uk nurses who have come to the usa

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I am in the usvi, and have been here nearly a year, maybe all the nurses who have posted their news about immigration, can now post about the differences in the us hospitals. I dont think that american doctors and nurses fully understand where we come from, and the working environment of the nhs, its only when we get here that we can understand the differences. I am sure that stateside hospitals are different even from here. and that they also vary from state to state, but maybe nurses who are waiting to come will be able to pick up some tips and know more than us what to expect.

christine....from wales to scotland to united states virgin islands, and then to the states, in january.

thats spoilt my dreams! So can any1 tell me what i would have do to get the experience?

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....being able to travel to see the hospital you will be working in is a good thing as it will alleiviate some of the stress you feel about moving, i know if i knew where i was going, and could afford it, i would be there like a flash to check it out!

It's definitely worthwhile having a look at the place first, if you get the chance. Had the opportunity in Sept 2004 to visit Banner Desert - wasn't really what I expected but at least I knew what it looked like.

I now tread the well worn carpets in my scrubs chuckling as I think of the NHS and a nurse:patient ratio of 1:17. Then I get home and have a dip in the pool and......

Hang on, I'm still stuck in the backward moving immigration abyss that is Vermont.....It's all a dream!!!

NCLEX in April, paperwork all in in June and heard bugger all since. My recruitment company are showing the verbal communication skills of a mime artist and have played the game of 'we should use this immigration Centre but will try the back door method' and it is obviously backfiring on them and me.

Haven't posted on this site for ages and have forgotten how good it is to get things off ones chest!! Belinda-Wales and I became parents again the 15th Sept - our third son (no more, thanks). Little Tobias will hopefully be able to start his vocabulary with an AZ accent, however, the way things are going immigration-wise, he'll have left for University by the time we get to the US!!

Frustrating, ain't it?!!

Cheers

OG

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
thats spoilt my dreams! So can any1 tell me what i would have do to get the experience?

I would suggest doing a search on here This has been brought up a few times and Tina has managed to find some info out which may be helpful. Here is that link https://allnurses.com/forums/united-kingdom-uk-nurses-forum/119906-adult-nurses-wanting-work-the-usa.html

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Belinda-Wales and I became parents again the 15th Sept - our third son (no more, thanks). Little Tobias will hopefully be able to start his vocabulary with an AZ accent, Cheers

OG

Congratulations to you both :balloons:

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Specializes in renal,peritoneal dialysis, medicine.
It's definitely worthwhile having a look at the place first, if you get the chance. Had the opportunity in Sept 2004 to visit Banner Desert - wasn't really what I expected but at least I knew what it looked like.

I now tread the well worn carpets in my scrubs chuckling as I think of the NHS and a nurse:patient ratio of 1:17. Then I get home and have a dip in the pool and......

Hang on, I'm still stuck in the backward moving immigration abyss that is Vermont.....It's all a dream!!!

NCLEX in April, paperwork all in in June and heard bugger all since. My recruitment company are showing the verbal communication skills of a mime artist and have played the game of 'we should use this immigration Centre but will try the back door method' and it is obviously backfiring on them and me.

Haven't posted on this site for ages and have forgotten how good it is to get things off ones chest!! Belinda-Wales and I became parents again the 15th Sept - our third son (no more, thanks). Little Tobias will hopefully be able to start his vocabulary with an AZ accent, however, the way things are going immigration-wise, he'll have left for University by the time we get to the US!!

Frustrating, ain't it?!!

Cheers

OG

oh dear OG sounds like you are stuck in the same time warp that many of us others are...

oh and congratulations by the way!

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well its the middle of october and how have you all spent your days off?

I spent my day off, doing some off-road driving in the worst dirt track roads that we have ever been on. we drove through the rainforest to get to a secluded cove where there are tidal pools. absolutely wonderful. I wasnt the driver of course, I think that we would still be there if I was. we were in 2 jeeps, and even the experienced drivers were stuck a few times and we had to pull the other jeep out as they were stuck in the ruts, and no matter how many times they tried to get up they werent going anywhere.

weather up in the high 80's and a free mud bath,

we then spent the evening driving on a long curving beach where we got stuck in the sand and had to send for the other jeep to come and pull us out!!!!!!!!!! the tide was coming in and lapping at the sills on the jeep., it was sunk in the sand up to the axles.

