scottishnurse28

Hi everyone

Im new to the board so please bear with me!

My husband and i are hoping to emigrate to Australia in the next 12-18 months, not much thought to location yet but likely NSW or Queensland.

I am a practice Nurse here in Scotland and i was wondering how easy it is to get the same job in Australia? Are there any sepcific qualifications? are they in demand?, what sort of salary would i be looking at?

Also since having my little boy 2 years ago i have only been working 16 hours a week - is this a issue for getting a visa ? ive done one of those assessment things which seemed to give me and my husband enough points but im a bit confused as ive just read another post saying 20hours - can someone give me more info on this please?

sorry for all the questions - lots to think about and i dont know where to start!

Krista

kitty4

Hi

If you are applying on your skills, you need to have been working 20 hours per week for I think the last 12 out of 18 months but it is a while since I got my visa, so someone may have to correct me on how long.
As for practice nurse jobs - it hasn't been a solid career path here (in QLD anyway) as it has in the UK although more and more are advertising for practice nurses now.
In my opinion/expereice and those who came from the UK and tried it here, it is a vastly different role. Most practices you will be expected to work on reception and there is little if any autonomy. It is still the norm for women to see the doctor for smears for example and the Doc has to see every patient - due to the medicare billing system. The worst part is the pay - the ''award'' as they call it - makes me laugh does that - is around one third less than pay for hospital nurses on average from what I have been offered (despite having specialist Masters degree and experience) - which is a lot. The medical receptionist appears to have more autonomy and control than nurses but as I say - the practice nurse role is in its infancy here. Maybe it will change but I for one won't tolerate the laughable wages, reception duties and restricted role - would drive me nuts as I have tried it, as have other expats I know. If you get a forward thinking practice with Doctors willing to change and value nursing roles - great - although the money may not match for a while but you could be involved in progressing things - but the culture of doctor/nurse relationships here is somewhat traditional.
I will probably get shot down for my opinion by some, but that is all it is from my experience and networking. Hope others can put a more positive view from their experiences. Maybe other states are different?
Best wishes in your visa application and sorry that my post seems negative - just saying it as it is.

cheekymoo

Hi Kitty4,

Think that you have hit it on the head with your factual posting. My friend is a practice nurse here in WA and her take home wage for 25 hours a week is $340. Not much for part time wage eh!
I have also seen Practice Nurse posts being advertised for RN or EN

There are better salaries to be made in the Hospital sector

CM

kitty4

Hi Cheekymoo

Thanks for your reply.

Yes practice nurse posts are more often than not advertised for RN or EN - which when you have been here a while - tells you that your role will have little autonomy with patients or use of advanced skills and the pay will be commensurate with EN pay. Also, as nurses from the UK may not realise - the EN training here is so different than the EN training was in the UK - for 12 months in a college of further education - the ENs here have much less responsibility than the EN's of old as we know them or even compared to the current health care support workers with NVQ 3's and above. Not putting down EN's in any way here - there are marvellous ones I work with who are excellent in their roles and part of the team. The system would be worse off without them - and in general practice many may be very satisfied and valued. However, if you are used to practicing as an RN in general practice as we know it in the UK it is very difficult to adjust to.

scottishnurse28

Hi

Thanks for your replies - really useful to get an honest opinion.
I cant really see me going back into a hospital setting after being out in community as PN for 5 years. I do really like my job and wouldnt want to change career path. I am very autonomous here in Scotland - i prescribe, am lead nurse and take responsibility for a lot of the chronic diseases within the practice - as you say, maybe it will change and i may have to acept a change in conditions until it does - food for thought!
Husband is a doctor and will also be looking for work so it would really depend on combined income whether i could take such a down hike in salary.

Our plans are very much in its infancy and other countries are being considered - its just good to know what we are looking at.

Thanks so much again.

keijei

I am a nurse immuniser and i work as a practice nurse also ,all i can say is you must be working in the wrong clinic ,I am a respected member of the team .The nurses run weekly clinic including women's health.Not all our patients see the Dr's, some come to nurse run clinics .

I am not expected to do reception work,i do go out the front and help every now and then but as i said it is not excepted.
I feel i bring a lot to the clinic i work in we employ 5 nurses one being an EEN the rest RN's .wages are paid accordingly and and I earn more an hour now then i have before as we are paid above the award .When I went for this job they asked how much an hour i wanted i told them and that is what i got i have since had a pay rise which i am happy about.
Shazz (kevins Wife)

kitty4

Good for you.

scottishnurse28

seems to be pretty much like the UK then - very much depends on where you work, what your job remit is, pay is, etc. Thats good to know - means Australia is still very much an option for us then!

cheers Guys from a bloomin miserable and snowy scotland!

ozoruk1

Hi Scottishnurse
I am new to this site, I read your posting and I could have written it myself! I am a practice nurse in northwest england, in current role 5 years and as you say lots of involvement in management of chronic disease, autonomy etc etc. I am really surprised by some of the things I have read. A paycut is not part of our plans to relocate!! but I suppose it depends where you go, practices vary vastly in the uk, and you only have to read the practice nurse vacancies/'job description' at the back of the RCN bulletin to see how the role can vary. I certainly would not wish to return to working within a hospital.
Must admit though - wet, dull lancashire vs warm sunny australia, australia wins hands down.
Good luck with your plans.

