Q about NZ Hospitals from an OZ nurse!

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Hi, both my husband and I are Registered Nurses in Australia. I work in Emergency and I am currently working on my Masters, My husband works in Intensive Care - and will hold a Graduate certificate in ICU nursing before we immigrate to NZ.

I realise it's all very subjective, but if you're a nurse, do you like where you work??

Do you get paid more in NZ if you have more qualifications (as a nurse) than the standard Bachelor of Nursing???

I Oz we get paid more if we have completed post grad study. Is it the same in NZ?

At the moment we are looking to move to Auckland, but we're open to anywhere on the North Island....

Thanksxx

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Specializes in medical and agency, Emergency last 3yrs.

Hi there, sorry to say but no extra here if you do extra study. I have a post grad dip and no monetary benefit. Only doing your professional development gets a bit extra, pretty silly, we actually doing the move to oz asap.:yeah:All the best, from fellow ed junky.

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Thanks!

Since finding out how dismal the pay is, we've decided that we are going to move to NZ. We're looking at relocating to Brisbane instead! We've both lived in Sydney before, Melbourne isn't really for us, although it's nice to visit. We both LOVE Queensland, so it just seems like the logical option for us both.

I would have loved to have gone to NZ, but it would mean a pay drop of about $30 - 40,000 combined - which in my opinion is disgusting! We'd never be able to survive!:mad:

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Specializes in medical and agency, Emergency last 3yrs.

Yes very interesting for us also! We are looking at moving to Geraldton WA, my hubby is in Briz this week setting his MC license, and then I hope to get a job in ED there. Think the pay should be much better than ere. Even though I am 16yrs registered and have done a PGdip, if I dont do my silly pdrp upkeep they can deduct my pay...Arhhh! That involves peer reviews and self assessment, and restraint packages silly considering every thing else that you do!:confused:

I hope for a better pay there, not sure how the level system works there though???, im sure from what you are saying that we will be better off, we struggle here, so its a hard choice for nurses to come here. :confused: :twocents:

All the best for your move then, hey and would like any info on the above that you can tell me ta. Kind regards Liz.:yeah::nurse:

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No worries Liz,It will be at least 2 years before we move. In the mean time we plan to travel back and forth and work up there for an agency (when we get time off from our jobs here). We are adament that we want to buy a property in Brisbane before we leave and then we'll rent out or sell our home here. So it will take some time, but so long as we get there before my son needs to start Kindy, it will be fine.

We go up in pay by year of service up until level 10 (year 10), and then it stays put. It's all changed in the last year, so I'm a bit sketchy on the details. If we hold a certificate it goes up by 2.5%, Grd dip 5% more. We usually get 6 weeks annual leave and most states have a nurse:Patient ratio of 1-4 or 1-5.

Check out the Nursing Council for the state you plan to work in - each state varies in pay. But we strike often for better rates and improved enterprise Bargaining agreement. Our strikes consist of not answering phones and not carrying any paperwork LMAO

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ditto

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Most states!!! I thought Victoria was the only state that had strict nurse patient ratios.

We are to do PD as well, but this is more to do with our responsibilities to keep registration not to keep our pay award! No wonder the great ditch is a freeway for New Zealanders heading west, if this is the way they treat professionals.

There are no nursing councils in each state, just the one National registration board (AHPRA) and they are not involved with pay awards.

Each state actually has a website that you can go to for nurses awards, but also the union if you are a member of pay awards for each state.

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Sorry, yes you're right! I'm thinking of the Union for each state! not council - I have night duty dementia!!

We had a strike here in SA in 2008 - and our N:P ratio is 1-5 at night and 1-4 during the day. One public ED has a ratio of 1:3. The strike we were going to have this year, never went ahead because they came to an agreement (even though it was a lesser agreement to the one we initially wanted). Instead of 12%, we got a 9% payrise and instead of it being implemented over 2 years, it's coming in over 5.

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NSW also has a 1-4 patient ratio as per my cousin who lives & works there.

We just have to accumulate 20 points each year to re-register. Each point roughly works out to 1 hour of study or inservice - it's easily achievable in 12 months.

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Mmmmm maybe SA is the place to be! If there are jobs of course.

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What, the orifice end of Australia is a good place to live & work?? lol

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My best friend works at RPA in Brisbane, they definately would love to have patient ratios. So no it is not all Australian nurses/patients priviledge as yet.

mmmhave just seen that the nsw govt agreed to patient ratios on thursday, that means us Victorian nurses would like to have NSW pay let the fight begin.

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