US nurse grad moving to Perth

[spartan_711]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently a US nursing student graduating in December '13 with my BSN (bachelors). I'll take NCLEX sometime in February and if I pass (god-willing), I'll be an RN. Afterwards I'm looking to move to Perth, Western Australia to catch up with some long lost relatives and do the working holiday visa for a year.

I've read the heaps of information about the process to go through in order to get registered with APHRA and all the paperwork involved. I've also been reading about how it has been ridiculously hard for even Australian new grads to get jobs as nurses or into nurse residency programs...which is scary! So as an international newly graduated nurse, I understand my chances of getting hired somewhere are not great.

My question is....can anyone speak to the shortage of nursing jobs/nurse residency programs in Perth (or just WA in general)?? I know many say that agency nursing would be the way for me to go with my visa and also not all agencies accept new grads like me without experience. Does anyone know of a specific agency that will accept new nurses without experience? Or should I just take my chances and apply for some nursing jobs and nurse residency programs at hospitals I'm interested in?? One last question: Royal Perth Hospital (or other large public teaching hospitals in the area)...are those completely out of the question for international RNs with no experience??

Any info would be much appreciated!! :)

[ANnot4me]

You need to gain registration in Australia first... until then, everything else is a fantasy. And there is no shortage of new graduate nurses in Australia.

[iamnomad]

Unfortunately, without any nursing experience to back you up, your chances are very slim. I don't know of any agency that will accept RN's without experience. You can try applying directly to hospitals but you will be competing with those who have years of experience. You'd be better off gaining a year or two of experience first there in the US and then apply here if you still want to by then.

[SnowSeal]

You're going to have an incredibly hard time finding a job. I'm an U.S. citizen without permanent residency in South Australia who's getting an RN degree from an Australian university. It's been impossible for me to get a job; I'm going back to the States to try my luck. Best bet for getting an international job is to stay in the U.S and get a year or two of experience.

[SnowSeal]

Also, if you're looking for residency programs, you've just missed the deadline. Applications for Graduate Nursing Positions open in July/August and this year's applicants are now being offered positions that start early next year. I guess you could apply next year, if you've worked less than 6 months as an RN, but no internationals/non-permanent residents I know got GNPs. Or you could work down here for a year doing something else to get your PR, and apply for GNP next year.

[suga_junkie, BSN, RN]

It is extremely hard to get a grad program in Perth at the moment. Hundreds of Aussie grads have missed out and it is almost impossible to get a job in a hospital without one. Also, hospitals MUST take Australian citizens first for grad programs so even international students who completed their entire nursing degree in Aus are not getting jobs. Also, agencies won't take new grads, you need a years experience first, as with most aged care facilities. I suggest you get that "magic" first year of experience before pursuing nursing in WA.