working as a nurse in Australia

[kellieskorner]

I am an Australia Citizen but was educated and lived in the USA the last 17 years.I am back in Australia working as a EEN.Enrolled Endorsed Nurse or LPN in the USA.I have been working for 6 months and i have found it very difficult to get rid of all of my experience,knowledge and scope of practice.In Australia EEN do not really do much beside give oral medications.I am going to get my RN here and I start school in March.The pay for Nurses is much higher here in Australia especially due to penalty rates.Nurses in the USA are able to practice at a much higher level and education requirements are much stricter in the USA.As a graduate Nurse 14 years ago in the USA I did more in my practice than I am able to do today.I don't regret coming back to Australia, I love it.With the Nursing shortage my hope is the the Queensland Nursing Council would look at other practices around the world and slowly introduce standards so that educated Nurses from around the world could contribute to higher levels of care and take some of the burdens off of the RN's and Physicians.

My purpose of writing this is to share my new experience.

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

I think it would help if you gave examples. As an ICU RN, I have not found that the scope of practice differs much between NSW, Victoria and the US. Perhaps the fact that you're an EN is the difference?