore (or at least at this time). Next, with just a bachelors degree, I thought about being a naval aviator/pilot or being an officer of some sort. After doing my reseraching and talking to people and recruiters and homework about this route, I decided no. Those who do want to be an officer need to have a good GPA. The first question I was asked was "what is your GPA?" Even if I had a 3.7 magna cum laude etc., I didn't want to do it. The last thing was the enlisted route. Since I wanted to join the Navy to have fun and all, I decided to not waste anymore time and enlist since it was faster. Currently in the navy as an E3 (active duty). I felt proud of myself and feel like this will be a decision I will not regret. For those who do want to join the army/navy/air force nurse corps, I say do it if you can. But some advice I'll tell you is to think long and hard about this decision be it officer or enlist BEFORE you become active duty. I was told this same advice from a veteran patient at a hospital I used to volunteer when I was still a nursing student. Turns out, he was right and I am telling you this too. I still have plans eventually to return back to nursing when I'm in my 30s or so... but right now, I want to enjoy life and not have the stress of being stuck and "set in my ways" yet. I wouldn't even mind performing nursing duties while on board ships during emergencies should there be less HMs or what not and wouldn't mind volunteering myself to go be sent to crisis areas in the world such as typhoons, tsunamis, earthquakes for nursing duties as well. Speaking another language in the Navy helps a lot too. I wish you good luck in whatever path you choose.

I'm a transplant-surgical ICU nurse at a big university teaching hospital and level 1 trauma center as well as main transplant center, and I have to agree with the above posters. I have worked with tacrolimus, cyclosporin, mycophenolate, nystatin, bactrim, gancyclovir, neupogen, and a whole bunch of antibiotics and antifungals. You will also need to draw peak-trough levels for some of these meds like tacrolimus and if the patient become septic, anticipate to add vancomycin and cephalosporin to that mix. Don't just know your antifugals, antiretrovirals/antivirals, and antibiotics as well as immunosuppressant drugs, but also what they anticipate for and what to expect as well as why they are being given. That can really paint a big part of the picture of the patient's diagnosis and potential problems. Personally, I feel that pre-transplant patients are like MICU cases and post-transplant patients are like SICU cases, so in a way, you get the best of both worlds. Transplant liver patients deal with multi-multi-multi-systems since it affects everything! Not just neuro or cardio or pulmonary. Just off topic but relative, most transplant patients, especially liver and kidey, will be on dialysis, so we transplant nurses are also trained on dialysis. Finally, as with other critical care realms and specialized ICUs (burn, trauma, neuro, etc...) transplant ICU is no exception for vasopressors and vasoactive drugs. You'll need to know your pressors like Vasopressin, dopamine, epinephine, norepi/levophed etc... because once your hemodynamics change, so does your dosing and titration of vasopressors. Good luck! Transplant ICU is not easy but once you get the hang of things, I feel that you can go to other ICUs adjusted easily.

This thread is 2 years old now and I have been following this thread for a while. I'd like to know if there is something I can improve on as of now because I'm going to be applying this year. Figured that I got nothing to lose so yea. Stats now- Experience: Will have little over a year's good experience at a level one trauma facility/teaching hospital, working in transplant/surgical ICU GPA: Overall/cumulative total 3.7 BSN/core nursing classes 3.6 Science 3.9 Last 60 hours/units/credits 3.6 pre-req courses: Anatomy - A Physiology - A Chemistry -A Statistics - B+ first time, retook it for an A Pharmacology - B+ first time, took a graduate FNP pharm for an A Pathophysiology - B first time, retook it for an A- Research - A Health/Physical Assessment - A Will be taking org/biochem this coming fall semester. Plan on taking physics and biology PRN. Certs: BLS, ACLS, PALS, PHN (I'm proud to be a public health nurse too!) Planning to take the CCRN and TNCC once I get enough hours. Others: AACN member, and leadership/public/community volunteer. I Have shadowed CRNAs/MDAs too. Plan on taking the GRE too. Racked up letters of recs too. I'd just like to know if there's anything else I can improve on. Like the OP I want to do this in just one shot and I feel that maybe I don't stand out as there are fierce and tough applicants. I even feel nervous about even applying just for an interview.

Question: Will Australian hospital employers allow us to work for 6 months as stated in the work and holiday/working holiday visa? Or is that something under the control of an agency?

Western Provinces... do you mean states and territories like BC, Alberta, or Yukón that pay higher and have options in remote áreas? I love the flexibility of travel nursing in those áreas because of the short-term assignments and the ability to extend contract. I'm in the US and thinking about trying travel nursing in BC or the western part of Canada

Hang in there! Don't give up! Remember, you have worked so hard in your life to get to where you are now and there isn't a slight reason to give up now. You began this path that you've worked hard on years and it would be pointless to stop. I remember back in nursing school, I never got the best grades ever and I was usually the "class idiot" since I came with such a competitive yet supportive class full of smart people. I didn't give up and I ended up finishing nursing school. Something I thought that I couldn't do. I know the times are tough but remember to hang on tight and brace yourself after the storm.

Wow! Thanks for the information! I'm 23 years old, working in an ICU in the US and fell in love with Australia when I visited Sydney! I wanna do this working holiday visa!

Just curious, how many of you are coming from out-of-state or out of the Southern California area?