what a day, swimming until 9o'clock at night with the full moon shining on the water. the sea still lovely and warm.

back to reality tonight, working away with my surgical patients, but never mind the beaches will still be there when I am off again.

christine

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Specializes in renal,peritoneal dialysis, medicine.

well my day off was spent trying to get the house ready to go on the market! sounds like you had a great time tho christine!! lucky you!!

i wonder if anyone who is over there now can tell me about the standard of living you can have on a nurses wage? im signed with ogp like many on here, standard ogp salary, how does your lifestyle compare? is the wage enough to live on and do alright? my husband is a carpenter.

i did post this on another thread but i think it was in the wrong place:rolleyes:

claire

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hi english nurse, a lot of the nurses who post here are signed up with OGP.

it suited me to have them do all the arrangements for me to come here. It depends where you go as to what wage they will pay you, once you get here you will probably find that you get more than the hospital nurses and less than the other travellers who are employed in the same hospital as you, its not until you meet the other travel nurses that you find out that OGP is not renowned for being the best for wages, they pay for all the immigration and then you repay them by giving them 18 months contracted work, american nurses who dont have to come through all the cost of immigration can get much better benefits than us....if they are employed as travel nurses! the perks can be free housing, rental cars and paid electricity bills.

as a hospital employed nurse, they usually tie you to a 2 year contract as they are sponsoring you for the employment, but the benefits from them will be paid sick time a holidays.

I have found that when I was offered the contract to come here, I was disapointed at the hourly rate, but once you get here you realise that you can earn a lot more with overtime and a cheaper cost of living, plus the benefits of experiencing the area that you live in.

hope that this helps.

christine

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Specializes in renal,peritoneal dialysis, medicine.
hi english nurse, a lot of the nurses who post here are signed up with OGP.

it suited me to have them do all the arrangements for me to come here. It depends where you go as to what wage they will pay you, once you get here you will probably find that you get more than the hospital nurses and less than the other travellers who are employed in the same hospital as you, its not until you meet the other travel nurses that you find out that OGP is not renowned for being the best for wages, they pay for all the immigration and then you repay them by giving them 18 months contracted work, american nurses who dont have to come through all the cost of immigration can get much better benefits than us....if they are employed as travel nurses! the perks can be free housing, rental cars and paid electricity bills.

as a hospital employed nurse, they usually tie you to a 2 year contract as they are sponsoring you for the employment, but the benefits from them will be paid sick time a holidays.

I have found that when I was offered the contract to come here, I was disapointed at the hourly rate, but once you get here you realise that you can earn a lot more with overtime and a cheaper cost of living, plus the benefits of experiencing the area that you live in.

hope that this helps.

christine

thanks yes that does help alot

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thanksgiving is coming and for the uk nurses it means that we get to work for double time because its a big holiday for the americans.

they dont quite understand that we dont celebrate it in britain and are pleased to be able to have the time off with their families.

just glad to be able to help my workmates.

christine

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
well its the middle of october and how have you all spent your days off?

I spent my day off, doing some off-road driving in the worst dirt track roads that we have ever been on. we drove through the rainforest to get to a secluded cove where there are tidal pools. absolutely wonderful. I wasnt the driver of course, I think that we would still be there if I was. we were in 2 jeeps, and even the experienced drivers were stuck a few times and we had to pull the other jeep out as they were stuck in the ruts, and no matter how many times they tried to get up they werent going anywhere.

weather up in the high 80's and a free mud bath,

we then spent the evening driving on a long curving beach where we got stuck in the sand and had to send for the other jeep to come and pull us out!!!!!!!!!! the tide was coming in and lapping at the sills on the jeep., it was sunk in the sand up to the axles.

what a day, swimming until 9o'clock at night with the full moon shining on the water. the sea still lovely and warm.

back to reality tonight, working away with my surgical patients, but never mind the beaches will still be there when I am off again.

christine

How lovely x

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the beaches yesterday were full of conch shells, obviously been washed up because the seas were a bit rougher due to the hurricane that hit florida. I have never seen so many large shells since we got here. after a rainy few weeks the weather is back to the high 90's every day.

going to miss the island when we move. just sitting before I go to work, watching the view from the balcony, doors are wide open to let the breeze in, lots of water and a view of the local national trust island where lots of people go to snorkel the reef thats out there. its so relaxing.

christine

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