Some Aussie Help for an American nurse

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I am a current emergency registered nurse having just completed one full year of experience in the United States and am now ready to pursue my dream to work in Australia. I am highly interested in any information you can provide me, specifically great hospitals to work for in Melbourne and Sydney. I realize there is a huge learning curve as all medications have different names but I am wondering about the differences in nursing responsiblities. One ER doc I work with went to Australia for a year and was telling me he had to start his own IVs, etc. Can nurses start IVs? How is the doctor-to-nurse relationship? Also, can I afford to live on my own as a nurse in Australia? Is a decent wage when compared to cost of living? Thank you for any and all advice!! Much love. Nicole

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sydney is very expensive to live especially if your wanting to live close to the CBD. in melbourne it is alot cheaper, plus traffic although bad in melb sydney traffic is horrid. i would sugest the alfred in melbourne in there ED its the main trauma centre. with regards to Dr's having to start there own iv's i have also heard this. i worked in country victoria in a regional ED and the nurses there started the iv's. the nurse Dr relationship is always a difficult one until both parties really know each other. in the country you probably have more of an oppertunity to get to know each other out of work so i guess you more work as a team......thats just my perception of things. also some hospitals still have nurses quaters but there few and far between and normally cheap when you can find them. hope this helps

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Hi Im an australian nurse, I live and work in Newcastle, and have also done some work in melbourne and Townsville. Youll find that you should be able to live a pretty good life on our wages here, accomodation can be expensive, but not so much so that you cant afford to live here. I think taht the doctors and nurses here share a reasonable good relationship. Some nurses here can cannulate and some cant, so it depends on the skill mix on your shift. But I do my own cannulas. And once the orders are written, the nurses put the ivs up. There is some variation between hospitals and states over here. Its a good place to work and live.

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Hi! Just a quick note, most of the larger hospitals in Sydney have nurses quarters, or nurses homes, and they are very cheap!!! Cost next to nothing and linen is supplied. Try www.health.nsw.gov.au for job prospects. Good luck!

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Specializes in Medical.

Hi Nicole,

I live in Melbourne, and so can't tell you much about Sydney except that the cost of living is a little higher.

All the following hospitals have casualty departments.

Public hospitals (large)

The Alfred - www.alfred.org.au (specialties - burns, HIV/AIDS, multitrauma, hyperbaric therapy, heart/lung translant, respiratory)

The Austin - http://www.armc.org.au/ (neurosciences, spinal injury, rehab, liver and bone marrow transplant)

The Mercy - (women's health, aged care, palliative care)

Royal Children's - www.rch.org.au

Royal Melbourne - www.mh.org.au/Royal_Melbourne_Hospital/ (infectious diseases, trauma, neuroscience)

The Royal Women's - http://www.rwh.org.au/rwh/index.cfm?doc_id=2256 (maternity, gynaecology, neonatal care)

Private hospitals (large)

Cabrini - www.cabrini.com.au/

St Vincents/Mercy - www.stvincentsmercy.com.au/

Epworth - www.epworth.org.au

Although (at least in the public hospitlas) conditions are the same across each state, policies and procedures vary between workplaces. The Alfred, for example, has a nurse cannulation course after whch nurses can cannulate. It's certainly not as common here as in the US, though.

Nurse/doctor relationships? Well, like anywhere, it depends on the individuals involved. There are arrogant doctors, approachable doctors, ones with a team attitude and ones who think we ought to all follow their lead. Generally, in my experience, everyone gets along with everyone else, at least to a degree.

Regarding the cost of living/salary question - some things will naturally be more expensive, others cheaper. I've had no trouble affording to live alone since my first year of registration :)

Good luck, and congratulations on your wise decision to come down under :)

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Specializes in MS Home Health.

I wanted to work in Australia but learned I actually had to take some nursing classes first to do so. I would check on that first as well.

renerian

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Hi,

I am new to this site and want to say thanks for all the wonderful info. I will be finishing my BSN in May and also have an interest in working in Australia. I live in Canada and will work here for a year, and then plan to make the move. I was wondering if anyone has experience living and working in Cairns and could give me some insight into what it's like and also hospital and working conditions.

Thanks a tonne.

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Specializes in ICU.
Hi,

I am new to this site and want to say thanks for all the wonderful info. I will be finishing my BSN in May and also have an interest in working in Australia. I live in Canada and will work here for a year, and then plan to make the move. I was wondering if anyone has experience living and working in Cairns and could give me some insight into what it's like and also hospital and working conditions.

Thanks a tonne.

Cairns is not as big as Townsville and is considered a "regional" hospital which means it is not funded as well per patient as the tertiary referral hospitals - still is is nto a litttle bitty place either.

http://www.health.qld.gov.au/wwwprofiles/cairns_cairns_hosp.asp

There is also the Cairns private hospital

http://www.ramsayhealth.com.au/cph/aboutus/aboutus.asp

Cairnes main problem is that it was one of Queensland healths REAL BRIGHT planning decisions - it is right on the waterfront in a cyclone area. Hasn't been a problem yet but one day there will be trouble

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