Clarissa26

Hi, well I have been in contact with Geneva health so I am sure they operate down here in Australia, since I live in Queensland :) . They have been very helpful so far, I am only in the initial stages of the process, I need to make up hours in paeds and obstetrics before I can even apply. They found a course for me and were very helpful in that way, but thats all I can really contribute, hope it helps a little.

Well here we go again. I was just going to let it go at what Suzanne had said, but I thought I'd better double check with the university, so I called Deakin. Now, apparently the agencys had told them that the courses were accepted, but that wasn't enough for them, so they contacted the registration boards in the USA. Most of them will accept these courses, thats from the uni, not the agency, so I think it's a little more reliable. The hours will be recorded on the transcripts so no worries there. So once again, these courses ARE accepted by the majority of states in the USA. Good news isn't it.

Well, I trained an an EN before completing my RN training, with both being on the ward is always a big step up, but then step from being on the ward as a student to being a nurse on the ward is even bigger. I have to say that having your preceptor introduce himself after 2 weeks is not only crappy but almost illegal, I don't know the exact numbers but they are supposed to be on your ward for a certain amount of time each day, they are the ones assessing you, they have to see you perform every task to be able to pass you on it. I was ready to walk when I did nursing, and I infact did the first time I tried to complete my degree, had a facilitator say I didn't have the interpersonal skills to be a nurse, bugger her I say, because I went back and completed it, and am planning on traveling now, so stick with it. As for your patient that was transferred, you shouldn't have been in charge of anything, you are supposed to be wokring WITH a nurse, shadowing her, doing tasks as you feel capable and confident enough to do that are within your scope, it sounds like they are basically using you as a extra pair of hands and if I was there I'd go nutty, your there to learn, not to do the things they don't have time for or want to do. First thing you need to do is call your course coordinator at the TAFE, tell them what is going on, ask what your roll is suppose to be, ask for a hard copy, give it to your preceptor to give to the ward. It's not your job to tell the nurses there whats going on, they should have been told by your preceptor, but you'll often find they don't get told what your objectives are or your capabilities are. As for pan placement, it'll come, but you always get that odd one out, you think it's all good, then a full bed change comes along. I think your are being to hard on yourself and not hard enough on everyone else. The preceptor needs to pull up their socks, the ward nurses need to stop treating you as the hired help and include you in their day to day work. Now, as for leaving at the ned of the day, it all depends on who is on, what day it is, how busy it is. I have found in nursing that if you can get an early mark, take it because you never know when you'll be stuck there for an hour after your meant to be home or get no lunch, take it and run. I found all my pracs hard, cried on everyone of them when I was training as an enrolled nurse, bit different when I had some experience and did my degree. I think you should keep going, try to get into a different hospital next time, you'll usually find private hospital nurses get flogged a bit more that public, at least thats what my experience is. It would be interesting to know what hospital you are in. Stick in there, just think, it can only get better, thats what I tell myself everyday, hahaha.

I am planning a move to the UK from Australia next year and want to go to the USA after that, I have only one problem. I have to make up theory and practical hours in both paeds and maternity nursing, I am having trouble finding any courses here so was wondering if anyone knows about appropriate courses over there in the UK. Thanks for your help.

I have a collegue who is interested in going in to the military as a registered nurse. He doesn't have a computer and I have been unable to find much information that he wants, he just wants to know a bit about the basic training, how long, what sort of physical training is required that sort of thing. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

Well if thats the case I do not think there are any courses here that will cover that because every course I have come across you have to find your own prac placement. I don't know why the company would put nurses on to courses that wouldn't end up letting them work in the states, very strange. As for attending a school in the USA, it just isn't a feasible option for most people, at least not the people I know. I know you need mental health, but it is standard in Australia that you have a compulsory mental health placement, which is why I didn't bother to mention it at all.

Well I was given a phone number by a recruitment agency and I don't think it would be appropriate to give that out here, but if you did a general enquiry email to the school of nursing that should get some results. One warning, it is apparently not accepted in California, so if this is where you hoped to go this wouldn't be enough.

Well good news, Deakin University offer makeup courses in both paeds and maternity, $600 a module, with you needing to do two modules for each area. They make these running three semesters per year. They do cover your indemnity insurance, but you must find your own placement. So hope this helps anyone in the same position as me, :).

Well if only it was that easy, but it's not. It is a requirement to have hours in theory and practical in both obstetrics and paediatrics before you can even be eligible to take the NCLEX, neither of which I have or can find.

I wrote to a Canadian nursing board, if you have a bachelor degree then it is equivilant to the BSN degree in Canada and the USA, assuming the hours for paeds etc are included. So I just have to catch up on those hours and I'm good to go, with any luck.

Just wish I knew for sure if my degree is equivalent to the BSN in Canada and the USA, I have just never been able to find anything on comparing them.

I have changed my plans a little, I have decided to go to the UK at the end of the year for a while, I am sure if I can't find a course here to cover my obstetrics and paeds, I'll find something there. It will also get me acclimatised to the cold as I think I'll got to Canada after that, then the USA if I think it is for me. It is just so frustrating when you really want to go somewhere and it seems something so little could hold you up for ages, but the more people I talk to the more hints they have about the courses so hopefully I'll find something, maybe even before my trip to the UK. To answer your question, I finished my training as an RN last year. We only have 3 year degrees here, no 4 year ones, but that is what I am assuming is accepted in the USA as it is a bachelor of nursing and people have been forom here with that. I am also hoping it is the same for Canada. As I understand it there are a couple of ways to become a registered nurse over in the USA, but we only have the one way, the degree. Thanks for all your comments though, it's good to see different perspectives, some people don't even want to entertain the idea of something other than the status quo so go a bit nuts promoting that. Thanks again

I can't afford to go to the states for a few months without working to get my obstetrics and paediatrics hours, it would take me forever to save up the money needed for not only the courses but also living expenses. I wish I could do it, it would make things easier. We have some agencies advertising for nurses to go to Canada, mostly in BC, but some other places. If places keep making it harder to get into they won't get any nurses to go there from overseas. I understand they want to have quality over quantity, but the harder you make the less people are even going to bother trying, let alone get in.

