questions about new zealand....

Kiwi Ali · Apr 3, 2005

I am a nurse who is just about a year and a half out of school and have been thinking about working in New Zealand, in a couple of years, and would like to ask a couple of questions to some folks (either natives or transplants) who live/work there.
First a bit about my experience.... I have been working in the MICU of a level 1 Trauma Center (also the city/county hospital) since graduation and will probably be going to our ED in another 8 months or so. I will probably stay there for a year and a half- two years...giving me 2 years icu and 1.5 years ED exp. By the time I go I will have my CCRN (hopefully my CEN as well). I have traveled in NZ before and have experience living outside of the US (2 years in West Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer).
Questions....
1) How does the scope of practice for nurses in NZ compare to the US in the critical care/trauma settings? Do nurses start IVs (have heard they don't in Australia)? Do they do more precedures than in the US? Titrate gtts? How does the amount of autonomy compare? This is really my biggest question.
2) What is the pay like? Comparable to the US? Better? Worse?
3) What is the ratio of male nurses in NZ?
4) I have found an agency, Tonix, that specializes in bringing nurses into NZ. Does anyone have any exp with them? Would I be better off trying to use such an agency or trying to work directly with hospitals?
5) Is NZ experiencing the same type of shortage as the US? How difficult is it finding positions in the ER or ICU?
7) kind of a tangent, but does NZ use paramedics similar in training to the US? I will be working part time as a Paramedic and would like to be able to continue doing prehospital work in NZ.
Thanks for the information,
jay

I can't answer some of your questions, I'm in my 2nd year postgrad RN. I work in a small rural hospital, with no ICU, just a general med/surg/paed/ED ward. (Although I've just recently swapped from there to work postnatal).

My birth Mum wanted to do some work in NZ while she was visiting me and used Geneva - a nursing agency, I wonder if you could google them and ask them some of the questions you're seeking answers for? They are based in Auckland I think, at least thats where Mum used them.'

As for scopes of practice, try the New Zealand Nurses Organisation or the New Zealand Nursing Council websites.

Hope that helps,

Ali

alichael · Apr 24, 2005

One thing i can say is stick with the main centres: Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch hospitals! You would be bored int he others! I work in a small rural hospital (600 bed) and any too major trauma is transported to Hamilton or Auckland hospitals! So check out the hospitals.

The pay in NZ is less, however we are getting a 20% pay increase over the next few years.

Depending on who the staff are, who the doctors are, and their relationship is to how much nurses do in ed!!

There is a short fall of nurses and definetly in male nurses! Male nurses are welcomed with open arms!!

I have not heard of Tonix, but have heard of geneva (as per previous entry).

Good luck :coollook:

Scififan · Apr 25, 2005

Firstly, not sure what some of your qualifications are from the initials, we have slightly different terminology. However I am sure your experience and qualifications would be welcomed with open arms! We too have the same nursing shortages as other countries, and one advantage of dealing directly with the hospitals themselves is that you maybe able to negotiate some kind of financial assistance in getting over here. Certainly check the sites the previous posters suggested, the agencies would have a lot of information on the forests of paperwork you will have to wade through!

The amount of opportunity you have to utilise your skills certainly depends on where you go, but from what I understand ER and ICU nurses have to as part of their role cannulate patients ,give IV meds, start IV fluids, take bloods etc etc, not sure about the paramedics tho.

Good luck!

Kiwi Ali · Apr 25, 2005

I am a nurse who is just about a year and a half out of school and have been thinking about working in New Zealand, in a couple of years, and would like to ask a couple of questions to some folks (either natives or transplants) who live/work there.
Questions....
4) I have found an agency, Tonix, that specializes in bringing nurses into NZ. Does anyone have any exp with them? Would I be better off trying to use such an agency or trying to work directly with hospitals?
Thanks for the information,
jay

Try these links for agnecies . . .

http://www.nznursing.co.nz/

http://www.nursingreview.co.nz/web_directory/webdir-emp.htm

http://www.medcall.co.nz/

http://www.nursy.com/

http://www.nursy.com/NursingAgencies.htm

http://www.tonix.co.nz/

http://www.yellowpages.co.nz/Pages/SearchResults/0,2284,a1229_b1954_c1214_l0_s0_z0,00.html

http://www.genevahealth.com/jobs/jobs3.cfm?officeid=1&catid=14

Ali

ionaht · Apr 28, 2005

Jay, this is a bit of a tricky one as I'm a British nurse so I'm not sure the depth of your experience. However, I will try and answer a couple of your questions in relation to how I've found nursing in NZ.

First of all, I'm a G Grade District Nursing Sister in the UK. My job is very varied and incurs a broad scope of practice. I visit people within their own homes and provide the following type of care: terminal care and symptom control management, management of chronic diseases, wound management, health promotion and education, some types of acute illnesses that can be managed within the home, venepuncture, IV's and PICC lines, medication, ear syringing and undertake nurse prescribing. I've got 11 years post-reg experience, 1 honours degree, 1 post-grad degree (specialist practitioner) and 1 post grad diploma. Currently I'm working as a "district nurse" in Auckland, NZ.

Quite honestly, in response to the issue of your first question, I've found my autonomy has been severely stripped from me. I am not allowed to make any kind of major decisions without clearing it with my "charge nurse". These type of decisions I'd make on my own in the UK. I find the "system" itself very patronising and I've certainly not been given any credit for my clinical and academic achievements despite the fact I'm more qualified than my Kiwi counterparts. I know that sounds incredibly arrogant-I don't mean it to be but the fact of the matter is, I am more experienced and qualified than them. They are very into using a Clinical Nurse Educator to facilitate your learning. Unfortunately, my CNE was also very patronising and spoke to me like I was the village idiot.

I wished I could be more positive and offer you a more appropriate US geared answer but I can't!!

Best of luck-I'm going back to the UK in 3 weeks and I cannot wait!!! Give me my old job back now!!!!