We are forever being told, there is a ‘Nursing Shortage’, and both State and Federal Governments talk about getting nurses back to work…
Well, our new National Registration body is referring former Registered Nurses to a leading NSW supplier of Nurse Education to do an eight week “Assessment of Competence” course, which requires the nurse to work for 150 hours FOR NO WAGES.
And if that’s not outrageous enough: The cost is $10,000!
So, you may have completed your BN or diploma some years ago, and left the workforce for children perhaps, with it in mind, that one day, you will return to nursing. Fair enough. I’m sure there have been thousands of female nurses who have taken long maternity breaks, and later, successfully returned to work (at no or little cost to themselves).
In NSW, we are conned by NSW Health, that there is a $6,000 bounty for returning to ‘the Public Sector’ – but only after working FULL TIME for 18 months straight (no annual leave to be taken).
APHRA now says there is a competency requirement before returing to the workforce after five years. That’s fair enough, but there are no ‘free’ Public Health training facilities, as there used to be - not even the Area Health services will be offering ‘free’ training anymore (as an employee).
Previously, many returning nurses gained employment, and refreshed their nursing skills in the workplace – often called on the job training. Now the cost is a mandatory $10,000 because there is only ONE provider (I can’t name that provider – for obvious reasons).
How is that fair?
How is that going to convince former Registered Nurses to re-enter the nursing workforce? Is there something here, that doesn’t quite sound right? $10,000 plus you work for NSW Public Health for 150 hours, with no pay!
Feedback and opinions please!
GORDO.
Image credit: Thedogatemycareplan.wordpress.com
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God this is outrageous, I don’t even know where to start. I’m registered in Qld and up until a couple of years ago, was an RN for 15 years or so but left for another career move. Up until then there were a few hospitals offering refresher courses but they were dwindling then so I’m sure we’ll be in the same boat soon.
I simply do not understand why the government isn’t more supportive of nurses. Who do they think will look after all these aging people we keep hearing about? Their families? *snorts*
Oh, so this is how they’re going to fix the health budget is it? Get them all to work for free………no wait, get them to PAY for the privilege! Even better!
They need to stop treating nurses like dirt and put them on the pedestal they deserve.
Now why am I not surprised the whole system is going down the toilet – excuse my analogy – but I have been nursing for just on 40 years and I suppose I shall get the old “here goes another old codger again” bit but hey I don’t care anymore because guess what…..
I feel really sorry for the younger staff I really do care what about what they are about to inherit as I have done a fair bit of tertiary work and know how hard they do it these days.
Now for the powers that be in their ivory towers to dictate this rot to us oldies, the newbies, and the would like to come back (don’t know why -probably financial driven) is a slap in the face, and to add insult to injury they are going to charge individuals for coming back to keep a failing system going.
As for money that is all that the “powers” care about – I have to laugh when they go on about clinical excellence etc etc ad nauseum – nothing could further from their
“?minds?”.
For me if I was outside NO amount of money would induce me to return – unless I was psychologically compromised of course! I personally think that the unions push for more money is out of touch with the reality and that conditions are what we alll want to be put right – do they really think that being paid more for being overworked, frustrated, and having no job satisfaction is going to make our working conditions / feelings any better – because if they do then they are sadly mistaken.
I cannot believe the bureacracy and absolute nonsense that we have to put up with at work, and it’s getting increasingly difficult to find any worth while reason to be there especially whn we are being snowed under with ever increasing torrents of paperwork and mandatory activities – notably OH&S issues.
I once read in the Lamp a Nurse Manager saying that we are swimming in paperwork – now we’re treading water.
I tell my colleagues at work I go from one universe to another when I step into the facility where I work and then return to planet Earth when I go home – well that’s what it feels like anyway.
Well enough of my rant just suffice to say that the ONLY consolation are the times that one can make someone laugh, ease their pain (physical or psychological), and generally make their situation a little more bearable than it is.
*Very disappointed*
Those of you who attended the Rural Delegates Forum yesterday ( 18th. Jan. ) at the NSWNA HQ who had heard me name the ” leading NSW Nursing education institution ” concerned. I still don’t want to be seen to ‘name & shame ‘ them at this point ( again, unclear about if such would constitute ‘ defamation ‘ ).
However, a senior staffer of the NSWNA has taken up the case, and will be investigating my concerns ( and I’m sure most of you are also concerned ).
At the Meeting, we were informed, that as far as the Association was aware, there will be more than one single provider of this type of course, leading to a recommendation to APHRA, that a candidate for Nursing Registration has met all the requirements.
$10,000. is just an outrageous figure !!! A $525. deposit ( query if non refundable ? ), and the balance prior to course commencement…..
I got the feeling, that the NSWNA may be somewhat embarressed by this matter. That it should have been ‘ picked up ‘ before now.
I’m sure we will be more than pleased, to have our Association ‘ go into bat ‘ for ALL NURSES on this issue. We need additional Nurses in the workforce. We need people to come back to Nursing – even as part time & casuals – but not at a personal cost of ten grand !! ( and the 150 hours of unpaid work doesn’t sound an incentive either !! )
Quite a busy time at NSWNA HQ. Thanks for all the hard work from our elected officers, and their support staff. We need someone to keep up the pressure on so many issues in Nursing.
GORDO
Concur Gordo..l was a secondary schoo, teacher in a past life…strange..people leave teaching and return..Yes! there are documents
to complete and very modest (like a few $100.00) for Registration…nothing like $10,000. Until nurses have the same standing and financial / professional recognition as teachers then few, long term, will stay let alone return to begin again. My wife is still teaching and they experince very tough situations…thye are now finding they few graduates stay longer than 5 years….the rewards do not equate with the efforts. If the latter is balanced then it will be a VERY unstable labour market and conditions of eomplyment and the culture of the
workplace will slide negatively. Notice that this is happening in nursing ? Next? Well then organisations look around for staff that will tolerate such shifting changes in employment/workplace culture? Could this be the reason why their are so many international nurses
in our work places…why organisations are contracting and recruiting form SE Asian and African countries.
A parallel change in workplace culture..simple scenario: When l was a youth 99% of taxis were driven by Australian nationals, English and and Italian migrants…now 99% of taxis are driven by Indian people…they will work for $7.00 an hour in Melbourne….on a conract…
casualised employees…such is the drift in many organisations..the goal? 60% of the total workforce to be employed on a
casual/part-time basis ….and all on contracts. This was in the management literature in the 1980′s…l know l used to lecture in
management at university. Australia is alomost there more than 40% of our workforce is casualised..and there is a greater
increase in part-time employment than full time emplyment…and youth find it almost impossible to acquire entry level ocupations …
even with a degree…such is out changing world Better world: ?
Kind regards: Paul a new nurse
so many organisations as we ‘drift; in cutting wages and salaries and chnaging workplace conditions to a olwere standard
Apologies for the many typos…rushed reply…have an appointment in 10 minutes ..kind regards: Paul
so……………. i currently work in a specialised community nursing setting, have done so for 18 years does this mean if i want to return ( as I am considering) to the acute care sector I am up for these costs…………..to refresh!!!
Well if you think $10,000 and 150 hrs practice no pay is bad, try being 46 and doing 15mths at TAFE travel and accomodation at your own expense , $10,000, course Div 4 Nursing diploma $12000 , 690 hrs clinical practice unpaid, and working in between to pay the bills , it’s all about the poor RN’s what about the worker bees the EN’s? don’t we need them anymore? you have to be super dedicated to stick it out.
Yes, I also have been thinking of returning to nursing in NSW. Re-connect it seems is now defunct so I have approached APHRA…still waiting to hear from them, however I thought the only NSW provider, the College of Nursing fees were annoyingly $3,000… it seems ludicrous with the so-called shortage of nurses to now find this amount could be as high as $10,000. I think I will now have to reconsider my options. Lucky me I have other options…now I just have to hope I keep healthy!
