New grad Filipino nurse wanting to work in Australia/New Zealand Part 2 POST # 1 OVERVIEW OF NURSING REGISTRATION PROCESS Submit

all the documents required by AHPRA (Australia Nursing Board) to their office. They will evaluate your application, if okey, then will send you an Eligibility Letter. You will have to undergo a 23 months Bridging(Training) Program in schools that offer such program (BP). That Eligibility Letter will be the proof you present to a school, that allows you to enrol in a BP. You can choose any BP schools that you want to enrol. However, the application for enrolment is competitive as there are a limited slots per batch of BP. Moreover, each BP schools have different requirements like some requires 2 years experience, some zero experience, some 6 mos. experience. Thus, it is possible that you may not be accepted in one school but may be accepted in another school. After successfully completing the BP, the school will prepare and submit a report to AHPRA about your classroom and clinical performance. Presumably, you will pass the BP, then AHPRA after receiving the report will consequently process your registration. Hence, you will become a Australian RN. POST # 2 AHPRA - Nursing & Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) Some of the Basic Requirements for Nursing Registration Before 01 July 2010, there were 8 nursing boards in Australia. On 01 July 2010, 7 of the 8 nursing boards had merged into one, AHPRA / NMBA. The 1 remaining nursing board is that of Western Australia, which will eventually merged with AHPRA sometime late this year (hopefully so). Please read the website www.ahpra.gov.au .. You will find in the website, among others, the following: IELTS requirement laws, rules and policies of nursing registration addresses/contact numbers of various offices of AHPRA / NMBA requirements for nursing registrations documents to be prepared, notarized, and submitted application forms, sample forms, sample CV..

As a RN applicant for registration in Australia, it is highly recommended for your own good (as it is your money that is at stake), to read the website of AHPRA. Just to summarize, to apply/submit application to AHPRA you: must have taken the IELTS with score of 7 in each subject, must submit all the documents required by AHPRA as you may find/read in the website, and; can apply even if you have zero nursing experience (please read next post for details on experience). POST # 3 EXPERIENCE, VOLUNTEER NURSE, TRAINEE NURSE

1) Yes, AHPRA will accept (presumably will then approve) your application even if you have zero experience. 2) But, as I mentioned in POST # 1, the BP schools have their policies regarding experience. Thus, some BP schools will not accept you if you have zero experience. 3) During hunting/applying for job, it is the hospital/nursing home's decision whether to hire you or not regardless of your experience. So, you may find some difficulty finding work if you have zero experience, while others find it is easy to obtain job because they have extensive experience. I hope this matter of experience are clear and settled as explained above. "Employment Experience" = means your RN experience as a paid employee. "Nursing Experience" = means your RN experience as a paid employee and/or as a volunteer nurse, and/or trainee nurse. When applying for job, many hospitals/nursing homes will recognize your RN experience as a VOLUNTEER or TRAINEE nurse, in the sense that they will recognize that you have developed, enhanced and practiced your nursing skills through your clinical exposure as a volunteer / trainee nurse. However, when it comes to salary negotiation, that is totally a different matter. Chances are, they will not count your volunteer/trainee experience, obviously to save on salary expenses. When applying for BP in schools, some schools will count volunteer / trainee experience, while I suspect some do not consider it. Better

ask the BP schools and you may also ask other forum members who had undergone BP.

POST # 4 CERTIFICATE OF EMPLOYMENT, VOLUNTEER, TRAINING

In your certificate/s, it is highly recommended that the hospital/institution will write in your certificate the TOTAL NUMBER OF HOURS that you have worked in said institution. Also advisable is the phrase/clause that you have worked/served on a "FULL TIME BASIS" or "FULL TIME EMPLOYEE/VOLUNTEER/TRAINEE" that is if indeed you worked/served full time. Because, there is a difference between a RN who worked 600 hours on a full time basis, and a RN who worked 600 hours on a part-time basis. For volunteer nurse, if you can, better have a certificate entitled STATEMENT OF SERVICE, instead of a Certificate of Volunteer Nurse. Just the same, indicate the number of hours and "full time" if you are really working full time.. If you can, also include in your certificate a clause/phrase which would served as your clearance ".....have no pending liabilities and is cleared from any obligations....etc...". Depending on the institution you are working/serving, better also to include some sort of recommendation like "....Mr. Gwapo Gwapa is fit and competent to practice as a registered nurse...". Just remember that in Australia, when someone is called NURSE, it is either he/she is an ENROLLED NURSE or a REGISTERED NURSE (unless you will really ask or clarify).. In other words, if you can, better indicate/emphasize in your certificate/s the words "registered nurse". Example, if possible I would rather have my certificate with words "staff RN" or "staff nurse (RN)", instead of just "staff nurse". Anyway, as i wrote above, "IF YOU CAN".. if you cannot, well there's no problem at all, it's okey.. POST # 5 BRIDGING PROGRAM (BP) SCHOOLS Most of the BP schools are in Victoria: ETEA, VCHN, UB... Others are in Western Australia (WLI), South Australia (UniSA, Curtin).. I am not sure if the College of Nursing in Sydney is still offering BP.. As of now, there are no BP schools in Queensland.. Please check the websites of AHPRA and ANMC for the accredited BP

providers/schools.. You may also ask some of the forum members here.. Usual tuition fee ranges from Aus $8,000 to Aus $10,000.. Vaccinations are required, please check each school's requirements.. There are scholarships or study-now-pay-later scheme for permanent residents ONLY.. BP is a mixture of classroom lectures and hospital/clinical duties. Written exam and return demo/practical exam.. So far, no Filipino RN has admitted that he/she failed the BP.. I believe them, and so it means, yes you can also pass the BP, but you must exert effort because it is definitely not a walk in the park..

