What's the Buzz?
So what have we been up to of late?
Well today we've had a breakthrough! We registered this morning with our local NHS General Practitioner and it's the first process we have undertaken since being here that has been painfree and quick!!! Let's hope it continues in this way! It looks like a nice wee practice, an easy 10min walk down the road. And the best part is it's free! Hopefully we won't being making use of it too often though.
I also went down to Job Centre Plus which seems to be like WINZ (if that's what they're called these days!). I had to sort out my National Insurance number so that the government can get their tax. And i have to say that was a pleasant and straightforward process too!! Praise the Lord!
On Fri 7th I got up at 5am and took the 7am train down to London. I had to go there to start the ONP or Overseas Nurses Program. This is what is holding me back from working as an RN. It's a requirement by the Nursing Council here that all overseas nurses do this course. It involves completing a workbook which has activites based on getting to know the British Health system and British culture. Involves quite a bit of reading and internet researc
h but i'm rather looking forward to it actually. I need to have that done by May 9th when i'll return to London (probably by train again) to sit a test and have my book marked. All going well I will send off my certificate to the British Nursing Council who will process it as quick as they can..HAHA (well here's hoping anyway...we've been warned 3-4weeks...i haven't told Ryan this yet...). Only then will I be able to work as an RN!
It was nice to meet other nurses in the same boat as me. There were 4 kiwis and about 10 aussies there. So it felt like home =) It's so nice to hear the familiar accent! Was interesting to hear their stories about the NHS. Many of them were already working as HCAs and said nurses here don't seem to do much other than hand out drugs with the HCAs able to do BPs, blood sugar levels, wounds, washes, dishing out dinner... It will be interesting once i get into the system and see first hand.
PULSE (the nursing recruitment agency i'm 'working' for has said i have to do a CPR, manual handling and health and safety course this thursday before i can work as a health care assisstant. So hopefully, God willing by NEXT week i will be working and starting to bring home the bacon! YAY
Although i'm registered with an agency i'm thinking of flicking off my CV to the Private Hospital just down the road from Ryan's work. Although there are benefits to agency work there's also benefits to being hospital employed such as further education, professional development and advancing skills. We'll see how that goes. I'll be able to work as an RN as of mid May so i'll let them know and see if they have anything on offer. Hopefully they'll grab me knowing that all we kiwi nurses are hard workers =)
Well today we've had a breakthrough! We registered this morning with our local NHS General Practitioner and it's the first process we have undertaken since being here that has been painfree and quick!!! Let's hope it continues in this way! It looks like a nice wee practice, an easy 10min walk down the road. And the best part is it's free! Hopefully we won't being making use of it too often though.
I also went down to Job Centre Plus which seems to be like WINZ (if that's what they're called these days!). I had to sort out my National Insurance number so that the government can get their tax. And i have to say that was a pleasant and straightforward process too!! Praise the Lord!
On Fri 7th I got up at 5am and took the 7am train down to London. I had to go there to start the ONP or Overseas Nurses Program. This is what is holding me back from working as an RN. It's a requirement by the Nursing Council here that all overseas nurses do this course. It involves completing a workbook which has activites based on getting to know the British Health system and British culture. Involves quite a bit of reading and internet researc
h but i'm rather looking forward to it actually. I need to have that done by May 9th when i'll return to London (probably by train again) to sit a test and have my book marked. All going well I will send off my certificate to the British Nursing Council who will process it as quick as they can..HAHA (well here's hoping anyway...we've been warned 3-4weeks...i haven't told Ryan this yet...). Only then will I be able to work as an RN!It was nice to meet other nurses in the same boat as me. There were 4 kiwis and about 10 aussies there. So it felt like home =) It's so nice to hear the familiar accent! Was interesting to hear their stories about the NHS. Many of them were already working as HCAs and said nurses here don't seem to do much other than hand out drugs with the HCAs able to do BPs, blood sugar levels, wounds, washes, dishing out dinner... It will be interesting once i get into the system and see first hand.
PULSE (the nursing recruitment agency i'm 'working' for has said i have to do a CPR, manual handling and health and safety course this thursday before i can work as a health care assisstant. So hopefully, God willing by NEXT week i will be working and starting to bring home the bacon! YAY
Although i'm registered with an agency i'm thinking of flicking off my CV to the Private Hospital just down the road from Ryan's work. Although there are benefits to agency work there's also benefits to being hospital employed such as further education, professional development and advancing skills. We'll see how that goes. I'll be able to work as an RN as of mid May so i'll let them know and see if they have anything on offer. Hopefully they'll grab me knowing that all we kiwi nurses are hard workers =)
posted by Ryan and Mez at
5:35 PM
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