The esteemed college in NSW is a waste of time, save your pennies, AHPRA take at least 10 days to answer enquries, the premier education body in nsw is far more insterested in OQN’s for refresher’s/ have been there last year the course has no practical whatsoever and uses scenes from “all saint’s” as training material. I am sure that is not of national standard. Give me a break using a defunct soap opera to refresh people’s knowlege on how to write a report……
Well after 41 years of full time nursing and three post graduate degrees 17 of those years studying (at my own expense)while raising 3 children I can say I have seen some changes in the world of health. Even if you wanted to work who wants to wait the 9 weeks of the recriutment process. I work in a rural area despirate for staff and recruitment is a chellenge due to lack of funding . Have our conditions improved? in 1970 I worked on a 28 bed ward with 2 RNs and 2 ENs now I work in the community with over 200 clients with 3 staff, you do the sums. Who would want to PAY to return AND work for FREE for the priveledge. Take away the penalty rates and you will think twice. My children earn more per hour base rate and don’t have to put up with bullying, work place abuse or finishing work at 11pm or do shift work. More nurses are leaving the industory then are staying, we need to bring the training back to the hospitals and encourage experienced staff to stay as well as pay staff to return I know of NO other job where the employee has to pay the employer to work, thats what it amounts to. And the NSWNA want us to support the labour govt to continue this poor performance of social & ecconomic abuse…. get a grip, the only thing that kept me here was the people I have helped but I am now looking outside health for a job so, another one bites the dust who cares?? not labour
My wife is (was) an Australian midwife. She left Sydney to join me in the U.S where she studied and obtained a Registered Nurse degree. She then practiced for a few years until she became pregnant and raised two children. Now back in sydney and would like to reconnect to the profession that gave her so much satisfaction in Australia and the U.S. Being out for over 10 years, she has been told she needs to obtain a new degree. Not one year. Not $10k. A new degree. She is one of those old people – 45 – who wants to help people – and the government doesn’t want her. She was really good at helping the sick. Such a waste. Thank you Julia and Tony and the union. In America we looked with admiration at a people who were friendly, good natured, hard working and fair. Where and when did Australia lose its soul??
Well, thank you all for your words of wisdom. You should all be holding posts at APHRA AND NSWNA AND DEPT OF HEALTH.
I could relate to every letter that was written.
I trained as an RN( General) but want(ted) to return to nursing to work in Mental Health. Yes, I can hear you saying WHY?? I care.
I also worked overseas. I have many areas and years of experience Hey! I was enthusiastic.Then the grim reaper arrived. I’m reconsidering. I was coming back to help .Sorry, was that the wrong thing to say?
I was a hospital trained registered psych nurse in Qld, and after a 10 year break (raising my children), I want to return to nursing. APHRA have told me that Qld has no return to nursing programs and I must complete a full bachelor of nursing degree (3yrs) in order to be re-registered. I would then need to do a master’s of mental health to be mental health certified. Now that’s crazy! That’s right start at the beginning with no credit given for prior learning or 10 years 11 years experience. So right now the $10000 and 150 hours sounds pretty good – only they don’t offer that in QLD.
@ Margie-you must be joking! APRAH told you would have to do another BA Nursing Course and then an MA to work in Mental Health??? Insanity! In NZ they have this comprehensive nurse programme where they do 90% general nursing and merely pay lip service to mental health, then once qualified a grad’ nurse can go straight into mental health nursing. Even after 10 years out of nursing I know of nurses who did the return to nursing course over there, (which is also general nursing biased), then walked into jobs in Mental Health!
I will probably get slammed for saying this but I don’t think that the quality of nursing has benefitted from its obsession with the Ivory Towers of Academia. Having a BA or MA or PH.D does not a good nurse make! Those essential, old fashioned nursing qualities like compassion, empathy, unconditional positive regard, being none judgemental, a sense of humour etc seem to have become obsolete in a nursing world obsessed with status and academic qualifications!
Heartfelt agreement with the suggestion that the NSWNA is out of touch by persisting in wage claims. Don’t they realize that retention rates in all areas of nursing would be improved if working conditions were improved?
I am in the same boat.Have not practised as an RN since 2006 as I have taken time off to raise kids.Contacted AHPRA yesterday only to be told my registration will not be granted and the only way I can go back as an RN is to do a $10,000 course in Burwood ,or go back and redo my nursing degree all over again.15 years of nursing experience and a degree now WORTHLESS..So wrong
APHRA keep saying, ‘you were all told’… or ‘you were supposed to have known this was coming’…Sadly, it seems people DID NOT know this was coming. It clearly has caught many off guard.
The odd thing about APHRA ( one of many odd things, that is ), they have pages and pages of ‘Standards of Practice’ and ‘Codes of Conduct’ listed on their website. Where is THEIR code of conduct in the way they treat people ??
Firstly, I don’t think it is unreasonable to require some recency of practice to re-register. My understanding is that it is 3 months work in the last 5 years. I don’t think that is much to require from skilled health professionals. I discussed this recently with a canadian nurse and he told me that in Canada the requirement is much more onerous.
What I do think is unacceptable is that this recency of practice requirement has been retrospectively applied to nurses who took their breaks thinking they would be able to return without all this hassle. Something must be done for these nurses.
I think there should be a transition period where these nurses have the opporunity to have their skills assessed (for free) in NSW Health facilities to see if they actually need to undertake a re-entry program.
As far as the College of Nursing goes, clearly they are making hay while the sun shines. Hopefully there will be some providers accredited by AHPRA to compete with them. NSW Health should enter the market with a re-connect type arrangement.
Sometimes I think that many nurses want all the benefits that come from being recognised as professionals without any of the costs. Highly skilled professionals should undertake CPD and maintain recency of practice. We talk constantly about how nursing care and skills are so valuable yet many nurses seem to resent the idea that their skills & expertise must develop & be kept up to date. I think that this requirement is a step forward for the profession. But obviously there needs to be arrangements made for nurses who have been disadvantaged.
“Highly skilled professionals should undertake CPD and maintain recency of practice.”
No doubt about it.
I don’t have an issue with a requirement to keep up to date with professional skills nor to have relevant recent practice. I would certainly want those things before I returned to an occupation I’d been out of for a number of years.
My issue is the amount of money NSW nurses are expected to pay to re-train – $10,000 is a lot of money. I don’t think nurses should be paid to do a refresher course but I do think it should be free of charge while re-training or at least a reasonable amount ($1-2K maybe), as long as there is a reasonable time frame of practice/qualifications. Insofar as Canada or other countries, I don’t really care about them; Australia is my country and up until ten years ago or so, Australian nurses were respected enough to be encouraged back to the profession after time away – now they’re being dismissed.
Nor is it particularly beneficial to advise a professional who has undergone tertiary education 10-15 years ago that another option is to start again from scratch. If it was me, I’d be going back to uni alright, but I’d be doing another course entirely, one with no shift work, no bad attitude towards workers and better pay – what’s the point of redoing a BN?
I’m really glad I did my masters degree 5 years ago – in another occupation. This type of thing is so depressing. My last nursing practice was 2 years ago and I have no plans to return.
I had a rude awakening after a few years out of hospital having and raising my children, to start back on a re connect program, to find at the end of it, I could not gain permanent employment that took another 3 years, withing 6mths , I quit, and went into general practice, oh I learn’t alot about the MBS and billing of Drs to medicare, the subtle way a consultation is billed can increase the payment to the doctor for printing a routine blood test and immunisations they bill medicare for our services, whislt they walk into another consult, all the time being paid for the work we do and we are on an hourly rate, the final straw came when, I was to on sell vaccinations for a profit, being an old lady, I thought stuff it back to Uni to do something , to increase my understanding of something completely new but related to understanding to the full extent how badly run the health systems are making the model totally unattractive to newcomers, funly enough I did my under grad nursing at sydney Uni those 400 funded places when the course ended , were never delegated out to other universities(UTS or UWS) they just ended, never to be replaced till now, so in real terms the govt saved since Sydney stopped its under grad nursing course, expenditure on 400 nurses the interest on the money kept in limbo for all these years pays for the 1000 extra it nominally already new it could afford, at a Union push , by the Interest gained on the original loss of 400 from the BN @ Sydney, Now my Major is Accounting and Business
To nullify qualifications and diverse nursing experience that I and many women often have had to set aside for the period of childbearing and childrearing, displays a disconnect by AHPRA regarding women’s competing work and childbearing /childrearing paradigms, realities regarding shortcomings in nursing retention rates, verisimilitude and deficits within the public health system and an organisation oblivious to the emergence of an aging population in Australia.