Well I know a couple of people who are in different private hospital, one in the Wesley and one in Mater Private. The girl in the Wesley is loving it, they have 3 6 month rotations. The girl at the Mater private, well I'm not to sure if she is enjoying it, she just says she's not sure if nursing is for her, but I think that could have something to do with their grad program. She works in every department in the hospital in her first year, and I mean EVERY department. Theatre for a few weeks, ICU a few weeks, ED a couple of weeks, some wards for 6 weeks, some for 9, then they move on. Not a good environment to get comfortable in your first year out, at least thats what I think. Private hospitals also usually run on less staff, at least thats what I have experienced, as have a lot of others, so you might have to work harder there. I prefer to work in Queendland health because you can transfer your annual leave and sick leave if you transfer between hospitals, and there is more support, always a resident or ward call around. I had an experience in one private hospital where a patient had sats of 78%, we had to call after hours nurse manager to get "permission" to call the consultant at home. Then when sats dropped to 55%, we had to call the consultant to get "permission" to get the on call registrar up to the ward. I really prefer to have the security of knowing that theres someone I can just call if I am concerned for a patient, rather than having to get permission. But I could be biased, I have never worked in a private facility on a permanent basis, so it's good to hear from staff who have as well.

Well I have been looking around here and it seems both the USA and Canada have different advantages. One of the big things is the USA is next to impossible for me to get into as I haven't got any obstetrics training and am finding it hard to get the hours I need. Is it really worth me going through lots of money and even more hassle to get to the USA, or should I head to Canada, where it is very very cold, ( I am used to sunny Australia) and your not paid as much? Any opinions.

Well I have been looking around here and it seems both the USA and Canada have different advantages. One of the big things is the USA is next to impossible for me to get into as I haven't got any obstetrics training and am finding it hard to get the hours I need. Is it really worth me going through lots of money and even more hassle to get to the USA, or should I headto Canada? Any opinions?

I am a registered nurse in Brisbane and am looking at heading to the UK for work. I was wondering mostly about the nursing recruitment agencies and if anyone has any ideas about which are the best ones to go with for working over there. I am not really looking at London, more Nottingham as I have a friend there. Thanks for any help.

I am looking to nurse overseas, originally I was concentrating on the USA, but thats beginning to look impossible, so I am thinking first the UK, then Canada. My question is has anyone been to these countries through recruitment agencies or heard which are reputable and which are not. I have only come across about 2 or 3 for Canada, but a lot for the UK. Not sure if it matters but I am not looking at going to London, a few agencies concentrate there. Thanks heaps.

I went to QUT last year, they will give you alot more information about graduate positions in the Queensland public sector next semester. They will probably give you this site, http://www.health.qld.gov.au/gnor/ It is the site for graduate jobs here in Queensland, it's not up yet, but will be later in the year when they start accepting applications. They also had a day with lots of information. But the staff there should help you out more later in the year, thats what they did last year. I can't remember if they let us know about other states graduate programs, but I am sure you could find some info on the government site. Hope it helps.

I graduated last year, I got a job by applying to a grad program at the Princess Alexandra Hospital. I can tell you that there were a lot of people who are still trying to get a job in Brisbane, so many missed out so I'd advise you definately apply to the graduate programs, even the private hospitals. When it comes to the public system people only got call backs from their first choice most of the time so pick wisely. I had a friend who got straight into the Mater childrens hospital, but she did have a prac there for our last prac of the year, so I advise you pick your last prac very carefully, choose somewhere you'd like to work. I know you have to do a course before you can go into midwifery, and I am not to sure about the neonatal, but I think childrens is your best bet, but alot of people want to go into that, so the competetion is high. I am not to sure what uni you go to but they should help you out with some information towards the end of the year about this sort of thing.

Thanks for your reply, I have tried every University in Queensland, both the Mater and RBWH and even other healthcare training centres. There is nothing that is offered. The only option I have is to approach a hospital and try to get them to provide a practical placement for me, which I do not believe is going to be very easy. Thanks again.

I am currently working as a registered nurse in Brisbane Australia. I want to go to the states to work but before I can even apply I need to make up hours is a couple of areas. I need 40 hours theory and 80 hours practical in an undergraduate course, from a registered nursing school in both paediatrics and obstetrics. I am having absolutely no luck finding courses, except courses where I have to find my own practical placement, this is very hard to do. If anyone knows of any courses that might be suitable, within Australia, please, please, please let me know. Thanks.

I am currently working as a registered nurse in Brisbane Australia. I want to go to the states to work but before I can even apply I need to make up hours is a couple of areas. I need 40 hours theory and 80 hours practical in an undergraduate course, from a registered nursing school in both paediatrics and obstetrics. I am having absolutely no luck finding courses, except courses where I have to find my own practical placement, this is very hard to do. If anyone knows of any courses that might be suitable please, please, please let me know. Thanks.