When I first began formulating my plan to live and nurse in Australia, I had no idea where to begin. I was naïve and, admittedly, pretty arrogant; certain the process couldn’t be too difficult. After all, I was an American, with a solid American education and training. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to hire me? It didn’t take long to knock me off that self-important pedestal. I quickly learned being American wasn’t much of an advantage. Obtaining a foreign license and finding work proved to be a much more lengthy, difficult, and humbling experience than I could have imagined.
My first hurdle was finding information. I tried researching online, but was unable to find much useful information. I located numerous agencies dedicated to helping foreign nurses find positions in America, but not vice versa. The agencies that did specialize in New Zealand or Australian placements catered to nurses from Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. (It pays to be a part of the Commonwealth.) I sent resumes and email queries to countless agencies without receiving any response. I began feeling like my efforts were futile. I was frustrated before I had even begun. But, eventually, an agency did show interest in me and walked me through the basics. Regrettably, they didn’t land me my current position, but they did provide a wealth of information.
While I was in Australia, a few people contacted me, querying about the licensing and job-placement process. So, I thought it might be helpful if I dedicated a page to outline what I learned. By no means do I consider myself an expert, but I did learn quite a bit throughout the application process, and am more than happy to share the wealth. So, I've compiled a short list, as well as some helpful links, that should help you get started. Of course, feel free to post a comment or email me if you have any specific questions.
Helpful Hints
(aka What I Wish I Had Known When I Started this Mess!)
1) Get your license. No one - recruiters or hospitals - will give you the time of day until you have this. I applied through the Queensland Nursing Council, but Australia moved to a national registration system as of July 1, 2010. Contact the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMC) for further details. Please be aware that it can take anywhere from 6 months to 1 year to obtain your license, so plan ahead.
2) Determine your work visa requirements. Anyone from 18-30 can apply for a working holiday visa, which is much easier to obtain and allows for more work options. With this visa, you can work for an agency or for a hospital on a short-term contract or on a casual (per diem) basis. If you are over 30, you will need a long-stay, sponsored business visa (subclass 457). This means you must work full time for a hospital willing to sponsor you. You cannot work as a “traveler” with a 457 visa.
3) Get your CV fine-tuned and out there. Finding a job as an American can be pretty tough. It took me months, a lot of research, and many days of self-doubt before I saw results. You can try recruiting agencies, but I found they were minimally useful, as they only send your CV to a few hospitals and are not aggressive. YOU ARE YOUR BEST ADVOCATE!!! (In all fairness, I did receive a job offer via Geneva Healthcare, but not in my preferred city, so I turned it down.) I spent hours online, looking up each individual hospital’s job-posting site. I also sent my CV directly to HR departments and nurse managers.
4) Be flexible. I ended up taking a position on a less acute floor than I'm accustomed to. I had 2 years of experience in a Surgical/Neuroscience ICU in Las Vegas, but the ICU managers in Australia weren't convinced that was enough. To get my foot in the door, I accepted a position on a neuroscience ward with a mix of high and low dependency patients
5) Ask Questions. Nursing is different "Down Under". You cannot take anything for granted. For example, not all hospitals staff with 12-hour shifts. Many run with 8-hour shifts. If anything is particularly important to you, be sure to ask. It helps to have a list of questions prepared for your interview.
6) You are required to purchase your own health insurance. Since Australia has a public healthcare system, employers do not provide insurance. As a foreigner, you will not qualify for their public healthcare. So, you must purchase your own coverage and must show proof of this to qualify for your visa. There are several affordable options, though.
Useful Links
Government Agencies
Nurse Recruiting Agencies
