US grad student looking to hear about nursing in Australia

K+MgSO4, BSN · Aug 26, 2009

hi there what do you want to know?

shaCNS · Aug 28, 2009

I work in a Medical ward in rural NSW. What would you like to know about?

jjlopez · Aug 30, 2009

Would you by any chance be willing to answer some questions about yourself and where you work for a paper that I am writing?

jjlopez · Aug 30, 2009

Where were you born, where did you get your nursing education, and where do you live and work now? Do you specialize in a certain area of nursing? If so, how long have you done this type of nursing and have you ever worked in any other area of nursing?

shaCNS · Aug 31, 2009

I was born in Sydney (capital of NSW), in1960 and lived in various suburbs of Sydney untill 2003.

I trained at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (a major hospital in Sydney). It was a 3 year course leading to the award of "Certificate in General Nuring". I graduated and became a Registered Nurse in 1984. (This type of training is no longer available: to become an RN now you have to go to University. It's still a 3 year course and the name of the degree obtained depends on the uni. e.g. BN, BSN, B App SC N etc).

As an RN I worked in 3 Public Hospitals and a Private Hospital in Sydney, mostly in Surgical Wards. I did work for about a year in Intensive Care, but never quite fitted in, so I returned to Surgical Nursing. I never really liked Medical Nursing (?patients) except Cardiac Nursing....... I have always enjoyed cardiac nursing and cardiac patients.

I moved to Tamworth (a large town/small city in Rural NSW) in 2003 and worked for 1 year in Paeditric Ward where I was quite out of my depth! I felt like a New Grad all the time.

Since 2004 I have worked in the Medical Ward, which includes the Acute Stroke Unit, Cardiac, renal, repiratory and almost anything else medical. In 2006/2007 I completed a Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing - Cardiac Stream, and am now employed as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. I am the ward resource person for all types of catdiac care, and part of my role includes orientating new staff and education of ward staff.

Do you need any more information? Hope this helps.

shaCNS · Aug 31, 2009

Sorry, wrog date. I graduated in 1982 not 1984.

K+MgSO4, BSN · Aug 31, 2009

Ok I was born in Coventry in England, I got my nursing education at Letterkenny Institute of Technology in conjunction with Letterkenny general hospital (LGH), I was in the first group of undergraduate nurses to graduate from a higher degree program that was introduced as the level of education for nurses in Ireland in 2002. I then worked in LGH for 2 years on the surgical ward which handelled colorectal, hepatobillary, urology, vascular, breast and minor plastics as well as having high dependency beds for seroiusly unwell patients. I then left Ireland in 2008 as I saw that the job oppertunities were dwindelling and travelled around Australia for 10 months doing agency work to fund my adventures (diving). this included a 3 month placement in a rural hospital with an ER (ER) where there was only doctor (GP) cover 3-4 days per week on site!! Since then I have settled in melbourne and am currently working on a short stay medical assessment unit which admits general medicine, chest pain unit and ED 24hr obs pts incl minor surgical procedures. I am contemplating a move to the ED or ICU.

jjlopez · Sep 3, 2009

Very interesting and very helpful! I am new to allnurses.com and I was wondering if you know how we can email each other so that I can ask you a couple more questions without having to post it for all to see? Do you know how we can do that? Is there a way I can directly send you a message? I really appreciate all of you help!

Silverdragon102, BSN · Sep 3, 2009

Members can send you a pm with their email address as long as they have 15 or more posts. You having less than 15 posts can read pms but not send or respond to any

jjlopez · Sep 5, 2009

Thanks! I have a coupld more questions but it might be easier if I pm you. I just have to post a couple more messages to get to 15!