Hi,
i'm currently looking into working in Adelaide. Does anybody have any experience of substance misuse nursing in this area of OZ. What are the services that exist and what are the pay rates for such posts? I'm a qualified RMN (with 15 yr post reg experience) and also have extensive experience with mental health services here in the UK. Currently working as a CNS in Dual diagnosis and would (hpefully) like to pick up something similar in Adelaide or surrounding areas....any thoughts/ suggestions would be greatly appreciated............

Hi, I see jobs like this advertised quite frequently. Not sure if thats because there is higher than "average" problem, or because there arent enough suitably qualified nurses...
Seek is obviously a good starting place, but also try SA health or CNAHS (Central Northern Adelaide Health Services).
Not sure whereabouts you a re planning on settling but for a guide, Southern suburbs such as Seaford prob take 40mins into the CBD. Western suburbs such as Semphore about the same. Not sure on any other areas.
Wages,hhmmm. Well for a start, if you work in a Government job, you qualify for salary sacrifice/package. Basically it means you get up to $16k of your wages tax free to offset against a debt ie rent or mortgage. We pay double mortgage each month with ours! Im a lowly ex E grade and Im now a Level 1.9. Hourly rate approx $32. You, of course would be on a higher rate. My one peice of advice is not to beat yourself up comparing the rates over here with the equiv in the UK! Lastly, did you know that most jobs that work Mon-Fri only accrue 4wks leave per year. You have to work 7day roster to get 6. Thats a killer. Anyway, hope thats of some use to you. Good luck and let us know how you get on

donna

Thks for the reply Donna, i have been keeping my eye on certain sites to check out what jobs are going. R u mental health nursing out in OZ..if so whats the comparisons with the UK? less stressful?? lower caseloads? Do you get the impression that there are becoming fewer opportunities due to the economic situaton?
What's the score in terms of experience gained over here in terms of how that translatyes to what jobs u can be reasonably sure of applying for over there? i.e, if i have 15 yrs experience over here then does that mean i should be applying for higher grade jobs in OZ, or is it that most immigrants are channelled into the lower grade roles. I'm keen to avoid ward work as it's been absolutely ages since i did any over here. Plus, whats the opportunities for part time working in the community over there?
So many questions i know but your views wold be much appreciated.
Cheers.

Hello again. Ill do my best but Im RGN, not RMN. Ive been qualified 20yrs and am level 1. Thats not to say that there are no oppurtunites for me (or migrants in general) its just seems more difficult in my particular field. There is a great emphasis on family friendly hours over here, I suppose thats due to shortages in the workforce. Ive looked today on the CNAHS website and found a couple of job at Clinical Nurse level in Drug and Alcohol Misuse/Rehabilitation. The pay scale is between 73 and 95grand per annum. Huge differance! Salary sacrificing would apply. I hear stories, and have experianced, practices that are incredibly out of date in comparison to what we are used to. It can be very frustrating. There is a huge amount of money directly targeted to indigenous health. As you may or may not know, there can be real substance abuse withen this population, and others of course, but I would suggest that funding in this particular area is unlikely to be withdrawn. So if thats something youre particulary interested in, then there a jobs a plenty.
I worked as a District Nurse over here and found the caseload huge! I lasted 6months before I burnt out, after changing jobs in the NHS just three times in 20yrs, that shows how challenging it can be. But I expect with such a specific career that you have, you prob wont encounter that.
And lastly, UK nurses are very well regarded, my boss (off the record of course) said she would prefer to employ an average UK nurse over any other!! Hope this babble is of some use to you.

donna

Hi,

I did the old search thing then sent cpoies of my CV off, got a reply from Adelaide very quickly, thought it sounded too good to be true so never followed it up and headed north. There is a service attached the the UNi, I think it was the Flanders and they were offering me a basic post with their substance misuse service. I was offered a basic grade RN post to start with so looked elsewhere. I do wonder if I should have gone for it as I ended up working as a basic RN and found it difficult working at a lower grade than I had done for years. Also going back onto a ward was very hard to get used to. Many of my peers are not mental health trained and this shows on the ward. It is like nothing I have ever done before and I have seen some stuff I can not discuss on an open forum.

Despite all the crap, life away from work is fantastic and is what we came here for. Work is like "life on Mars" only I am back in the 80's, the saving grace is mental illness is universal and the patients are no different it's the other stuff which is often difficult to get your head around.

Make you choice, take the plunge and see how you go. Don't come over on a 457 just in case you want to move around. Some people know after a couple of weeks if they are going to like somewhere other take a couple of years, no matter what you do at least you will have done it.

Good luck.

