British Expats - Nurse Jobs

British Expats (https://britishexpats.com/forum/)

- Barbados (https://britishexpats.com/forum/barbados-109/)

- - Nurse Jobs (https://britishexpats.com/forum/barbados-109/nurse-jobs-936191/)

Hi there!

Could anyone help me out with finding nurse jobs in Barbados please?

I'm a British nurse looking to move over there but can barely find any jobs being advertised.

Many thanks!

well.. depending on what type of nursing you may want to do, it would be best to start with the Ministry of Health. and possibly with private practices, surgeries etc. might be best to contact them directly, even without seeing jobs advertised. but remember, whatever you do, you still need a work permit.

I'm not 100pct certain I've ever seen a nurses job advertise on the island... just thought I'd add that in..

Any nursing would be fine. I did general nurse training and have worked for 3 years in nursing homes and hospitals. I'm currently working on an orthopaedic ward that is now basically another Covid ward.

I've already emailed the Ministry of Health and other organisations but had no reply, maybe because they're busy with xmas things... Would it help if we went back there in person on tourist visas and looked for work?

Also, is it possible to get student visas for secondary and primary schools without having a work permit?

So could we just move there for a while and the kids can go to school while we look for jobs?

We have savings and a little other income that could support us for about a year, but wouldn't want the kids to miss even more education.

Merry festive season!

Barbados like the other islands exports nurses to the UK. Maybe they have enough locals ? Do not raise your hopes !

SCOT47 -.. there is nothing there for nursing jobs in Barbados..

NurseyNurse. I'll see if I can answer what you have written below...

Any nursing would be fine. I did general nurse training and have worked for 3 years in nursing homes and hospitals. I'm currently working on an orthopaedic ward that is now basically another Covid ward.

I've already emailed the Ministry of Health and other organisations but had no reply, maybe because they're busy with xmas things... Would it help if we went back there in person on tourist visas and looked for work? I wouldn't recommend coming here and then looking for a job. another email or letter to the ministry or any other organization you may have already contacted. There is a https://barbadosnursesassociation.org/ that you could try to contact to see if they could put you in the right direction..

Also, is it possible to get student visas for secondary and primary schools without having a work permit? in a word.. NO. a student visa is required for a non-national living in Barbados to attend school and that is usually attached to a work permit for the parent/parents.

So could we just move there for a while and the kids can go to school while we look for jobs? at this moment, the only way to come to Barbados at be here for any length of time , is via the Welcome Stamp Program.. however, this program is for those people who are working remotely and wouldn't be looking to work in Barbados. children are allowed to attend school based on the Welcome Stamp, but, ifyou are here looking for a job here, it wouldn't apply.

We have savings and a little other income that could support us for about a year, but wouldn't want the kids to miss even more education.

Merry festive season!

I don't want to sound hard and harsh.. but .. you can't just move here, as a non-national and find work. there are systems in place that protect Barbadians when it comes to working. We do have a nursing program within our community college and beyond, as we do have students from here going overseas to train further and come back to join the work force. we do have nurses who do go overseas to work and at the moment , we do have nurses on the ground here from Ghana and Cuba. These are working here primarily as special considerations due to the Covid Pandemic.

Thanks for the input and yeah jobs seem understandably hard to get in Barbados now.

Pre-covid, were jobs more open to off-islanders?

Husband might find a Welcome Stamp job soon, but we'd like to grow deep roots for our kids. After 1-3 years we don't want to be ex-ex-pats and it increasingly seems we might not be all that welcome...

I don’t want to sound cruel to Bajans as it’s not a problem exclusively theirs but we do here quite often hear about prejudices in Barbados, the little England thing plus general dislike of foreigners plus the racial prejudices we all know about - African vs Indian for example all have a part to play I guess.

The result is we hear about a lot of cliques that never mix specifically in Barbados. Not by any means a oroblem only there. This all varies by island, eg the French ones seem to dislike anyone not Francophile.

This May also feed some popular government policies, though limiting foreigners is needed in some dimensions to protect local interests.

Anyway having probably annoyed everyone, I’ll just say, unfortunately it’s real and as a british ex pat it’s one of the things that put me off wanting to settle there..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunniebgi (Post 12951614)

SCOT47 -.. there is nothing there for nursing jobs in Barbados..

Exactly - nothing in Barbados. There was a time when you could look at a map of the world, spot a place coloured red and assume that you could get a job there. Those days are long gone. The process started in 1947 with India and spread to the other colonies. Having a Britsh passport is no longer enough ! That is the harsh reality.

Having a British passport is a negative in fact in many countries, memories true or false of colonialism are long. People think fondly of their holidays in the Caribbean and naturally think they can own a bit of it, well it’s in truth a case of - do we need you, [99.9% nope, we have our own experts and we prefer the ones with a known history in this environment] do we want you, [what are you offering more than a local person and how will you avoid taking someone’s job] can you afford to buy paradise [we have paid taxes etc here, can you buy your way in?]

It comes as a shock to some when they discover that Britain is not universally loved. Perfidious Albion and its inhabitants are not always seen in a positive light. Sorry, but the Truth hurts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nurseynurse (Post 12952970)

Pre-Covid, .. jobs to off islanders?? No.. Not really... as a non Barbadian, regardless of nationality (except a Caricom national, which requires a certificate based on qualifications etc) the Only way to work here is by a Work Permit, which means that you apply for a position for which you may have extraordinary skills, highly needed etc. and there can't be anyone in Barbados who can do that same job.

I do know , or have known, individuals, doctors mainly, who have come to "serve at the pleasure of our government". and work out of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.. again.. had special skills, came and worked for a period of time 2 or 5 or 10 years.. and left.. but.. that's govt. privately , again, the job cannot be something a Barbadian can do, and be hired for... as I said before, right now we have nurses from Cuba and Ghana here working with our hospital and the covid-19 situation.

I'm not touching the subject as to whether you would be accepted here, with a British Passport.. most of the British and Canadians I know have a fabulous relationship with other of their same background as well as Bajans. I'm an American , have a group of people i call friends, but I can't say it's been an easy ride. but. I've been here 28 years.. married to a Barbadian. there is a pretty big expat community, I personally think, but they do come and go.. you would get to know others in that community and as well as locals, based on what you do in your spare time, the school your children would go to etc..

I do want to say this. you want to come here and put down roots. do you know much about Barbados?? the cost of living, what you can and can't get here at the drop of a hat, what the climate is , year round. .. hot hotter hottest and rainy..... the fact that the price of petrol is close to the top of the rank of highest in the world per liter..

come on the Welcome stamp.. you have to qualify based on income and CAN NOT work locally while here.. (that means.. he can work remotely , online etc for his position, but you could not be a nurse.)

as I suggestion. continue to try to contact the government,.. send an application to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital HR Department but don't expect a swift response or even a yes...

Just a small add - not all countries are barbados, here may be easier but if your partner / you expect barbados thats what you want...

On an additional note if the Caricom agreements are still in place for working in Barbados (this is a bit like pre Brexit EU freedom of movement) then nurses can easily travel from any of the Caricom countries so not only do you have a plethera of nurses in Barbados but also those from Trinidad, Guyana, Grenada, ST V etc

I hope you're enjoying your time!
Barbados has a number of jobs for nurses. You can find them on Indeed, Careerjet, Monster, and Linkedin in the "Healthcare" or "Nursing specialists" categories. Best of luck to you as you continue your search!