School nursing

[Hopefulx]

I hope this question hasn't already been asked and am sorry if it already has but here goes.....I am a mature but recently qualified children's nurse and am employed as school health nurse in the UK. I am wondering if anyone could tell me what the chances are of being accepted to work as part of a school health team in Australia? I am presuming it is like the UK and hard to gain employment in public health roles like this .

Thanks everyone :)

[ceridwyn]

At this time it is unclear if specialised nurses from the UK fit the new criteria of AHPRA as according to the new criteria one must have experienced many aspects of nursing. Out of interest, did you do a foundation year as many UK nurses have told me they do and experienced adult med/surg, aged care, medications for all aged groups, preventative education?

to answer your question some states have school nurses some do not, here in Victoria, my friend has just been told she does not have a job next year. Other forumers may be able to tell you more.

[Hopefulx]

Thanks for your reply. In our first year mental health, paediatric and adult branch students worked together to give us a good overview of care on the life continuum and to qualify you had to show that you had experience providing care across the branches. As a school nurse my work is health promotion, prevention of disease, a lot of safeguarding vulnerable children, immunisations etc. I am a mature nurse and prior to nursing I was a Disability adviser for adults which also involved a lot of health promotion and dealing with all issues relating to disabilities. I have tried to locate AHPRAs new guidelines on school nursing but cannot find them. It seems strange why they would want nursing experience within aged care,I would have thought that they would want nurses experienced in child health as this is very different to adult nursing. Thanks again, I think I may contact AHPRA and see if they can shed some light on it too. :-)

[ceridwyn]

Herein lies the problem, you will not find any guidelines at AHPRA for school nurses as in Australia nurses are not educated into specialties.

The new criteria has been to have national law and that states international nursing applicants should be assessed on the graduate nurse criteria of an Australian educated nurse. If an RN wants to specialise after undergraduate and do postgraduate paediatric, mental health, that's when they become specialised nurses.

Thats why I asked if you have had adult surgical medical and mental health experience as well as community nursing/health promotion aged care.

AHPRA will/should assess your degree against all these experiences expected of a graduate nurse in Australia, that's the new criteria.

whether they continue to give positive assessments to applicants from the UK is yet to be seen with the new criteria.