“verisimilitude”??? even after looking it up I don’t know what you mean!
Laverne,
In order to undertake ‘refresher’ training, you still need to be ‘registered’ ( as an RN for example ).
My wife was refused the opportunity to re-registered, and go and get that refresher training. That’s one of many issues…
she also told AHPRA, that they made an error. She last worked as an RN four years ago, not five. They still refused to accept that, and still struck her off !!
Gordo
Did your wife present any employment statement/s to prove her dates of employment? AHPRA would need to take that into consideration – surely?
I hate to say this, and I could be out of line, but it seems only young nurses need apply these days … maybe ‘older’ (older than, say 30s which isn’t old at all) nurses are being discouraged from returning to nursing. Ironic really when the government keeps ramming down our throat how most of us will be working until we’re 70 or so. That’s great and all, but not if employers aren’t willing to hire you because they have an agenda for a younger demographic in the occupation.
even more ironic when recent surveys continue to show the average age of nurses is over 40 and getting older. the young are to smart, they can earn more in better conditions and they do.
You’re real close there Emma.
I’ve had this conspiracy theory for years… Nursing is ‘costed’ towards a workforce of RNs years 1 -3. When you get to experienced – you cost too much. But due to the poor financial management of NSW Health, you hear stories of these first / second year RNs doing ‘overtime’, and their managers falsely claiming, there is a ‘Nursing shortage’ ( which there most certainly is not ).
My wife provided all documentation over a period of a full twelve months. The word is CORRUPTION … AHPRA is a totally corrupt and incompetant organisation. It’s as simple as that. nobody can do anything about them. They are an ‘exempt’ authority from the most basic and reasonable system of accountability.
OMG ! So it’s on yet again and theyNSW HD insist we stay educated;attend mandatory training etc. Then treat murses like fools. Who would want to function at this low rate of the $? Study,get qialified and then shot for it in the hip-pocket; you have to be joking!!
So may qualified nurses at all levels with great expertise who can impart ot new grads on the Wards never return and can’t be replaced. N S W HD is a joke and no Govt. Libs or Labor can repair this.
AND what or who is aged? Give me a legal statement on it please Minister? 6 years is aged if 4 weeks is young. Just how stupid are they? It is the system that was not nurse-made; it was imposed on us. YUK!!
Industrial action is needed right now against N S W State Govt or WorkChoices will get back in place so fast. Tony Abbott wants to be ‘another John Howard’ NOT ON YOUR NELLY…what a jurk-guy he is.
I did my RMN(Registered Mental Health) training in the UK 16 years ago, and worked full time up until moving over to NZ in 2003. As my children were young, I had no support network, we were living rural with no public transport etc, I decided to stay at home and be a full time mum. I was out of Nursing for 4 years, but was very fortunate to return to nursing without any fuss. I worked for 3 months on a part time basis, then we moved overseas again and I decided to train in the complementary health care field. We have now moved over to Queensland, and for some crazy reason, I really would like to return to mental health nursing! Of course I realise that I would have to do a Return to Nursing course, but can I find one? APRAH have informed me that they are no longer running any Refresher or Return to Nursing Courses in the whole of Queensland, nor can I find any training establishment inter-state that is running Distance learning courses.
To make things just that more infuriating, I cannot even get an AIN position in Care of the Elderly as I do not have a Cert III in Aged Care, nor have I been considered for Support Worker positions in mental health, as I do not have the appropriate certificate there either! Obviously a DipHE in Mental Health Studies and over a decade of experience in acute, secure and rehab count for very little here in Queensland!
Well this EN who was out of the workforce for a while can only find work as a CSE even though I am still registered with AHPRA as an EN. I cannot do a Medication Endorsement course to increase my options of employment and use the skills i have gained in over 20 years of nursing in public hospitals because I have no recent qualifications and will have to do the full EEN course. If I did find somewhere which will allow me to do the course [and I did find one TAFE facility who would] I have been advised that I cannot have my registration endorsed by AHPRA unless I have recent EN qualifications
I have been told by the management of my workplace that I am able to work UP to my qualifications. I have told then that unless they pay me the right hourly rate for using my qualifications then it won’t be happening. Hate “dumbing myself down” but I have bills to pay and it was a job I could get. Although I have impeccable work references, excellent knowledge and skills each interview I have been to have said that they can’t employ me over someone who is recently qualified. I am fearful of the future of nursing in all areas. I have a 12 month plan of being out of nursing altogether and working in another industry. This breaks my heart because I love being a nurse and still take great pride in my job but the feeling of being undervalued because of having older qualifications is too much. Experience just does not count for anything anymore.
And I do have to ask what is MY union doing to assist those of us in this position? It seems that it is a very great number of us. Don’t we count?
This thread is likely to become the most important and most responded to thread on Nurse Uncut…
It shows just how important this issue is. It shows, that Nursing has become the subject of ‘red tape’ and Government ‘over’ regulation, in preference to staff rights’ and working conditions.
I would actually prefer, to be paid what I currently am, and stay on the current RN8 pay, rather than have my peers forced out of the profession, for the only real reason, of pure ‘red tape’. We need to take control of this situation. The collective power of all state Nursing unions ( to include the ANF ), and pressure the Government to ‘look closer’ at the REAL effect their ‘over-regulation’ has had on both current and former Nurses. There are still people only realising now, just what these rules and laws a mean…. the loss of their ability to go back to work.
I didn’t actually realise, the new cost of being an EN… yes, the cost is far more than returning to be being an RN. The position of attracting former Nurses back to the profession is nothing more than a HOAX…. the obvious reality is, that the Government has priced most people out of that decision, and for others, the time and effect to re’do a BASIC undergraduate Nursing program is simplely unreralistic…
GORDO
Too few in power at any degree or place do not value the EN status / expertise / and care they show to Pts. Qualifications are needed however like an scale there needs to be balance.This is lacking.Wrong assumptions are made and years of experience are walking off to another land.Replacements of any type cost all the tax paying Aussie for sure.
RN’s don’t know it all with respect.Agency moves in and you get lack of track history in Pt care.It’s a ‘time-slot’filled by Admin. Take a EN who is there night or day; they know what goes on and do it. Lose of an EN is shocking to the system. Media never get the facts on the EN perspective..very sad. EN could and did give med’s as permitted..rule change..now EEN can do today what you did yesterday..like 24 hrs ago. That stinks for sure. Did any EN get a brain transplant in that time-frame? I suggest ”””NO WAY”””. The system sucks!
In a perfect world all aged care facilities [and hospital wards for that matter] should have a good mix of RN’s, EEN’s / EN’s and AIN’s and a mix of experienced staff is vital. All working together to achieve optimum outcomes for our patients /residents and learning from and supporting each other. Each nurse brings their own experiences, strengths and abilities to the workplace and each should be equally valued. Pipe dream? Doesn’t have to be in my opinion. We as nurses deserve it and our resident’s deserve quality care.
where is our union………what are they doing.One has to ask were they not consulted on the parameters of a national body. Is there seriously any other profession that would suggest to people that they need to go back to square one, re do their BN, the cost of which rises yearly. I think you would be hard pressed to find one.
Will anyone want to be a nurse if either of my children, grandchildren or anyone I know for that matter was considering doing a BN degree I would do my best to diswade them from it.
The cost of retraining is only one aspect to ‘coming back to Nursing’…
How is someone supposed to acquire the mandaory references that employers now require?
