Need a job ?
 

Ignore the crap from the ex nurse.
Thought this might be of interest.



Nurse recruit crisis

Narelle Muller

August 27, 2006 12:00am

Article from: http://www.news.com.au/images/sources/sm_sundaymail.gif</IMG>
HUNDREDS of British nurses due to start work in Queensland hospitals as soon as October may be not be up to scratch by standards here.


In a massive recruitment drive, executives from Cairns Base Hospital are scouring Britain for nurses, offering thousands of dollars in relocation assistance.

And they say they'll take on anyone who applies.

"There's no way I'll be turning anyone away," Cairns Base Hospital nursing director Glynda Summers said.

However, a former Cairns Base nurse who now works in the UK said British nursing standards were not a patch on those practised in Australian hospitals.

She said many of the British nurses would not have had the same basic training.

Skills such as intravenous drug administration, catheterisation and the use of cardiographs were standard requirements for Australian nurses, but in Britain they were considered extra qualifications.

"Most of them won't have that training. Basically, skill levels are much lower," she said.

The nurse said she believed many of the workers entering Queensland hospitals would be those deemed not good enough for the British National Health Service.

"Many new recruits may fall short of the proficiency mark," said the nurse, 40, who did not wish to be named.

"The British National Health Service has drastically reduced the number of nursing positions, but it would be fair to say any good practitioner who wanted to remain working in the UK wouldn't have a problem.

"There will be a few who want a lifestyle change, but what about the others?"

After placing advertisements in the UK press, Ms Summers leaves for Britain tomorrow with nurse manager Denise Wilds and intensive care nurse Carol Martheze on a three-week recruitment campaign.

"We'll take them all. The opportunities are limitless because we're recruiting for the state," Ms Summers said. A Cairns Base Hospital statement said more than 180 applications had already been received.

The hospital has 51 nursing vacancies and a further 90 nursing jobs expected to open up soon.

Telephone interviews have been conducted and new recruits had been enticed with packages including $3000 toward relocation costs, visa application expenses, salaries of up to $53,000 and free medical cover.

Admitting she was capitalising on widespread nursing job losses throughout Britain, Ms Summers said: "Why not?"

"It's good for us and it's good for the nurses who don't have jobs."

A Queensland Health spokesperson said all checks and procedures would be followed before applicants could register with the Queensland Nursing Council

Re: Need a job ?
 

Hi Bix, They're the people who gave me a job :beer: Really nice peeps they were too :) I'm not qualified yet but we should be on our way late spring I reckon :D

Re: Need a job ?
 

thanks for that Bix.

I wonder where the anonymous nurse is working??? cos it sure ain't like that where I work thank god! :eek:

Re: Need a job ?
 

How far South West are you ?
I'm a Kernowman ;)

Re: Need a job ?
 

Yeah, it's ballshite no doubt about that but they gotta sell them papers somehow.

Re: Need a job ?
 

We're in Yeovil....not for much longer though :D

Re: Need a job ?
 

It might not be ballshite but it might be out of context.

Any nurse who comes to work at our trust from elsewhere, whether they are newly qualified or not will have to do a 2 day course and be assessed before they can give IV drugs. They also have to attend a training day for catheterisation taking bloods etc. I would think its the same for most UK trusts as it came about after the Beverley Allit enquirey. Its also linked in with clinical governance as the trusts have a responsibility to ensure all their staff are appropriately trained for the jobs they do.

I hope the people of Cairns don't think they are going to be looked after by a load of crap nurses! lol :D

Re: Need a job ?
 

You'll be coming at the warm time of year then ;)

Re: Need a job ?
 

You aint seen the nurses we got now :D

Actually, neither have I :rolleyes:

Re: Need a job ?
 

I read in the papers here (can't remember which one), that the nurses who have gone to cairns are having real diffiuclty with accom and some are staying in tents :scared: I just had this image in my head of the hospital grounds being filled with tents :D , like Mash :D

The article also forgot to say, that true , we may not have some of the skills, but as nurses we are always willing to bloody learn :rolleyes: and as Jacqui said in the here they really take any type of training seriously due to clinical governance. I've just spent a (must admit , really boring day), being trained on some new drug pumps in theatre , and will also have to get 10 practices signed off before being left alone with them :D, and , although boring, the hospital is also looking after us as well as the patient, and not just dumping new things on us :D, and also not forgetting it also helps the hospital if things go wrong they can't get sued for not training their staff

Re: Need a job ?
 

I hope there's a bit more accomodation available when I get there next year, maybe the initial rush will have dispersed by then :eek:
They did warn us at the interview that it may be a problem :scared: