Bonniec

Hello everyone.

I'm new here. My name is Sher and I live in Nottingham, UK. I am married, have 3 children (19 yr old son, 15 yr old daughter and 21 month old daughter). I qualified as a RN, DipHE Adult Branch in 2003 and got my BSc in OH Nursing (Specialist Community Public Health Nursing - Occupational Health) in 2008; both qualifications in UK Universities. I am currently working as an OH Advisor in Local Gov and Private Industry; l'm also doing bedside nursing in the NHS via Agencies.

We are hoping to immigrate to Queensland (looked at Sunshine Coast, Rokhampton, Yeppoon and Mackay). My husband is a Teacher so we have to consider areas where he is likely to get work too.

I sent my application off to AHPRA over a week ago and it has not yet been delivered. I rang NMC to find out if they have sent verification and they told me that it they will send it next week.

I'm not sure if l have done things correctly so far and not even sure if my qualifications are recognised by the Australian Board? Is anyone here able to give me further info on whether my qualifications will get me anywhere in this process?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Sher

Grayling

AHPRA seem to be no longer registering diploma qualified nurses, however, your post grad qualification may be enough.....you will have to apply and see.

Is your son working? Unless he is fully dependent on you then he will need his own visa and, at his age without qualifications that may not be possible.

Registration is not a speedy process at the moment so you will have to wait a while.

The areas you mention may not be the best for work so you may have to be more flexible if you get registered

You also need to check out where your husband can get a job as it is not easy for teachers

Bonniec

Thanks Grayling for your response; guess l'll just have to wait and see. My son is fully dependant on me.
Thanks

Grayling

Hi Sher

If you scroll through the forum you will find a section called "working Abroad"

On there you will find a whole section relating to Nurses. There are lots of threads on there about registration and the changes AHPRA have made. You will probably be OK as you have extra study.

Basically what they are looking for is training at degree level as all new Australian Nurses are degree level trained, Rightly or wrongly, and they do not consider the diploma as equivalent.

You may also find a lot of info about teaching if you search.

Queensland Health have severely restricted recruitment so unless you are in a very specialist position , or willing to go regional, then you may have to look to the private sector

The Sunshine coast is a particularly difficult area to find permanent or full time work

Good luck

Bonniec

Thanks Grayling.

I have experience in A&E, Medical, Surgical, HDU, Telephone Triage and of course Occupational Health. I'm currently doing a Masters in Healthcare management and governance which is more focused on hospital management. I am flexible and althoughwe quite like the idea of living in Queensland, we are prepared to go where the jobs are.

What areas are classed as regional?

Thanks again.

Grayling

Somewhere like Rockhampon,Yepoon or Mackay would be regional but here may still be no public health jobs available. The Bigger the place the more options but you still may may have to look to the private sector so you need somewhere that has private hospitals.

Brisbane would be your best bet but it would be difficult for your husbannd except in private schools....if he has the right qualifications in the first place.

Private medicine is big business here due to the way medicare works.

Public sector jobs are difficult for nurses because of Government cutbacks.

Schools in the public sector are difficult to get into unless you are prepared to work in a school in the outback.....anywhere that is popular will not have any shortage as every teacher has to do a spell in a regional centre before they will get a chance in the bigger, more popular areas.....i am not a teacher so you will have to reserch that.....private schools can take on whoever they like.

Nice places along the coast can also be difficult because they are popular areas.

Rockhampton or Townsville may be work a look.

Agency or casual work can usually be found but hours are not guaranteed.

Working conditions tend to be better in the public sector.


Please excuse any gibberish as I am typing this on an ipad and have to keep correcting it

Bonniec

Thank you Grayling, you have given me a lot of information to aid my research; really appreciate. I've been looking at Rokhampton and Townsville. I'm just going to be patient whilst my application to the board is being processed.

Will keep you posted for your infor on my progress.

Thanks for all your help.

old.sparkles

If you are planning on applying for a permanent visa, you will also need to get your skills assessed by ANMAC before lodging an EOI although I think AHPRA registration first means a modified assessment.

Bonniec

Thanks Sparkles, what is EOI?

old.sparkles

The EOI is the Expression of Interest. It's the form you complete on Skill Select to get an invitation to apply for a visa.

Skill Select is part of the DIBP website (Department of Immigration and Border Protection) and can be found here - SkillSelect.

Bonniec

Thank you so much Sparkles for that information.
Wow, there is so much to do I'll have to start a list to keep track and tail of what l'm doing/done!

Bonniec

I received an email from AHPRA informing me that my application has been received!

Dorothy

That's great, but it's not a step toward immigration. You, as OS said, need to apply to ANMC for a skills assessment before you can submit an Expression of Interest. If you are invited to apply for a visa then you do so. the AHPRA registration is for you to practice once you live here. No sense having that if you don't have a visa.

Start with a very good read of Australian Government Department of Immigration and Border Protection

Bonniec

Thanks Dorothy I'll have a good read tonight.

Bermudashorts

You would have been better off doing the ANMAC first to get the visa ball rolling. Having said that if you don't get APHRA registration because you are diploma qualified would you move anyway? If you would move regardless of your ability to work as a nurse, then your husband might have been a better applicant anyway (if he is secondary school).