I get really annoyed with the absolute ignorance of some Nurses, who say: ” why don’t you get a job at XYZ ? “. ” Oh, they’re always looking for Nurses at ABC ” etc. etc.
You simply can’t just pick up a job in public health anymore. They are just far too picky now, yet new grads. are always getting the positions due to their having just finished a New Grad. rotation program in that AHS. External applicants need not apply….
GORDO
The above disillusionment and discontent is indicative of the hijacking of a profession I was once proud to be part of & am now looking to leave. The OBSCENE amount of bureaucracy involved in attempting to do my job is unbelievable. We DO need to take control and eliminate the crap…at the moment “chop from the top” & “prune the deadwood”…it’s cheaper. Training MUST be returned to hospitals & paid and years of experience HONOURED. Nurses at all levels must be respected & most importantly, cared for, then the system will start to heal.
let me think- do my BN (3 yrs) + 1 year post, stay in syste5-6 years, have children (take 5 years off ‘work’ to raise next generation) and then need to retrain/& pay extra $10k or redo BN to remain in area that am not respected / shift work that disrupts family and life and health, get abused / bullied from abov other staff and patients. yep definately seems like a great idea! NOT HAPPENING!
yes agree whole heartedly…..but again, with ever increasing union fees one has to ask, where is our union and what are they doing for us…..?????
Speaking of being ‘honoured’ for your service…
A few years ago, I sent a letter to the NSW Health Minister, with an idea for ‘retainment’ of senior Nurses.
I posed a NSW Nursing Service Medal for ‘long service and good conduct’ ( which is how all the emergency services and ADF word their long service medals ).
Not a Federal award, but a State award, to be worn on the right side at official functions, the same as the NSW Police, Ambulance Fireand Rescue, Corrective Services, SES & RFS all have a TEN YEAR medal to represent their service to the people of NSW.
The Health Minister at the time couldn’t understand what I was talking about !! Despit me explaining in great detail, the concept of what I was proposing… she simply rattled off the standard line about the Order of Australia, and the Public Service Medal. That actually demonstrated a complete lack of knowledge about WHO NSW Nurses are …. we are NOT Public Servants, anbd such, not eligible for the PSM. Asa for the Order of Australia …. only very senior and distinguished Nurses will ever be considered. No, I was talking about the everyday, ordinary Nurse, who works shift after shift… month after month, year after year. Something to give us just a little extra recognition for staying in Public Health for ten years. Other services do it, why can’t Nursing be recognised for the SERVICE we provide to NSW.
GORDO
Methinks the bureaucrats et al will only pay any attention when there ARE NO MORE nurses. But then….maybe they’ll never notice. Brain-dead maybe???
My son is doing HSC in a few weeks, and wants to do Nursing. I have encouraged him, but I fear now for it’s future. I can no longer encourage him, and can only hope he decides on a profession that is not ruled by people hell bent on destroying the entire health system.
Why is the union not addressing this?????
Just called AHPRA today, they say I failed to re-register. I paid over $100 to register at the beginning of the year. I don’t understand. I’ve been living o/s raising my children for the past 10 years and want to return to Australia and nurse. I have a bachelor and master degree. I’m told I need to re-do my degrees again. Why would I go back and do another 6 years of study to be what I am already. I thought I’d misunderstood, I’ve been feeling confused all day. The 2 people at AHPRA that I spoke to were almost rude, certainly not happy explaining to me, it felt like I was inconveniencing them by my enquiry. What’s going on? I don’t remember it being like this in Australia 15 years ago. If anyone can guide me to someone who may be able to assist me return to nursing, I’d be grateful.
Wow I know exactly how you feel!!!
I have just a few weeks ago, mid Dec. 2011 put in the application form to AHPRA, and paid the money etc.
I guess I know what the answer will be, before even getting a formal reply.
I also lived o/s, for well the last 20 years.
Worked in nursing as a school nurse full time.
It’s not a very common job here. Also overseas I was not required to be registered. As just being trained in Australia was very highly considered.
Now I’ve come back home to register and work in my profession.
I felt that I would probably have to do a retraining course of some time.
With the lack of nurses I presumed that it would be government funded.
What is going on here in Australia??????
Elise if you get any guidance I would really appreciate if you could share it with me on this.
As I really feel my career here in Australia has gone down the drain in my absence. And feel really confused as to what to do now.
I didn’t find the staff at APHRA to be rude, but yes quiet indifferent!!!!!
I am gutted too after being told to do a new degree in midwifery or a post grad diploma in midwifery after being unable to re register this year due to insufficient recency of practice. I have worked as a general nurse in NSW for the past nine years. I have a B Midi and B Nursing & post grad qualifications. I was applying for a part time midwifery job around the time of registration but that meant nothing to the NSW N&M Board. I was given wrong information from APRHA so am currently incorrectly registered as a midwife as the recency of practice question I completed online did not allow for people who have nursing and midwifery registration. I was told to tick yes to the question and write to N&M NSW with an explanation. Now I would rather be doing anything but nursing.
Ask the relevant unions what they are doing to address the situation & then ask the president of the ACTU how these issues are being addressed. Ms Kearney was a nurse and should have some insight into the situation.
I have had time out of paid work to raise my 4 children. (7 yrs). Now my youngest is starting preschool next yr I have looked at the options of getting back into nursing only to be told i have to re train for 3 months unpaid at a personal cost of $10,000. I was a great nurse and midwife (If I do say so myself
) and I know I would be even better now after having my own experience of child bearing. Pity I’ll never be able to show anyone because I cant afford that time or money. Another nurse bites the dust…
I am in Victoria and and after 9 years out of nursing to bring up my children decided to enquire about going back. I was shocked, diappointed and sad to find it will cost over $10,000 if I can get a place and if I dont get permission from APRHA very soon so I can do it next year I will have to start all over again!! I have spent 5 years of my life studying and training to be a critical care trained RN, I have 15 years of experience working and if I dont spend all this money in the next few months then it all counts for nothing!! I was actually looking forward to going back to part time nursing and doing the job that I love, I now feel betrayed, pretty much unwanted and unsure about what my future will hold as regards career. The person I spoke with about a re-entry course was very discouraging of me trying to come back, “oh what a shame you didnt work while you brought up your kids”, and “its a very difficult transition to come back you know”. I really thought I still had a lot left to offer as a nurse, but apparently not…..
Wow I cant believe this is happening. I have been out of the workforce for 10years. 5 years raising my children and 5 years living overseas.
I have a diploma in Applied science (Nursing) Midwifery, and Child and family health. I was told by APRHA that I have to totally retrain again, a new degree in nursing/midwifery. All of my qualifications nullified. Its such a shame. I too am a passionate midwife, who really wants to return to the workforce. Happy to do a refresher, even at my own expense, but to go back to uni and totally retrain again only to gain the same qualification I already hold, it is not an option. I still have alot of working years left in me and a passion for the profession.
There are a few more comments being processed at this time, but I say to ALL OF YOU … Please, go to your local Federal MP, and lodge a complaint about AHPRA, and the draconian rules that have caused the loss of your careers ( not to mention the loss of Australian Nurses to the Australian Health care system ).
If we don’t collectively complain, these destructive beurocrats will destroy hundreds of lives … our lives; our careers, and our childrens’ right to have parents who are Nurses in our own country.
Contrary to the belief of AHPRA beurocrats, we in Australia do not need overseas Nurses in order to run our Health Care system … we do need a system that values the years of training and experience of AUSTRALIAN born and trained Nurses over and above ANY overseas trained Nurses.
The reason AHPRA can afford to destroy our lives, is that there is an endless flood of applicants from overseas countries willing to come to work in Australia, on the overly generous 457 Visa provisions. Our Australian Govt. favours foreign born Nurses over our local staff. That is why we mean nothing to the people who run AHPRA …
GORDO
Consider it done…emails will be drafted and sent today. Enough is enough!
can you add my e-maiI too? I am in the same boat .
RN7 with post grad cert in ICU. During my extended maternity leave while raising 4 young children (and still am) the last thing on my mind was trying to read into the future to know that by not keeping up payment of my registration, that I would lose all my years of study and hard work doing the job I love. With the only option doing an eight week full time course at $10,000. (whose going to pay 8 weeks of child care for me??)
I am keen to re-fresh my skills, but there must be a better way to bring all of our years of nursing experience back to the floor.
I wonder…I have yet to find another degree so worthless…..as a BN must be 5 years out. Go back to uni and retrain….what the F…K
I was disheartened reading all these comments about nurses with a world of expericence that can’t get jobs…I am a new graduate, finishing up in November in Qld, I have excellent grades excelled at all my placements but got knocked back by every single application I put in for a graduate position. I am not the only one, in my year at uni there is 180 of us, 60 got positions!!!!. What do the rest of us do, we were told we would never be out of a job, we have chosen a profession that will last a lifetime this was on our very first day of uni 3 years ago. Now what? Employers want nurses with experience, how do we get experience? And your telling me you have the experience and still can’t get in the door? Have I wasted the last 3 years of my life juggling 2 kids (one was a tiny baby at the time), struggling with deadlines and the rest of my life? This cannot be happening…….now I am devastated.
I live in rural nsw and have also spent the past 6 years away from nursing raising children. I have had a few interesting conversations with APRAH this year regarding re entry courses. The first person I spoke to wasnt able to help me with my inquiry and suggested I speak to the “professional nurse” there, only I couldnt that day because she was on her day off! Its taken me until yesterday to be bothered with them again (why??) Was told about the $10000 sydney course, got transferred through to Melbourne (I live on the border) and was told I could do a course at Wodonga TAFE!!!!
Is it possible that this new regime may not be legal ;
Insufficient grounds for deregistration.
Restraint of trade
What other profession or trade operates like this?
I live in rural nsw and have also spent the past 6 years away from nursing raising children. I have had a few interesting conversations with APRHA this year regarding re entry courses. The first person I spoke to wasnt able to help me with my inquiry and suggested I speak to the “professional nurse” there, only I couldnt that day because she was on her day off! Its taken me until yesterday to be bothered with them again (why??) Was told about the $10000 sydney course, got transferred through to Melbourne (I live on the border) and was told I could do a course at Wodonga TAFE!!!! Not correct. What is this organisation?
Once again I will ask,….. what is OUR union doing about this????
Seriously, if this is not addressed, I am thinking of resigning from the union because this is the end of many peoples careers.
No other profession eats its own. A degree becomes worthless and nurses have to re do entire degree?? Come on union….. do what we pay you to do and fight this.
i contacted the union and this was thier reply.
“Unfortunately we are not able to intervene in regard to individual registration or recency of practice issues.
This is because AHPRA is a federal government agency and we have no facility to intervene or over-ride the registration requirements set out in the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (2009).
You will need to unfortunately persevere with contacting AHPRA on 1300 419 495 or attend their office at Level 51, 680 George St Sydney”
so i guess that’s another closed door!!
I think the fault here lies with the lack of affordable options for refreshing – not the requirement to demonstrate competence after 5 years out.
NSW Health must step up and develop some sort of course that meets AHPRA’s accreditation standards. They should also be using their influence to encourage the College to provide a progam at reasonable cost.
As for the nurses who are 10 years out and their degree is worthless – this is tough. I think they should have the opportunity to have their competence assessed. 5yrs in + 12 yrs out is a very different scenario to 15yrs in + 10yrs out. Although, I know that unis don’t give credit for courses completed >7yrs ago.
In reply to RN8,
The NSWNA know about this situation. I supplied various documentation to a senior staff member earlier this year ( whilst attending a Delegates meeting ).
I was told , they will ‘look into it’, but given I changed jobs, I am no longer attending Delegates’ meetings, and so I didn’t get a personal response.
I actually feel, that the union supports what AHPRA have done, on the grounds of the ‘professional’ need for maintaining standards etc. This is not, and would not be disputed. However, it is the way it is being conducted, that pains many of us reading these posts.
There has been no regard for the ‘human’ element of treating nurses as ‘people’. The policies and practices of AHPRA have been shown to clearly disregard the human need for fairness and a reasonable outcome in the manner in which ‘former’ nurses are being treated. In essence, many of the affected people in this debarcle are in need of psychological support. The trauma people are experiencing, as result of the loss of career, and income, should be recognised by ‘professionals’. Clearly, the policy makers at AHPRA have no regard for the ‘need’ for support, and it is most definately not offered. When one loses their professional registration, one is cast aside, with no offer of support whatsoever, …. how callous
GORDO
Removed by NU_Editor due to inappropriate comments.
I don’t understand Gordo – didn’t you say your wife had practised within the last 5 years and that she does meet the recency of practice standard? I have no trouble believing that AHPRA could have made a mistake. Why are you considering paying the $10K? If what you say about your wife is true you should get a lawyer.
Also, are you suggesting that the College should only employ administrative assistants with white skin and english speaking backgrounds? Why would the college pay a qualified nurse to take bookings for a course? Please, let’s not turn this forum into a brainless cesspit where racist remarks take the place of informed discussion and debate.
No, go back to the post, and tell me where I claimed the person had a particular skin colour etc. etc.
All I referred to, was they are working in a position that requires X amount of Nursing knowledge, to be able to reasonably answer the multiple questions people will have. After all, the College is not selling cup cakes at the school fete !!
As I mentioned previously, my wife has experienced the maladministration of AHPRA first hand. yes, she did last worked as an RN fours prior to applying for RENEWAL of registration. Then AHPRA decided, that she needed to scrap that application for RENEWAL and they placed her in the pile for REGISTRATION…. not renewal, but an initial registration. You can’t tell AHPRA they have made an error. It took two appeals, and three letters, to come back to the starting point … because AHPRA don’t make mistakes !! So, she loses out, because some faceless beurocrat MUST be seen to win, and my wife must lose … because she dared to challenge the system.
Remember, AHPRA is not a well run organisation … so what would seem as normal, is not. AHPRA made the mistake, but couldn’t account for it on paper … so they throw the case out, and simply say, you can’t do that … you will need to pay the $10,000. or three years at Uni.
Everyone is saying the same … they are totally unfair, and have no sense of how their clumsey actions affect people. And that goes for the college of knowledge as well !!
GORDO
I get where you’re coming from Gordo but I thought you were having a go as well:
” Sorry, me not nursing, but you get good money for being nurse – you pay $10,000. now ? ” – the wording does imply someone from a non-English speaking background.
I can understand your frustration though – It seems this organisation is run similar to Telstra – you speak to someone who is there to do basic admin, customer service and deal with financial transactions. Is there seriously nobody else to speak to? I can’t believe some of the replies I’m reading, it’s so disrespectful and rude to treat professional health workers this way, not to mention self defeating when in all likelihood, in 5-10 years’ time when there are no nurses, experienced or novice because it’s so bloody hard to get a job, they’ll be crying out for them.
This makes me really glad I’m not an RN anymore … good luck to everyone here. Maybe you should all consider organising yourselves as a group to contact your local members. On mass they might sit up and take notice.
If you must make a point of it, then yes, I purposely wrote the words as such … to give that exact impression WITHOUT me actually saying it in another manner.
I see absolutely nothing wrong, with implying the person is CALD ( I even printed that previously as well ).
It’s part of the issue at the College … without expert knowledge of EXACTLY what is required and how the system is to work, people may be handing over $10,000. when they don’t need to … but the College is selling this course, like cup cakes at the school fete. ( oh, sorry – will that offend school teachers, or someone else ?? )
This is about hard cold facts, not about pussy-footing around with side-issues of ‘some’ people may be offended. Well, I’m offend by AHPRA and the College … somebody give me a hanki to cry on !!!
GORDO
I totally agree. They don’t necessarily need to be nurses but they need to be trained well to understand the deeper issues, not just ask people to hand over their money, especially given it’s an unreasonable amount of money. Frankly I don’t think you should pay to retrain as a nurse at all, you should be encouraged back which is what I thought they were doing a couple of years back??!! It seems really privatised now, like the organisation is profiting out of it, which is completely unethical.
I mean, if they aren’t hiring grads and aren’t hiring experienced people then who are they hiring? People off the street? I probably shouldn’t give them any ideas ….
“For whatever reason, the once esteemed College of Nursing has a CALD person answering their Return to Nursing enquiry line.” I think the implication of this is clear.
I definitely don’t want to get into an argument with you Gordo but it seems to me there is a theme emerging in your posts and that is a resentment of migrants/foreigners. Eg: there are hoards of war criminals from Libya on their way masquerading as boat people; that asylum seekers must be treated as criminals until proved otherwise; that foreign nurses receive preferential treatment at the expense of local nurses; that the College employs people who are not native english speakers; etc.
If you don’t resent foreigners and my impression is wrong then maybe you should think a bit more carefully about how you’re expressing your ideas.
I still think that if your wife has practiced the equivalent of 3 months in the last 5 years it would be worth your while getting a lawyer. Take it to the administrative appeals tribunal. I’m sure it won’t cost as much as doing the College course and maybe she’ll be compensated.
the ironic thing is that introspectively, for all of us who have chosen to put our career on hold while our babies needed us at home, that if this system was in place a few years ago, i’m sure we would all have been doing what was required for us to maintain our registration. when i last worked there were government initiatives to bring back the nurses to the workforce!!! but now the government are paying for people to be trained in anything else they want so they can join the workforce.
my friend recently done a “flower arranging course” for something to do for free, worth $600. Now the idea behind this was to give her some skills so she could find a job!!! now don’t get me wrong, i don’t begrudge her doing this free course even though she is not likely to use her new skills for our society (it was for a hobby for her!).
what saddens me is people like me and many others who already have our skills and education, we just need a refresher, and we want to come back to work. we are not asking for a new career!!! we just want our old ones back!
I hope there will be a light at the end of the tunnel for us.
mind you….just for the record!! I had 4 kids in 6 years and no family to help with childminding so it wasn’t an easy choice to necessarily put my career second to my children for those first few years!
i did casual work when i had my first 2, and i tried to return to casual after my third, but my previous employer wouldn’t take anymore casuals on! then the fourth baby came along, which brings me to now!
Your advice would be most appreciated.
I completed by Diploma of Nursing in 2007 (EEN Qualification)
Was employed with Qld Health straight away on a Casual Basis but working at least 4 shifts per week for two years. Unfortunately I fractured my spine in late 2009 and had to have two years off for recovery. I was not sure whether I could return to Nursing, so I kept my registration current with APRHA.
I decided recently to achieve a Certificate III in Pathology which I completed in June this year and have now been employed on a Permanent Part Time basis as a Phlebotomist, unfortunately though it is a minimum of 40 hrs a fortnight and the pay rate is shocking for what you do.
My question to you is:- Do you know what I have to do to return to Nursing, even doing a couple of shifts of a weekend, as I can not make ends meet doing the Phlebotomist job on this part time basis and need to seek additional work. I loved Nursing and I also love doing the Phlebotomist Job. I would of like to of talked to the Nursing Unit Manager that I had at the PA Hospital, but unfortunately he is not employed at that Hospital anymore, I believe he has taken another position at a different hospital.
I felt that I had lost a bit of confidence to return to Nursing, but now after doing the Phlebotomist role for 8 weeks, I have gained a lot of confidence back and am sure that my confidence as an EEN will return in a very short time, but need to actually gain experience or employment again in this region to fully achieve that.
Could anybody please give me advice as to where to seek out or know what I need to do to return to Nursing? I can not afford to pay the $10,000, and dont think I should have to if my Nursing Registration is still current (paid for), but just not practiced for the 2 years.
Thank you and appreciate any comments/advice you can give.
Kind Regards
Karen
Hi Karen, the SAN hospital in north sydney offer a cheaper refresher course. And look up the nurse Re-connect program which you should be able to get into if you still have your registration. But you have to do this before 4 1/2yrs out of nursing. Good luck.
Karen, I don’t want to mislead you, but I think with 2 years off, you should be OK for sure.
I wouldn’t mess around. Get onto a casual pool and do a shift, even if once a fortnight to keep up your hours.
And yes…. many have paid their yearly registration, and now told they cant register, despite them greedy suckers draining peoples wallets!
Guys I have read all that you have written above but what are we going to do about it? I like many of you left to have my children and now just ten years out plenty of experience and qualifications am being told to retrain through 4 years at Uni. What a joke…Can we as a lobby group take it to A Current Affair and use the media to bring public recognition to our cause? I still have many friends working in the industry and I would confidently say that none of them realised the up hill battle we are facing with the recency of practice policy brought in by AHPRA to re register. If they aren’t aware the public definitely won’t be either and maybe it’s time we got some good old fashioned media attention for our cause? Opinions???
I agree, I cannot believe that the media hasn’t got hold of this. The shortage of nurses is a national issue, and effects so many people in different ways.
I do want the public to be aware, and I want the media to help!
I tried to bring some media attention, via my local rag….
They did reasonably well with the story, but unforunately, it didn’t get to the major papers.
Hope you can access the following: ( you may need to type in the URL )
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/exnurses-priced-out-of-profession/2073069.aspx
GORDO
Sorry, I’ll try again ….
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/exnurses-priced-out-of-profession/2073969.aspx
GORDO
Gordo Thanks for your reply. Read your article and good on you for having a go. Have been talking to another girl in Sydney in same situation as me and prepared to have a go at getting some recognition of our plight to the general public through the media. Power in numbers guys>>>> Anyone else out there???
If you are in the Southern Courier readership area I am doing a story on this issue for the paper. Contact me on 8062 2360 or chriswalker@newslocal.com.au – Prince of Wales Hospital is in our area. Let me know if there is anyone else with a similar story.
Gotta wonder why …
The ‘numbers’ should be in the NSWNA.
Why aren’t they going-to-town on this ??
Probably because of the Catch-22 … Union supports Members – to be a Member, must be Registered !!
I for one, would contribute an additional figure to the legal fees needed for an organised legal challenge to the situation. ( if only the NSWNA really wanted to do that … )
I just realised I made an error – one does NOT need to be ‘registered’ to be a Member of NSWNA …. but you know what I mean, in regard to paying Membership fees.
GORDO
Hi guys, I am planning to shortly contact my local member/ maybe the new minister of health with our story, and a copy of the union article about westmead closing 5 more beds due to staff shortages! My husband will then contact a major sydney radio station to see what other help we can get. I will keep you informed.
Hi All, I am happy to go public wit this.
Recieved my letter from AHPRA stating that “given I have not practised for 10years, in order to meet the standard, I will need to enrol in a Board approved course leading to registration as a midwife, such as a Bachelor of Midwifery.
I already hold this qualification, is this truely what the hospital system is coming to.
Shame about all those qualified nurse/midwifes, now looking to re-enter the workforce. I wonder if Jillian Skinner ( who was a nurse) and Minster for health knows about this. Let me know your thoughts.
Sandra, that is ridiculous! Does the Federal Government have any idea how much this is going to cost our tertiary education system? By the way I am a RN and a qualified Solicitor. I had a break of over 10 years from the legal profession and all I had to do to get my legal practising certificate back was to write to the Law Society and advise them on what I had been doing since I last held a practising certificate. There was no requirement for me to do a course however I was required to practise under the supervision of another Solicitor for two years. Imagine if I had to do my law degree over again!!
I have read the above posts and it really concerns me that the bureaucracy is hell bent on making it so difficult for nurses to return to the workforce. My partner has been out of the workforce for the past 5 years while she has been caring for our two children. She was planning on returning to work this year but that is now out of the question. There is no way we can raise $10,000 for her to do a return to practice course. So it looks like NSW has lost another good registered nurse. I will also be contacting the Minister for Health and my local Federal MP to get some action on this issue.
I was informed by phone that my application for renewal was rejected as the new laws had been in effect since July 1. I was emailed this afterwards and this was my response with NO reply since……”I believe I indicated on the phone that my choices seem limited. I would be best to withdraw my application , as you said,as any time in the future, if I was to try and pursue a career in the nursing field, I would have to answer that I was rejected by the Board and thus being looked on in a negative light .
I know you pointed out that I should of been responsible for looking at the website and realising that I was going to lose all chance of ever re entering the Nursing profession but I do feel rather silly as I have made numerous calls to different offices trying to obtain the experience required under my Schedule 1B inquiry. I was also a bit disappointed that you indicated that that particular process was not really a serious one so in hindsight I wasted the airfare/time and energy on ever really starting the whole process.
I have tried Coffs Harbour Hospital and rung Bellingen and I also had a Sister from Coffs Hospital in Theatres enquire and give me a Lismore number to try and pursue any avenue I could to start the training. I have been met with a “No”response every time and mainly due to funding problems.
Now that I am back to the drawing board and have to fully re train it seems I have missed the boat. ”
I was told that I would have to look at $30, 000 to totally retrain…I get it..I want to be competent too but I was caught unaware and with no sympathy or options to pursue.
I was Hospital trained at RNSH in Sydney and was one of the youngest people accepted in to the Neurosurgical Course at that time but I moved to the Nt and lost those credentials….I can see I am not the only one!
I am currently registered, but being out of the workforce due to raising my 5 young children, all under 7years of age. APHRA are proposing to refuse to renew registration. I am based in a rural setting, and cannot afford to disrupt my young family nor disadvantage them by paying $10k for the priviledge to work as a RN. This whole situation is so WRONG! So many good nurses being lost due to political nonsense, I’m ashamed. I don’t expect any special treatment nor a “free” ride. However, I agree that if my registration was renewed I would certainly maintain currency as per the legislation states now that I’m aware of it!
Seems as though I have been very lucky.
I sent letters of appeal to AHPRA as I ‘only’ fell short of the required hours by 72 and as the ‘fine print’ says a Reg Nurse can continue working while Registration is being processed. I was called to a Directions Hearing just before Christmas and had a successful outcome. My name has been returned to the register until Feb ’12 when Registration is due again. (I am also a Midwife but have had to ‘surrender’ my Midi registration as I have not worked in Mid for 4 years.) When I commented on THAT, the chair of the hearing asked the AHPRA representative what is to be done? I commented that there are numerous regional Universities well and truly capable of doing these refresher courses and was told…. ‘It costs a RTO $30,000 to be accredited to do the (Midi ) course before they can even begin and then, of course, it comes down to the almighty dollar………….. Will running the course be financially viable for the Uni (or College of Nursing)?’ Apparently the NSW College of Nursing had a Mid course all set and ready to go but felt it was not a financially viable option…….
Maybe the Union could bombard these Universities/ Colleges and get them on board. Not sure if you know (you probably do) that there are NO accredited Midwifery Assessment of Competence courses available in NSW or QLD……. It is bad enough we have to uproot and go to Sydney for general, let alone go Interstate……
I have absolutely no idea what goes through the minds of people who think they have a good idea yet no REAL thought is given to the consequences to nurses and their families as a result…………
I was working as an AIN when I found by regular checking the Internet that my Registration had been refused so at least I had an income. That is not an option for many nurses, I know and whether University trained or Hospital trained, we are Registered Nurses.
I’m sorry that I have waffled… Maybe if AHPRA and the Nurses and Midwives Council be bombard with appeal applications something can happen. Check with the union…….
Good luck to all
Hi, jjr2010 interested in the comment you made about being able to work whilst registration is being processed. I am in a similar situation trying to make up hours!! and knowing I could work in the month after my reg date would certainly help…any more advice would be amazing..it may only be a matter of a week’s work but could make all the difference in the world. Crazy as this means I can stay at work or face a 10,000 dollar course over a few weeks work…how is that for fairness? Please let me know? x x .
Hi Lucy,
There was/ is a little blurb on the ‘Registration Renewal Received’ page that says you can continue to work as Reg. Nurse while your registration is being reviewed/ processed so that is what I did………. I had well and truly gained those extra 72 hours in the time I was able to work as a Reg Nurse. If you are working then keep at it. I requested statements of service and references from my employer to prove I was a capable RN. It all helped. If you need to seek assistance from the Union, make sure you have everything in chronological order, too.
Good luck with it. The whole show is just ridiculous….
hi all.
here are some links to find your local MP’s in regards to our plight and future of nursing.
I will be drafting my story in next couple of weeks, along with other supporting documents. And if anyone else lives in the parramatta area, maybe we could join together in contacting our local members.
http://www.directory.nsw.gov.au/showminister.asp?id={332B2DF4-01A1-4006-9D18-26E98A75ADBA}
http://www.directory.nsw.gov.au/showminister.asp?id={8A4AB423-7AC7-4296-9F9B-3392C13896A9}
http://www.directory.nsw.gov.au/showminister.asp?id={07701AAB-99E0-4DD0-BF1E-5B27E6540643}
http://www.directory.nsw.gov.au/showminister.asp?id={5F597E0B-4120-4E3F-8E54-84AE849D1AB6}
http://www.nswccl.org.au/issues/federal.php
regards, Sandra.
hi, regarding above message. i tried to link individual members but it has come up with the home page each time.
I will be contacting the ministers for health, mental health, ageing and disabilities, and The premier/minister for western sydney Barry O’Farrell.
I will also find out the members of the oppositon too.
regards, Sandra
I am an EN who wants to upgrade my qualifications. I AM registered with AHPRA and they get their money from me each time it is due. However, because I trained pre 1991 I have been told I won’t have my qualifications upgraded unless I do the FULL EN COURSE again.
Off to the Gold Coast where they will assist with RPL’s so I will probably only have to do some modules including the ones I want to e.g Medication Administration. I won’t have to pay for the full course, only for what I need to do and will obviously have to attend face to face learning as well as the required clinical hours but they do have online learning where it is practical.
It has taken me well over a year to find someone to assist in this matter. NSW RTO’s have only offered the full course with no other option available, AHPRA just kept saying “Do the full course again”.
Letters to MP’s both state and federal as well as opposition have not helped one little bit. Either no reply at all or those that did were happy with the current situation because it protects the professionalism of nursing and ensures that only well qualified staff are working in the health sysytem. They also said that the new rules were made in consultation with the relevant interested bodies. I did point them in the direction of this discusiion but who knows if any bothered to look.
Four Corners might be the best media organisation to contact as they are national and many of their stories are picked up by other networks. Remember the live cattle export story?
Just a thought.
Emailed Four Corners today and have also pointed them in the direction of this discussion as well as “Unneccesary hurdles for wanting to return to nursing”. Lets see what happens.
hi Julie, I think the article about westmead closing beds is interesting, while they have many job vacancies available including 40 vacancies on their casual pool – which would suit most of us with young families still.
http://www.nswnurses.asn.au/news/36613.html
Let me remind you, that whenever a Public facility advertises vacancies, that DOES NOT mean they will actually employ someone.
Almost EVERY NSW Public Hospital is broke. They can afford advertising to meet their required EEO benchmarks, but they don’t have the budget to actually employ Nursing staff.
They also seem to ‘enjoy’ bringing people in for interviews … but not to employ staff … it’s actually to give their senior staff interviewing training and experience.
I’ve turned up to many interviews, and I know for a fact, that the job was never to be filled.
I have been trying to figure this whole situation out myself – am an R.N. been out of nursing for 10 years and looking to return. However, at the end of last year I was told that currently there is not one re-entry course in QLD that I could attend particularly up in the far north which is where I am. So, to recap – if you are a R.N. and live in QLD wanting to get back into nursing, your only option is to not only pay the 10,000, work 150 hours without pay, but also to leave all and travel interstate!!! Are there any other Queensland nurses in the same boat?
