Philhowe

Hi,

I’m looking to secure employment as a Learning Disabilities nurse near to Brisbane, has anyone been successful in this field?

I’ve spent a great deal of time searching the web with little success, any suggested contacts or web links would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Sally

kitty4

Are you a registered learning disabilities nurse?
If that is your only qualification, I don't think they recognise it in Australia and I don't think you can get registration as a nurse. Hopefully someone else may answer who knows more than me.

kitty4

I've done a bit of a search on this, as I've always been intrigued as to who cares for people with learning disabilities in Australia. I don't know any nurses here on the Sunshine Coast/Brisbane who have ever done it. It seems it is not RN's that do this job.

I found a couple of previous threads about this on this forum

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ability+nurses

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ability+nurses

Hope you can find something. There is definitely an ASCO code for the registered learning disability nurse for migration, but whether they will accept overseas RN's with only that qualification and not RGN or RMN as well/instead of I don't know. Have googled the question to death but can't find an answer.
Pretty sure when I first came to Australia in 1998, I saw somewhere that RNLD or RNMH as it was then, wasn't recognised as a qualification, but I don't have that paperwork now. Hopefully it may have changed due to the demand for nurses.

Good luck

Diane82

I'm a registered learning disability nurse and have registration both in New South Wales and South Australia, with a positive skills assessment (ASCO 2326-11)

Just submitted visa application before Christmas, so still waiting to get across. There is a need for LD nurses in Australia and I spoke directly to organisations whilst visiting Adelaide last year who have said they have lots of opportunities for LD nurses. No, they don't advertise very much over there, but neither do they in the UK as vacancies are filled pretty quickly without the need for advertising.

Don't know about Brisbane, but hang on in there I'm pretty sure there will be jobs.

Philhowe

Hi Kitty & Diane

Thanks for your comments.

Our original intention was to go to Adelaide; we validated our visa’s there. I actually received a job offer in LD; however after consideration we decided Adelaide was not for us, hence the move to Brisbane.

I’m in the process of submitting an application for registration with the Queensland Nursing Council; I will keep you posted if you’re interested.

I currently work as an administrator for LD in Northampton, I’m hopeful my management experience and qualifications might be useful.

I shall be going to the migration show on March 3rd to see if I can get more information there from agencies and representatives from Queensland.

Tanks,

Sally RNMH

cufc

Sorrt yo be the bearer of bad news, LD is known as intellectual dissabilty in Queensland. I am a manager in a forensic unit RMN qualified and we have attempted to recruit LD nurses with forensic experience from the UK. If and i mean if they are accepted for registration they have to ubdertake retraining and be supervised and are not eligible for promotion... taking charge of shifts etc... we had one who was audited by the QNC and is now working as an enrolled nurse in Western Australia.
All in all not an easy thing to achieve and remember in Queensland there are no public sector facilities for learning disabilities.

Philhowe

Hi and thanks for your reply, could you give me details on the set up in relation to intellectual disability in Queensland, i understand that the private sector provide services to these individuals.
I am currently operational manager for the entire Intellectual disability service in northamptonshire, this encompasses 20 residential homes, 3 respite units one of which is for children an assessment and treatment unit and 4 community teams. I am an L.D qualified nurse by background but also have a degree in management..
Do you or antbody else no if it is possible to register as an intellectual disability nurse in Queensland and if not are there any options open to me with this background.

cufc

You will be able to register as a registered nurse wkith a limitation on only working with intellectual disabilty, the catch is there are no services in the public sector that do this.
Your management degree is neither here nor there as far as registration goes...It will be a struggle to find employment in other sectors unless you are permanent resident and in the country. A lot of those services employ social workers in that capacity.
Good luck anyway.