mariaf

Yes that's true; not everyone would want to work in that area. good idea about the Embassy - thanks. Still a while to go before qualifying, but will let u all know how it turns out! Take care all Maria

Thanks Trauma for your encouragement. Also for your honesty Suzanne. However I will not let 4 years of nursing training go to waste! Having spent time as both a patient and visitor in Spanish hospitals, my view is that their nursing care is nothing to write home about anyway. Family/visitors are usually expected to administer all personal care, observe IV drip status etc. I understand this is beginning to change - very slowly, as with all in Spain. Plus, nurses are poorly paid. If I cannot find employment of the type you have both mentioned, then I will probably go down the translation/interpreting route. However, one area which is growing fast in Spain is the area of homecare. More and more British are retiring and spending their last days on 'The Costas'. Spain offers the traditional routes for the elderly and infirm of 1) family care (not an option for most expatriates) or 2) a nursing home. However, many expats are British and are accustomed to a UK social services system of homecare, and want and expect to remain in their own homes as long as possible. They very often have resources to pay for homecare, and I have been told by some of them that a nurse trained in the UK or US or elsewhere familiar to them, with or without post-reg experience, would be preferable. Expats sometimes complain that native Spanish nurses - and doctors - have a manner which is, shall we say (I don't want to start a war!) rather more brusque in areas such as pain relief. Let's just say the empathy is not always as visible?! :) Finally (thank you all for bearing with me) a note on the Castilian/Catalan topic. Having spent 10 yrs or so living in different parts of Spain (I remember I took my written driving test in Spanish and actually passed first time, whereas some of my Spanish colleagues didn't!) I would recommend that, if you are going to learn one version of Spanish, you learn ordinary Castilian (Castellano) Spanish. This is because it is understood everywhere you go in Spain. Yes, even by local-dialect speakers who claim not to understand it. They do. If you specialise in learning Catalan, Aragonese, Valenciano or any other Spanish dialect you risk being misunderstood if you move to another part of Spain. The Catalonians, unlike other areas proud of their local dialect, have succeeded in gaining official recognition for it as a separate language, and as such local schools teach all subjects in it (much to the fury of non-local Spaniards and foreigners alike). Catalan banks will send you letters in Catalan. But, I repeat, it is not necessary to learn it. Ask for it 'en Castellano'! Wishing you all well Maria Student Nurse Age 39 and feeling it :chuckle

Thanks Suzanne. It's true I wouldn't have experience as such. I'm in the UK, and half my hours in nurse training are being spent in practice on the wards, in the community etc - I suppose that wouldn't count would it, or am I just being hopeful! I have actually lived in Spain before for a few years but not in nursing; I taught English then; so I will keep that in mind. Thanks for your help Maria Student

Alison I am not yet qualified but will also be moving to Spain, probably Costa Blanca area, in the future as my (Spanish) husband wants to go back. Fortunately I speak Spanish (learned from Linguaphone - a slog but well worth it as you gain a very good accent) but like you ,am wondering what my job prospects would be as for some reason there do not seem to be many non Spanish nurses even in tourist areas where there are many English patients. Have you had any success, or does anyone know how difficult it is to enter practice there? I am an EU citizen. Maria - Nursing student