PJMA

Try here hope there is some info here you can use....I work D&A in Brisbane.


http://www.rah.sa.gov.au/internal/drg_alc.php

http://www.treatment-centers.net/tre...s-program.html


http://www.indeed.com.au/Drug-Alcoho...in-Adelaide-SA

http://www.dassa.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm

thanks the replies folks. Good to hear that there are opportunities. any one got an opinion on the state of substance misuse services in OZ? similar/different to the UK?? Are there any openings for dual diagnosis clinicians? or in fact do they exist? what sort of pay rates are offered in the field of drugs and alcohol, is it similar to MH nursing??
Shall be starting the whole application process very soon so i imagine i'm gonna have a few months of paperwork coming out of mi ears!!
Anyone got experience of the 457 visa in terms of waiting times for processing??
Cheeeers.

Hi, Im CPN/Drug & Alcohol Specialist. New to this site. I am considering applying for PR Oz, as colleagues have mentioned too many pitfalls relating to 457. I have done some research and it appears that as per some threads. The majority of related posts are situated in rural and socially deprived conurbations. I am comfortable with this, as all our clientele wherever in the world appear to have the same environment. I have also been made aware by colleagues that UK nurses are valued. Would appreciate any advice on PR.

Hi CPN,

Welcome to the crazy world of BritishExpats. If you are looking to come to Oz there are lots of threads on here about PR visas which you can search. Basically you have a few options, independent (may take up to a year as is probably the visa of choice as you are not tied to an employer) sponsored by an employer to work in a specific area (can take a year or as quick as a few months but you may be tied to the employer for a given period) or sponsored for a geographical area (can take the same length of time as the employer sponsored option). Once you decide which way you want to go; apply online and attach all the documents needed. To help speed up the process get your medicals done and sent off and attach your police clearance. This is referred to as "front loading" and may help to quicken the process up. The only danger is that these are only valid for a year and if you are assigned a case officer after the year has passed you will have to have them redone.

If you are planning on securing work prior to moving here, I personally could not recommend the Gold Coast despite it being a great place to live. there are lots of threads on here about many areas and which is better than others etc, just think about where you want to go and research it. If you are looking at staying with D&A services they are aplenty, just do a lot of searching before committing yourself. When you get here you will find the work is the same as you are used to but there will be a different feel about the way business is done. If you consider Queensland then many of your qualifications will not be recognized (especially if you are only mental health trained) but your experience will.

Keep looking on this site and ask lots of questions and search the threads. Thinking about making the move and doing it are fraught with many emotional challenges but well worth the experience when you get here. Good luck with it.

PJMA

Hello PJMA,

Hope all is well with you.
Thank you for your advice and guidance. It is much appreciated.

I am pleased I joined this forum, as I was only aware of one option out of the ones you have listed. More so, I was under the impression that the PR process took 2 years and also informed by colleagues with hearsay knowledge that for Nurses, the PR process is fast tracked.

Anyway, the options you have suggested open new ideas for me.
I am fortunate that I have been registered as a CPN with New Zealand Nursing Council, NSW Australia and NBV Australia for a few years. So I am pleased that the advice I had a few years from a Kiwi colleague to register with NZ then OZ states ongoing offers some options.

However, I am unsure if I need to secure a PR first and then apply for a post or apply for a post, which may then help or speed up my PR. There is only me & my partner. So we are flexible to some degree and have no property to sell. Also I do not want to apply for a post if the generic indicators are that Oz employers will not consider applicants if they have no PR or 457.

Anyway,
Thank you for your time PJMA

hello cpn. I'm struggling to get motivated to start the whole process of applying etc, and it is starting to look like they are tightening up even further on visa restrictions (must be in response to the economic climate), i've seen more in the way of jobs in perth advertised for the d+a field. Its a bloody minefield with the whole visa apps and nursing reg' and looks like a mountain of work..... anyroad, let us know if u come across any good leads with regards to substance misuse.

Hi carlito,
Hope all ok with you.
I would not worry too much about OZ tightening up the rules.
It is a false perception, especially when it comes to the healthcare profession.
Remember, more Oz professionals leave their country than ever return.
Ive worked with many and most never want to return to Oz as Europe is their utopia (and they are not wrong). The process of registration is long of course, but it is worth it.
Also please remeber Oz for what it really is (at least 15 years behind Europe in terms of social and political development). It is a good country but never as good as UK. In terms of working there, it has ancient healthcare practices and is a place where many white flighters have gone too. So be prepared for non PC brigade, who are fine with being immigrants in Oz but do not like immigrants coming to the UK. I am lucky as I have visited Oz and NZ and both places have ex-brits who run down the UK and yet have never even been to the Lake District. Go to Oz for the scenery only and the good food in Melbourne, as I will be. Do not become despondent, if I can help I will. Plus if you are serious about going and have a house to sell, place it on the market now. I know of several people who have had to cancel emigration plans because they could not sell their houses, even after being on the market for over 1 year. Also be mindful that you will eventually be going to a country less advanced in terms of diversity and where the native aboriginals are treated with no dignity. Keep it real and British and you will be fine.