Am I being realistic??

[donnahinch]

Hi

 

I am currently a student nurse due to qualify in September, I have already secured a job in a large and very busy ICU which I am over the moon about as this is the area I want to work.

 

We already have PR and have decided that we will move on the 4th April 2015, which will give me six months post qualified experience.

 

My question is what is the likelihood of securing a nursing position in Adelaide with six months experience?? I have been lucky with my placements and have six months pre-reg experience also in critical care.

 

I know I will not get a position in ICU in Adelaide with only six months post qualified but does anyone think I will be successful in gaining other employment??

 

Thanks in advance.

[Diane]

You can but try...although I have heard that a lot of recently qualified nurses here in Adelaide are struggling to find work at the moment, so not sure how the newly qualified nurse situation is. Your age may act in your favour though, I have heard that a lot of places are hiring more mature nurses in preference. Good luck.

[Guest Claire-n-tel]

Hi Donna!

 

Newly qualified nurses here generally do what is called a grad post/year, slightly different in each state but basically you are employed for 12 months and do 3 or4 blocks in different areas to gain experience being qualified.

 

There are not enough grad places for the nurses that are qualifying in Australia and many newly qualified nurses end up with no job, so it is very unlikely to be able to gain one from over seas.

 

IMHO you need to be thinking about staying in the UK for the extra 6 months to gain 12 months post reg experience. Having done 6 months in critical care during your training would not count as experience, that is just your training.

 

Is there a reason that you must move in April? If I were you I'd be thinking about if moving then was worth potentially wasting having done my nurse training for?

 

Good luck claire

[donnahinch]

Thank you for the replies, we decided on April as that was six months from qualifying for me. We have enrolled our daughter at all saints from the 27th April. I had considered getting 12 months experience but we are desperate to leave.

 

I have enquired about the TPPP and am aware even with pr I have no chance of getting a place! What happens with the graduates who don't gain a place? I assume they must get offered a job in nursing somehow??

 

thanks

[Guest Claire-n-tel]

You can look at vacancies on job sites but most if not all require you to have completed a grad program or have several years experience.

 

There are more nurses finishing their training now than there are placements on grad program's, it is big news here in recent years, there is nothing stopping you applying for registered nurse positions but it is very unlikely that you would even be contacted back with only six months.

 

New nurses who do not gain a new grad position can put their name onto a waiting list for that year, at the end of the year, if they have not been offered a position, (And if you are on this list, don’t hold your breath, you may never be contacted, because the hospitals are full up) their name will disappear off the waiting list as a new one will be created for next year’s unsuccessful applicants.

 

The problem becomes much bigger after that.....if you have been unable to find employment as a nurse, You will not be eligible to re-register, you need to re-reg every year at which time you need to have completed a set amount of hours and study etc.

 

So you really need to be considering if it is the best thing for you and your family to be moving in April, I understand that you feel anxious to leave but you need to weigh up if your desperation to arrive in Australia is worth throwing your career away for?

 

Sorry if I am sounding harsh or dramatic but that is really how it stands

 

Claire

[Guest Guest12727]

To put a different slant on, I would check whether you are considered fully qualified, and hence fully registerable with AHPRA with your UK qualification. Here, nursing students are required to do 1 year clinical post uni to be fully registered, this may not be the case with you. It will depend on the quantity and breadth of clinical in your degree. If AHPRA and the nursing board think what you have done is equivalent to Aus trained degree plus 1 year training experience you will be fine.

 

First step is to checkout how your qualification is recognised here and try to make the case to them for fully registering you. If they won't, then you should really try to gain that extra experience in UK before moving.

[Caz and Ian]

I have to agree with all the above, most jobs I've seen are asking for at least two years experience and definately recommend looking into Ahpra. I qualified in 1999 as a paediatric nurse and then neonatal in 2003, with a top up degree. Ahpra have had my application since dec last year and I'm still awaiting my registration despite ombudsmen involvement.I've been here since March unable to work in nursing and they now tell me that I have to wait and see if my qualifications match up, so there is a risk that I might not even get on. Just brilliant when you have uprooted your family other side of world.Think wisely, everything takes ages here.

[JimandBarbinAus]

Hi I had to have 2 years post qualification experience to be able to register with aphra, this had to be uk based as tied in with uk qualification I would contact aphra see where you stand.

Edited July 1, 2014 by JimandBarbinAus

[Diane]

I haven't read through the whole thing, but there is a long thread over on our parent site that might be worth reading http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/jobs-careers/212987-ahpra-why-uk-diploma-nurses-shouldnt-bother-applying.html

[JimandBarbinAus]

By the way also when arrived 2 years ago even to register with an agency they wouldn't take you on unless you had 2 years experience I started off agency however there are minimal permanent vacancies available now anywhere.