rmac

Hi Guys
I am a Practice Nurse from Scotland too. Did all the same stuff as you Scottish Nurse! nurse prescriber, very autonomous etc. You will get a job when you get here no problem but I have been offered 2 Practice Nurse job and been offered the max of $27 an hour casual rate which is pretty poor!(considering the wage we got in Scotland). I didnt accept the posts...not because of the wage but because they didnt want me to run clinics or do smears on my own...more doing treatment room stuff and reception. There are similar post with the health board...community health nurses. They do some chronic disease management. I am working for QLD health as a Respiratory nurse and I see COPD patients and some asthma patients. I like the job but I really miss my job in the UK. Its the only thing I do miss about the UK! I work with another UK Practice Nurse who tried PN post here and was bored stupid! I am just keeping my fingers crossed that things progress and PN's are more like the job that we know!
I also have a 2nd job on a Saturday in a travel clinic which is good. We get paid reasonably well and it is good fun!
If I can help in any way, please let me know!!
Rhona

ozoruk1

Hi Rhona
This all makes interesting reading!
How long have you been in oz? Did you go on a permanent residency visa or sponsorship? Did you apply for jobs after you arrived? Sorry for all the questions! migration is a minefield, theres so much to consider, weigh up, I think the process is a test of determination to emigrate. I really enjoy practice nursing and would be very reluctant to change, for hospital nurses there seem to be endless recruitment agencies/sponsorship but for us practice nurses you seem to have to be more independant - mind you, isn't that practice nursing all over?
Where abouts in queensland are you? My OH and I have been trying to weigh up south queensland vs adelaide, any advice?
Thanks
Lisa

rmac

Hi
We have been in Brisbane since June 07. Got a permenant res visa. No problem getting it! Didn't take too long either. I recommend an agency...they know exactly what you need and how to do the foms etc.
I had a job before I arrived but the guy who employed me over the phone(which was interesting) lost 2 GP's just before I arrived annd the job fell through! Then I got another job the week I arrived but I also managed to get a job in a clinical trials unit as an outpatients supervisor. $10 an hour more than the PNs job offered so I had no choice really. The women that owned the surgery had told me that I couldn't do smears on my own, basically the government pays the GP $40 for a smear and if I did it they would only get $10!!! So guess what, I wouldn't be doing smears eh! The GP's basically have to see every patient or they can't charge the consultation fee, so no autonomy at all. They wanted me to do dressings and help the GP do the immunisation clinic...I hate jabbing wee babies and I didn't do dressings in the UK so didn't fancy being so restricted. Anyway I took the job in the Clinical trials unit...good pay and nice folk but it just wasn't what I wanted to do. The only clinical things I managed to get to do was venepuncture, ECGs and spirometry but there was nothing wrong with the subjects.....had to be very healthy to get into the trials. If you like paper work, emails and meeting then it would be fine.
I am now working for Queensland health as a respiratory nurse which is fine but it is just a temporary post while the other nurse sets a hospital in the home programme up at the hospital. Its a bit restricting too. The maximum number of patients I see in 1 week is about 7!(yes I mean a week not a day). That is because it takes ages to get to the patient and you spend about 2 hours with the patient and then about 2 hours doing care plans and letters back to the GP and consultant. They do respiratory, heart failure incontinence and orthopaedic(dont know what they do for them!). I just do COPD patients and occassional asthma education. I am just keeping my fingers crossed that Practice nursing changes for the better very soon.
Brisbane is lovely. Beaches are about an hour away but are gorgeous. I have been to Adelaide and I felt like I was back in the 60's. It is nice but very retro! I think housing is cheaper down there mind you!
The family all love it here. If there is anything else I can help you with please let me know!
Rhona

ozoruk1

Hi
Thanks for reply and info!
Some of the clinical issues sound opposite to the UK, here the gps earn qof points on the smears we do! If we didn't undertake all the chronic disease management the gps would be on their knees with work! Hopefully practice nursing down under will change somewhat in the near future, from some of the info I have read elsewhere some places/states seem to be a little more proactive in in the practice nurse role and nurse autonomy. I haven't done a dressing in over 5 years! and yep I hate 'jabbing wee babies' too! I suppose the best thing to do is get the perm res visa, find a decent practice and adapt/evolve?!
I note you say your family love it - how old? My daughter is 5, so she is a good age to resettle. We spent a week in mooloolaba last august - you remember the week with the cyclonic wind and rain and airports were closed etc? - yep that was our week on the 'sunshine' coast, also spent time in sydney and north of cairns, despite the weather it didn't put us off. Compared with UK everywhere we went seemed cleaner, fresher, more vibrant, healthier, family friendly and happier! No wonder we want to emigrate eh?
I think we'll push ahead with perm res visa then return to make our final decisions before we sell up here.
Thanks again for your reply.
Lisa

rmac

Hi
My kids were 13 and 15. Oldest boy was really keen and loves it over here. He loves school, loads of mates and the girls just love his accent! My youngest was 13 and didn't really want to come. It has taken her a wee while to settle but I think she is OK! If you ask her she will always say she prefers Scotland but she really does love it here....she is off to the beach today with a friend! I think she just misses her friends in Scotland!
In QLD the kids don't start school til they are 6 anyway so your son would be at a good age because the other kids would just be starting school and making friends etc! One thing I would say that isn't so good is that the schools are not so hot! I think if you want a good education then it has to be a private school. My kids don't have that option and I'm not sure that they are learning that much! Having lots of fun instead!!
I thought that I would just try and mould a practice but I think it would be harder than you think! The drs over here dont want us to do more. They are reluctant to give anything up! If you have done your nurse practioner thingy then you might do better! That is coming in here and the nurses out in the back of beyond get to do more because the government cant get GPs to stay there! I don't fancy living out in the sticks really!
Have fun!
Rhona

ozoruk1

Cheers Rhona, your info has been great!
Lisa