angiemarie

were in Australia is the best place to be a mental health nurse and what is the pay like

mo33

Hi, I'm also an RMN! Looking at Perth, too expensive......just looking at Brisbane locations etc. Not many RMN posts advertised anywhere (doesn't look like anywhere is crying out for us!!) Think the best thing is find a hosp with a unit in, maybe enquire and see what happens. I'm only at the very early stages of sending off skills assess yet so not panicking!! Hopefully someone with knowledge will reply to this thread. Pay, depends ...where? how long qualified etc etc i think.

adiestubbs

Think the best thing to do is contact the hospitals direct. Search through the different state health boards to find them and contact details. They are very short of mental health nurses in australia and id be very very surprised if you couldn't find a post. Mental health is expanding in Oz and (as my aussie work colleague informs me) the average age of an aussie mental nurse is 49, so plenty of work coming up too. Nursing practise is very different in Oz. There are several aussies on my ward, and they have seen quite a few "pommies" shocked by the practises out there!

What type of visa are you applying for? If you are qualified 12months i would suggest the 136PR visa. There are plenty of nursing agencies out there promising work, flights, accomodation etc but be wary. They are only interested if you are on a 457 temp visa. The restrictions make this visa a non-starter for me personally. If the employer is not quite what you expected, then you could be in trouble and have to leave the country. Plenty of 457 posts that have worked for people, plenty of posts that haven't, so its a gamble.

Ade S

Tass

does this help ?

http://www7.health.nsw.gov.au/health...TOKEN=53400275

Mental health nursing here is very different.Patients don't have as many "european laws " to protect them. It's very much a case of restrain and sedate. However, that said, they have recognised the need to improve services and are ploughing money back in to mental health.Also , worth noting, you don't actually have to be a RMHN or RMN to work in this area, plain simple RGN will do.
All the best,
Tass.

P.S. Also I would agree with going for PR, nurses are MODL and it's worth getting the pick of jobs once you're here rather than get stuck in a job you hate because of sponsorship.

nurseles

Hi
I'm an RMN in Hobart and have been here 6 months. I heard lots of "it's so behind the UK" , "straight jackets" etc but it's not like that. There are lots of jobs here in Hobart and I get paid more than I did in the UK.If you need any more info just ask.

sme

Perth isn't that expensive - you canstill get a decent 4 bedded, 2 bathroomed place for around $400,000 (150,000 pounds). It depends on where you want to live and what you want your quality of life to be like.

I am an RMN and have just started work at a newly built Mother and Baby Unit ( well its not yet opened ) that is very progressive and with lovely bosses. We are based in Subiaco so great for lunch and after work socialising. Just waiting for building to be finished and to get some mums (though not too quick I am enjoying the comissioning side of it)

Gillian

CasG

I agree with both of you.

I work for an agency, and so go to a few hospitals ( Adult Acute and Child and Adolecent) where I have seen some great practice and fantastic team-working.

One thing I have noticed is that the wards don't seem to be as 'hyped-up' as I experienced in the UK - and there certainly isn't as many violent incidents - and my two main hospitals I work in are big city hospitals.

Cas

CasG

I work for an agency in Melbourne....and get as much work as I want.
Weekday pay is $36 an hour
Weekend is $59 an hour
Public Holidays pay $79 an hour.
Plus enhancements for unsocial hours.

I have found that as an agency nurse here, I have been treated just like one of whatever team I have worked with.....a couple of hospitals have become pretty regular.

I'm throughly enjoying it, and have no plans to find a substantive post for the forseeable - the pay is great, and feel very motivated.

paulb

Im really interested to know abot MH nursing in Tas. Can you mail me some ifo??? Im a team manger for a CMHT

annqldau

Oh No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you are not moving to Taz now, thought you were building a house.

You will be getting colder with each move, is the horse really worth it can you not just turn it into glue (only joking Mrs. B)?

Kernow1

Someone on another thread mentioned re-training as a Psych Nurse in 12 mths. (I think he was a Postie currently and OH a nurse). Apparently the shortage of this specialisation is a real problem in some States.

Anyone in this field know how realistic this is, or where to get some info ?

Grayling

Don't see why not if a college would accept you....not sure that training would be only 12 months though, Registered nurses train for 3 years.

Bear in mind, that until recently, in the UK, MH nurse qualified for their pensions and retired age 55. This has recently changed (as have many pension rules) but many of us had that opportunity MH nursing was always seen as a younger person's occupation.

Retirement age would be different in Australia.

Good luck

G

Kernow1

Thanks Grayling.

Thinking about it, I think he was referring to MH Assistants, not Registered Nurses. Hence the 12 month course I guess.

He seemed to think that the Aussie Authorities were looking more favourably at new mature-age candidates because of their stability and life-experience ( and the dire shortage, no doubt). I suppose basic fitness would always be a consideration too.

Grayling

You may find that Assistants will get 'on the job' training and get paid whilst doing so.

Worth checking out.....there is no shortage of work.

G

Kernow1

You could be right. I'm just wondering which would be the best places to check. Possibly Nursing recruitment or Health Authority sites.

Anybody advise on this ?