[Jessica Berry]

What happens with the graduates who don't gain a place? I assume they must get offered a job in nursing somehow??

 

This petition gives some figures/information regarding graduate nurses.....

 

http://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/federal-government-review-457-visa-for-nurses-in-australia

 

A couple of years ago the training organisation I worked for trained in aged care. At that time, we had a high percentage of students who were from overseas and were nurses in their countries but either they could not practice or they could not gain work in nursing and they were retraining to gain an aged care qualfication and move into that sector.

Edited July 1, 2014 by Jessica Berry

[KathleenandCraig]

We can only offer up our own personal experience

 

We moved over in Aug 2012 and OH had 18 months experience since graduating in January 2011. She was able to secure job offers before making the move. We put a lot of work into making links with SA Health and a few private hospitals so that when we came on our reccie we had 4 meetings set up. Spent 1-2 hours with each team (RAH, Flinders and Burnside) which helped OH understand the roles and differences with UK nursing. Also put a face to the application so helped them. Like I said it was a lot of work making those links, ensuring registration would be straight forward etc, but in the end it made the move easier knowing there was a job waiting for OH. I know that was then and nearly 2 years later it is tougher but I still think putting the work in before the move is worth it, if anything so you know where you stand.

 

All the best and will keep fingers crossed!

Edited July 1, 2014 by KathleenandCraig
spelling

[Guest Claire-n-tel]

Hi K and C, it is great that things sound like they have worked out well for you! But unfortunately however many contacts Donna makes etc it is useless if she cannot even be registered here, your OH had 18 months post reg experience so was in a very different position.

[donnahinch]

Hi and thanks again for the replies.

 

i am currently doing my BSc which means that I can register with AHPRA after three months experience. Whilst in Adelaide I went to the office for further info and was told that I could put my application in immediately after receiving my nmc pin. The thread running on pomsinoz is regarding diploma trained nurses.

 

i know that AHPRA have recently changed their criteria for registering nurses but it would appear that this is currently just affecting those who qualified with a diploma and not a degree.

 

I think the best thing to do is contact the hospitals directly as KathleenandCraig did and see what feedback I get from that.

[Jessica Berry]

Hi Donna, I know you are not looking for sponsorship, but this advert is on the vacancies section of this forum and I wondered if it might be worth having a chat with them (if you haven't already done so) to see what length of experience the hospital is looking for, just to get an idea.

 

http://www.pomsinadelaide.com/forum/job-vacancies/42360-icu-ccu-cardiothoracic-nurses-lovely-adelaide-visa-sponsorship-available.html

[Guest Claire-n-tel]

Hi Donna, I know you are not looking for sponsorship, but this advert is on the vacancies section of this forum and I wondered if it might be worth having a chat with them (if you haven't already done so) to see what length of experience the hospital is looking for, just to get an idea.

 

http://www.pomsinadelaide.com/forum/job-vacancies/42360-icu-ccu-cardiothoracic-nurses-lovely-adelaide-visa-sponsorship-available.html

 

Hi Jessica!

 

They are looking for icu/ccu nurses, (that would mean a post reg qualification)

 

I think that if the Op has made up her mind that she is leaving the UK with 6 months post reg experience then I guess the only thing to do is to apply for whatever posts she can find and hope that someone will give her a go.

 

To answer the original question "Am I being realistic" IMHO, no it is not really realistic, maybe not impossible but defiantly not realistic.

[donnahinch]

Hi Donna, I know you are not looking for sponsorship, but this advert is on the vacancies section of this forum and I wondered if it might be worth having a chat with them (if you haven't already done so) to see what length of experience the hospital is looking for, just to get an idea.

 

http://www.pomsinadelaide.com/forum/job-vacancies/42360-icu-ccu-cardiothoracic-nurses-lovely-adelaide-visa-sponsorship-available.html

 

Hi Jessica

 

I have seen it but never considered contacting them as I have no experience but I think I may send an email to see what level of experience they do require.

 

Thank you!

[donnahinch]

Hi Jessica!

 

They are looking for icu/ccu nurses, (that would mean a post reg qualification)

 

I think that if the Op has made up her mind that she is leaving the UK with 6 months post reg experience then I guess the only thing to do is to apply for whatever posts she can find and hope that someone will give her a go.

 

To answer the original question "Am I being realistic" IMHO, no it is not really realistic, maybe not impossible but defiantly not realistic.

 

Hi Claire-n-tel, definitely haven't made up my mind, this post has given me a lot of food for thought. I don't want to uproot my family and then struggle to gain employment, my oh is an electrician so we already know that work is hard to come by in that sector!!

Thank you for your comments, much appreciated!