Hi Sarah,

I see you have a job at Gold Coast Hospital. What ward are you working on? I am a nurse due to leave the UK on 27 September bound for Gold Coast Hospital, CCC/ICU.

How do you access the nursing forum on here - am new to this site and still "finding my feet"!

Good luck with the move, if you have tips for me, I would be really grateful!

Marie

Hi Tracey! thank you I'm all packed and ready to go now, i'll let you know how we get on out there, speak to you soon

Hi Marie, looks like we will be working together then - i'm heading to icu/ccu robina campus, how exciting! I fly in the morning so i'll keep you posted on how its going, start work the week of 3rd septmenber when the unit opens.

to access the nursing forum, click on discussion forum then scroll down to the working abroad section and click on nursing, you will find out loads of info from here, its a brilliant site, see you soon xx

Hi Sarah

What a small world! Are you going as NO1, do you have ICU or CCU experience? I am looking forward to starting but dreading it on the other hand! Where are you hoping to stay - we are still undecided, between Mudgeeraba, Robina and Varsity Lakes. All depends on best schools for the kids.

Our flights are on 27 September then I hope to start work on 15 October - I have given myself two weeks to get rental and schools sorted. Please keep me posted how things are progressing - one question that may sound stupid - but what did you do prior to leaving the UK, I mean in terms of bank accounts, tax file number etc. I have read so many conflicting threads that I'm still a little unsure.

Anyway, hope you have a good flight and safe journey! Look forward to hearing from you soon.

Marie

Hi Sarah,

Just wondering how things were going for you? Not long before the unit opens now.

Was wondering if you could help....when you first arrived did QH find your accommodation for you or did you find your own and then provide rental costs etc for them to look at?

I am really confused, have tried e-mailing QH but just keep getting copies of weekend rentals - its only 5 weeks before we leave the UK and I haven't got anything sorted!!!

Thanks
Marie

Hi Marie, yeah I have arrived and everyhting is going really well (apart from the weather!) i found a 4 month rental before we came without the help of QH coz they didn't seem interested in helping us! they will reimburse us for our first couple of weeks rent. we found the place through www.seqrents.com.au from alink on BE and found it really good.

our apartment is fab so we have been qite lucky, it in labrador nr southport, so sue can get the bus to work and i will drive to robina (about 20 mins).

we drove to our hospitals 2 check them out yesterday and robina seems nice, its just opposite the train station so easy 2 get 2.

just give us a shout if there is anything else i can help with, im gonna email our new manager 2day 2 sort sum shifts out etc.

take care (i know ur gonna b very busy this next few weeks!) and speak soon,

sarah xx

Im doing the new grad programme - i qualified in january but have been working on ICU since then. no ccu experience apart from a few weeks as a student, but really looking forward to learning lots of new things!

already have a tax file number from when i was here on a working holiday a few years back, but you can apply online when you get here through the australian tax office website.

we just sorted our bank account on the first day - its dead easy just walked into an ANZ bank and 15 mins later we had a cheque and savings account and our account details to give to our employers - very impressed with the service! you just need an address, and passport/drivers licence/uk bank card for id.

impressed with the internet2, we got wireless from 3 its $59 a month (12 month contract) and you just put the wireless adapter in ur pc and ur away (works through the mobile network). and we got aus phones sorted at the same time.

hope that helps xx

Hi Sarah,

Good to hear you arrived safely. How is the Grad programme going for you and your friend Sue? I think you started beginning of Sept . Sure you are both doing fine. How have you found everything would love to hear an update from you.

Tracey
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