POST # 6 VISA DIAC is the Australian agency that is in-charge of VISA.. Their website is www.immi.gov.au .. Below are just an overview, better consult a professional on visa matters, or read/research about visa particularly the DIAC's website.. For the 2-3 mos. BP, you can apply for the 456 VISA which is cheaper and faster to process (less than 1 week from date of application).. As a 456 visa holder, you are NOT allowed to work part-time or full time.. When applying for this visa, better request/apply for a "multiple entry", it is very advantageous if you are approved of such. You may also apply for Student Visa, which is a bit expensive and longer to process (1-3 mos.).. And YES, you are allowed to work part-time (i'm not sure but i think you can work part-time for 20-24 hours a week).. When applying for this visa, better request/apply for "allowed to apply for extension"; otherwise you are not allowed to do so and MUST go back home and re-apply/process your visa in your homeland.. REMEMBER.. Please check the EXPIRY of your VISA.. At any given time, you are NOT allowed to stay/study/work/live in Australia if your visa has expired.. After you finish/pass the BP, your license will be processed by AHPRA.. Once you are officially registered as RN, then you can now start hunting/applying for job.. (again you're visa must have not yet expired).. If you're visa is expiring and you haven't found a job yet, you may apply for extension of your visa(it's DIAC's decision whether to grant you or not), or you may choose to go back your

homeland instead.. If you find an employer who is willing to "sponsor" you for a working visa (457 visa), then you with your employer will apply/process this 457 visa which will allow you to work in Australia.. Duration of your 457 visa will depend on the length of your job contract with your employer (maximum is 4 years).. NOW WHILE PROCESSING this 457 visa and your existing visa is expiring, then you can apply for a "bridging visa" which will allow you to stay in Australia while waiting for the release/approval of your 457 visa that you have earlier applied for.. Once you receive your 457 visa, then you can start working legally.. Again, there are specific rules and obligations that you should do or not do as a visa holder, so better read the DIAC website, it is enumerated in there.. Hello guys... Before anything else, I have a confession to make... I tried injecting a little bit of humor in this forum before to make it a bit lively in the person of "Lithotomy." Some people took offense of it though which I and some other people felt was totally funny. Anyway, I'm posting again to share some information about the things that transpired during my bridging program here in La Trobe, Bendigo. First off, our class includes 10 Filipinos, 10 Indians, 2 Chinese, 1 Malaysian, 1 Kenyan, 1 Japanese, and 1 Aussie (returning to practice). I finished the course in 10 weeks, which was chronologically comprised of 2 weeks theory class in the Uni, 1 week non-acute clinical placement in aged care, 2 weeks theory class in the Uni, and 5 weeks acute clinical placement. In the Uni, you will have 2 return demonstration exams and 1 written exam, which I found to be fairly easy. No need to panic as everything will be taught prior to the exams. Clinical practice wise, it would definitely be advantageous for you if you have experience working in the hospital setting. Then again, if you don't have experience, as long as you pick up things quick and you do ask questions rather than pretend to know what you're doing, then you'll be fine. Just an overview of what to expect... 1. Plenty of attending to activities of daily living i.e., showering, cleaning of faeces, feeding, etc 2. Vital signs monitoring 3. Administration of medications (oral, subcut, IM, IV infusions, IV push)

4. Clinical procedures (IV bung removal, IDC insertion/removal, epidural catheter removal, ECG, bladder scans, venipuncture, setting up I.V. lines/infusion pumps, wound dressings, etc.) 5. Documentations (transfer, discharge, admission, progress notes, clinical nursing pathways, etc.) 6. Hand overs to next shift of nurses (via recorder/dictaphone or live) 7. Use of lifting machines as it's not allowed to manually lift patients here What I can say is that... Even without experience, you will still be fine to get through the course especially if you're enthusiastic and keen to learn. That said however, it might prove to be hard for job to come by if you don't have at least 2 years experience in an acute facility. Take note that there are also plenty of local nurse graduates who did graduate nurse programs that does not require sponsorship for working Visa applying for jobs. So definitely, your experience is a plus-plus factor. Right now, I'm waiting for my registration with AHPRA and I have the vaguest idea how long it will take. I am starting to apply for jobs online, which is a bit difficult. Most institutions would require that I already have my registration while some require a more specific qualification/experience. And there are some that require experience carried out in a country with similar nursing regulations to Australia, like USA, Canada, UK, Ireland and New Zealand and some simply dont do sponsorships. I am not saying this to instill fear in anyone who would be coming here but I am just laying down facts. Nonetheless, I am pretty sure that you can still find a job as long as you try hard enough. The thing to consider is time. When will you be coming over to finish your bridging course? I'm sure everyone knows that nursing isn't as lucrative as a profession nowadays as compared to before. We all have to contend with various things aside from the amount of expenses we have to shell out. So we are really running against time. Anyway, if I am not mistaken, there will be around 18 or maybe more Filipinos coming over for the next January intake of La Trobe. I can vouch for La Trobe University for those of you who have yet to decide where they will do their bridging course. This may just be a personal thing, but the thing I found to be most difficult here is the emotional distress of being far away from home, far from your family and friends... Physical and mental exhaustion from the clinical placements is nothing after a night's rest, but the

depression is just really something so overwhelmingly difficult for me to overcome. Well, that's just about it. See you guys soon and wish me luck. Hopefully I will be able to get over this state of uncertainty. Soon.