kentcoast

I'm not sure if it the doctors or the nurses to blame. I have found the doctors seem to have no problem in acepting my judgement. May be nurses just haven't reached the same place as those in the UK.

Sarah

ad4ozz

Think it has something to do with all the nurses in the UK are suddenly expected to work like Doctors due to the lack of GP's etc..

Community Matron is all skilled up with extended prescribing and clinical skills ... oh! mini GP on half the pay... NHS clapping hands... nurses sodding off to Oz.

kentcoast

Your probably right there. Probably the reason for the frustration here. I left a nurse lead ward (who needs a doctor). The change is a hard one but perhaps their right here. I just feel that a lot of my skills are going to waste.

Sarah

ad4ozz

Good points and bad points about doing more... at least the doc's get more money for more worry where nurses just get stress.... .

Will be happy to have less stress, more sun, more chill out and 'no worries'... .

RReed

Hi Sarah
I can identify with your frustrations. As a midwife I feel like I have left my autonomy behind in the uk. Especially in the private sector - which I am escaping in 2 weeks.
Rachel

LaraandBryn

hi girls
have to agree as a midwife and RN i find it very hard at times here to accept the fact that i have to run everything past a doctor.the nurses here all have degrees and still they have to let the doctors make the decisions.
I have resorted to general practice for now as its 5 mins from home,2/3days per week.it is easy but crap pay.however there is no stress at all.my skills are sl;owly being eroded so will have to go back to hospitals in few years.however when i did agency at a large hospital it was no different.went for midwifery post at mater private,do the work but oh no obstrtician delivers the baby!!! :scared: poor women!!!
having been here a year now ,although i love it i can safely say i miss the nhs and my former collegues and my job!!
life here is great so that is the compromise i have had to make.20 years of nursing and now have to let a doctor tell me if a baby is fit for immunisation,and what dressing to use on an old ladies leg ulcer!always better when the uk doctor is on duty ,wonder why!!!

good luck to you all,make sure you have eyes wide open before you come!!!
best thing here is definetly the weather!!


lara

lynnlovessun

Interesting Lara - what happens if you just go ahead and select the most appropriate dressing? Surely they can't overide your decision if you can justify it?

Lynn

LaraandBryn

you can suggest which of course we do (i have a job share) however it IS the doctor who decides so they have the last say.they are ultimately resoponsible for that patients care at the gp surgery so what they say goes.they employ you not the nhs as such.also here there is no billing at present for a nurse only consultation through medicare so all billing for nurse services is in addition to the doctors consult.so dr charges dressing consult fee with addition of nurse dressing fee.goes back to money.!!
the community nurses here,the blue care nurses will change dressings with advice from gp but send them to surgery for assesssment and advice.
they by the way have vacancies in the redlands at the moment.contact the alex hills office.

Lara

paulb

Nothing to do with the thread, but when I visited Oz in 92, we stayed near or maybe even in Cleveland and the nearest pub was the Alex Hills I think, big place, stood on its own. My memory is obviously shot to bits or maybe cos I was with the first wife that I just want to forget!!

Paul

LaraandBryn

hi there
yep that pub is still there another hotel that really is a drinking hole!!!
probaly near to the nurses centre
Lara

paulb

Obviosly the stress of the job that drives us all to drink......in moderation of course.

lynnlovessun

Cheers for that Lara - will look into Bluecare again.....you have just about sold Redlands to me - sounds like heaven!

Lynn

coxdebra

Hi guys,

I have read this thread with great interest. I seems such a shame that many skills gained by nurses and midwives in the UK are being lost. It must be so frustrating for you awaiting for a GPs verification when putting on a wound dressing,just wondered whether there are any nurse prescribers from the UK out there and how they feel about this. I suppose - yes there is less stress, but when you have got the skills to do a task and cant do it, it must be frustrating. Plus, many nurses have more skills and knowledge than, dare I say it, the drs themselves (please dont shout me down drs for that) after all, its the nurse that puts/takes off the dressing. Is it something to do with Austrailian laws?

Debs

RReed

I have left the private sector (midwifery) in favour of the public sector for this reason. Because the public sector is about saving money, not making money they are more pro-active about developing midwifery (and nursing) roles. I couldn't cope with having to call the dr for a normal birth, then stand back and watch him do a bad job of 'midwifery'.

I think the final straw was when a dr was getting irritated because I was not getting a woman out of the pool and onto the bed following a waterbirth. She was just happy staying where she was, getting to know her baby. He wanted to check her perineum so that he could get back to his clinic. It was pointed out that I could do this and suture if needed - he said I couldn't because I had not been assessed as competent by him! I am a more competent and skilled midwife than he will ever be!

Rachel

lynnlovessun

That would make me livid Rachel! The thing is why do Dr's in Oz want to be glorified nurses or midwifes!? Surely if they can do less work and let a nurse or midwife do it they would? Think you have done the right thing moving out of the private sector - if I have a baby in the future will def be going public as i'm very against C sections unless absolutely essential - ie. mother or baby's life endangered.
What does the QNC say about Dr's making all decisions and are Australians happy to go along with this!?

Lynn