belleandscone

Hi everyone, well the day is nearly on me, i have my induction tomorrow and Tuesday at the mater, then have 2 12.5 hour day shifts on wednesday and thursday on the neonatology ward, ICU and I'm bricking it. You know what it's like when you start somewhere new, but at least I will have an old friendly face from Edinburgh when I start, I used to work with a lad at my old NNU in edinburgh and he works in my new unit!

So fingers crossed it all goes well and I'll keep you up to date.

Bye for now and I'll do a full update soon, so good luck to all who are nealy on their way, and Jackie (JFW) thank god your house sale has completed, see you out here soon, we really need to get the drinking club up and running.
Clairex

Ozzidoc

Good luck!!

Mrs JFW

Good luck for tomorrow Claire, I will be thinking of you and keeping my fingers crossed. Not long now for us. Shippers coming on 23rd we leave our house on 27th, staying at my sisters for a week and hopefully bagging a flight on 6th August so all being well should land around 20th August after our stopovers! There's a few of us arriving in August whoo hoo!

jackie x

FlOSSANDJO

Best of luck..will see you in January

belleandscone

Hi everyone, thanks for the well wishes. Well got there at 730am, and waited, at 0745am the woman arrive with the sign in sheets, surprise surprise my name wasnt there and neither was a few others names either, we were informed that we had not been booked in and the induction days were full up , we all explained that the HR letter said we should come on these days. However the wording of all our letter was wrong and HR dont book us into these induction days, you have to get your manager to book you in WTF, it doesnt say that on the letter, anyhoo after many people not arriving on time they let us all in (about 10 of us). The day was grand they seem a nice lot to work with and very helpful, explaining superann, salary packaging etc and very big on the history of the Mater, which is very interesting.

I managed to corner the HR guy, nice lad from scotland, to find out about relocation package, as I knew they were offerring it at the Manchester recruitment drive, he said they were trialling the whole relocation package thing, however as I got the job by myself I cant get it, but the trial has been very successfull he was glad to tell me and they may bring it in again - ha bloody ha!! Hey if you dont ask you dont get, not that it did me much good!!

We found out that the new mater mothers buiding will be opening in March 2008, and will be the biggest obstectric and NICU in Oz and that they are going to be building a massive childrens hospital called the Queensland Childrens hospital due to be opened in 2012 ish costing $750 million, which means the Royal Childrens will close. The day was really good, but my ass was killing me by the end of it .

Tommorow is CPR etc, so have to go in my delightful uniform.

So anyone coming make sure your manager books you in to your induction!!

Hi Jackie, can't wait to meet you when you get here, hope you have a great trip over with all your stop-overs you lucky thing. Just think 4 weeks and you'll be on that plane - you wont regret it.
Clairex

Carole & Keith

Hi Claire,

Just read you have just started your induction at the Mater, it sounds really impressive this new Mothers Hospital doesn't it, although very scary 72 ish cots on the neonatal Unit, compared to 18 cots where I come from and were a regional unit. Hope they have enough staff or it will be like home from home, run off our feet, no breaks etc. i'm sure it isn't.

Good Luck for your first day on the NICU on Wednesday, I am really nervous for you, as it's awfull starting new anywhere, let alone a completly new country and I'm sure there are going to be many different things they do differently, hope it goes well for you. Tell us all about it, Good and Bad points, and most importantly what the staff are like. May aswell prepare myself.

I will be joining you early next year, hoping to be out in Brisbane by end of November the latest. Already had letter confirming dates of inductions and start on the NICU, but they were asking me to start in Dec 07, I replyed back saying I could not start that early, as it would be to soon with large family, they replyed back very promptly and gave be two other dates in Jan or Feb. May take the Feb start, to allow enough time for relocation and settle everyone in the schools/University, will let them know today what my dates will be.

Keep in touch,

Carole

Ozzidoc

Cool!!

Mrs JFW

Claire, I am starting at the Mater on 8th October!!! whoo hoo!

Bernieboy

I too will be at the mater sometime next year,but being a member of the male species,i dont fancy being induced by some bloke from scotland

loubylou1

hiya, i hope that all went well for you on your first 2 shifts........looking forward to hearing about them. we have our visa now and are just trying to sell our house . fingers crossed we will be in brissie soon.....loux

belleandscone

Excellent, see you then

Mrs JFW

I hope you will see me before then! I arrive on 21st August!

belleandscone

Hi there, well my first shift went great, everyone was so friendly and I was working with a guy I used to work with in Edinburgh, so we nattered all day, and no one could understand what we were saying - fantastic for when we want to bitch , the set up is pretty straightforward, getting used to the paperwork, but because some numpty gave a baby the wrong EBM in special care we now have to have 2 people check the milk when you draw it up and then 2 people to check it before you give it - this is extreme to say the least and an absolute pain in the arse trying to get someone to check when everyones busy.

Also for those neonatal nurses who are used to using CPAP drivers, they mainly use bubble CPAP here, so involves using safety pins and elastic bands , really awkward and not as comfortable for the babes as the driver, but hey just got to keep my head down and get on with it, not moan - except on here and tell them how fabulous they are - the ozzys love that. Well i am off until wednesday.

Also anyone going to do the transitional course in neonates, PM me as I have some interesting info if you are going on a 457 visa.
Clairex

PS Jackie, south bank beach is closed- walked past yesterday and the sand is all piled up and the lagoon is drained, said it should open again later in the year.

Mrs JFW

what???? OMG! are they cleaning it or is it something to do with the new water park thing they were building last year?

I'd like to know the exciting info on the neonates transitional course, I might look at doing paediatric cardiac surgery in the future. What have you got planned for your days off?

Carole & Keith

Hi Claire,

Good to hear you enjoyed your first couple of shifts, can't believe you have to double check drawing up feeds, I don't know how busy it is there, but if we did that on our unit, we would never get the baby's fed.

Well I have Just had confirmation from HR on my start date, I will be joining you claire on the neonatal Unit on the 14th January 08, would have liked to start work in Feb, but I am doing the transitional course on Neonates, which is starting in January.

What's the info about the course, I'm not on a 457 though, will have PR visa, but you have got me guessing now and all intrigued. shall I PM you, comeon spill the beans, you can't keep us guessing after that intro.

Claire, what's the set up on the unit, ie how many rooms, and what type of baby's are in them, does the staffing levels appear better or much the same.

hope to hear from you soon

Carole