Hi
I am in QLD and like most people, I left my nursing career 2003 to start family, and now my youngest child is starting Kindy, and I was so looking forward to return to nursing. I reapplied for my registration as it expired in July 2011, and fees was charged from my visa card. Then, I received an email from APRAH stated that I need to re-submit my application with CV and reference because I haven’t work since 2003. I dutily done what APRAH asked and submitted before due date, in September 2011. And now I am still waiting to hear from APRAH. I had called APRAH several times with no results. and as I am aware of, QLD doesn’t offer re-entry course at all! With all the comments that I read, I am having second thought about returning to nursing as it is becoming impossible for people like us to return to profession we used to loved and enjoyed. There are shortage of nurses everywhere, with peole like us wish to return to work force, but APRAH is not making it easy for us. Very disappointed.
Helena, also in north Queensland, same situation. Send me an email min_nursing@yahoo.com . Might be having some luck with mine.
Hi, I don’t know if anybody has seen this but I spotted it on news.com.au this morning, at the end of the page.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/nurses-forced-to-pay-to-work-in-nsw-hospitals/story-e6freuzi-1226250317887
Yay to penny who called Alan jones this morning. I will be e-mailing him my story too.
SBS are on to this now as well.
They are researching ‘bullying’ in the workplace, but happened upon the issues in Nursing, and may alter their original focus to look at the current problems Nurses are facing, both in registration, and workplace culture.
I’ve been out of the workforce for 9yrs due to illness and am now well and itching to return to midwifery. After 8 years at University – Bachelor of Nursing/Grad Dip of Midwifery/Masters in Midwifery, I’m sorry but the last thing I think is appropriate is to retrain at University (as per advice given by the Australian Association of Midwives and some members of APRAH).
I am more than willing to update my skills for as long as it takes in a clinical setting, but that’s where it gets difficult for a Midwife.
As atrocious as the $10,000 Re-entry course for RNs is, such a course for Midwives doesn’t even exist in NSW.
I’ve applied to every state in Australia to re-enter Midwifery but apart from one possibility all have told me that interstate applicants are not accepted – despite the lengths to which I am willing to go as far as relocating, course fees etc.
Further, to do a re-entry course in Midwifery I need my Nursing registrationreinstated. The irony being that I only let my registrations (RN/RM) lapse on the advice of the NSW Nursing Registration Board when I was initially too ill to work.
Now AHPRAH are in charge, red tape and seem to bureaucracy the norm rather than individual assessment and common sense!
I have been told that 9yrs out of work is close to the 10yr cutoff. This is outrageous, if there is a 10yr cutoff then 9yrs doesn’t fall under this rule.
Look at my application APRAH, refer to my training, experience, transcript and refernces/referees and be prepared for a fight! I will appeal, get legal advice re discrimination, do whatever it takes. Midwifery and Nursing are my passion.
We need to unite and fight for what we want and what we deserve – we should be valued as the desperately needed professionals we are.
We need to hit the media, write to our MPs and the Health Minister, badger APRAH and put a call out to our union – we can’t settle for anything less than we deserve.
Lisa Bowra, it sounds like you stand to lose more than the ‘average’ RN who is attempting to fight this system.
Unfortunately, as many have already found out … appeals will not work. Despite all logical argument and presentation of documents to support reasonable arguments – AHPRA WILL NOT change the slightest aspect of any decision they make … even when they have made a clear error, they will not back down ( my wife made an error in ticking no, she hadn’t worked for five years, when it was really four. They refused to changed their decision, because by signing the form, it was considered a Stat. Dec. and she need to be prosecuted for signing a false declaration !! )
My advise to you is this:
Make enquiries about enrolling at Uni. in the Master of Midwifery course. Given it has been less than ten years, you should be able to claim up to 75% RPL or academic advanced standing. ( this may vary from place to place )
It you wait for an AHPRA appeal … they will stuff you around, and deliberately make you wait until the ten years mark passes, and then they will laugh at you, by saying ‘we’ll sorry, but ten years has passed, and you will have to go and do THE FULL uni. course’. ( Universities will hold you to ten years also – the length of time your modules can be used to be allocated toward another course )
Check it out NOW … don’t wait for AHPRA … my wife did, and now ten years has passed since she left uni. and now she has lost everything. She must start all over again ( if she will ever want to go back to this dismal profession, which has allowed this happen to us )
Thanks so much Gordo for your advice – i have unfortunately heard many stories similar to your wife’s dealings with APRAH and i dresd to think mine will be added to the list.
But where would a second Masters in Midwifery get me? – and in order to complete it I’d first have to get my Nursing rego back from APRAH and that is the battle I’m currently waging.
Is this what I have to look forward to? I am a recent grad who has not been offered a position after completion of grad year – there are many others like me. I thought I may as well leave nursing which I thoroughly enjoy and return to workforce as secretary or checkout chic since nursing did not really need me. If I was to return to nursing I will have an addition debt of $10000 next to my already existing $12,000.00 debt and there is no guarantee I will really have employment for life. Someone needs to review!!
Please sign my petition regarding the ludicrous situation Nurses have found themselves in when they try to re-enter the workforce, after more than 5years off work:
http://www.change.org/petitions/the-hon-jillian-skinner-mp-minister-for-health-introduce-an-affordable-and-flexible-re-entry-to-nursing-course?share_id=LfNCOROAHo&
For the support of all Nurses wanting to get back into the workforce, please help and show your support by signing the following petition:
http://www.change.org/petitions/minister-for-health-introduce-an-affordable-and-flexible-re-entry-to-nursing-course
Thank you, Sarah.
I completed a return to nursing course a few years ago and it cost me $ 5000 through the private sector. I had to attend two weeks of lectures and following this I had to work full time for 4 weeks without any pay. Many of the nurses doing this course, including me, were bullied on a daily basis and though we all passed the course those of us who did not want to continue working for the company were refused a reference; thus it was difficult to find work. Eventually I managed to get a job but it cost me more to do the job than I was earning, so I quit after several months and gained employment as a contract nurse. All up it took me nearly 3 years to earn back it money I spent returning to nursing and I was not worth it.
I completed a return to nursing course a few years ago and it cost me $ 5000 through the private sector. I had to attend two weeks of lectures and following this I had to work full time for 4 weeks without any pay. Many of the nurses doing this course, including me, were bullied on a daily basis and though we all passed the course those of us who did not want to continue working for the company were refused a reference; thus it was difficult to find work. Eventually I managed to get a job but it cost me more to do the job than I was earning, so I quit after several months and gained employment as a contract nurse. All up it took me nearly 3 years to earn back the money I spent returning to nursing and it was not worth it.
Please support those of us who are 10 years out and being told to completely retrain by way of 3 year Bachelor of Nursing degree. At this stage I would welcome the re-entry course, but we are not being allowed admission into these programs. AHPRA is refusing us the referral letter.
Lisa,
I was under the impression, that AHPRA were telling you ( and others ), that you needed to do another tertiary course, in order to be registered. That is, you don’t need to be registered first.
Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here, with hundreds of others, pointing out the unfairness of the system.
Check you individual situation again. If you need to do a course … then I assume, you can’t be registered until you complete it, and that you will not be registered until you do.
Best of luck in ‘the lucky country’,
GORDO
So, APHRA is a federal government agency. As such, they are public SERVANTS employed to serve the PUBLIC. They seem to have an extremely distorted & inflated idea of themselves and their responsibilities. Seems to me it’s about time for an inquiry into them and their incompetence.
Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I find it rather strange that as APHRA introduced these rules to eliminate our nurses from re registering by either invalidating their degree, or else making the cost way outside most peoples range….but they are importing nurses from India on mass.??
Something else is going on.
The Refresher Course for Registered Nurses used to cost $900.00 in 2008. It ran for two weeks and when I contact the College of Nursing to enquire why the cost had increased, I was told that it was due to insurance costs.
I am currently having my RN reviewed by APHRA and will know in Feb if I will have to complete the College of Nursing course of undertake a B.N.
At present, I am working as an assistant in nursing in Aged Care and was actually working as an R.N. there last year until APHRA began to review my registration. I would really love to be working there again as an R.N as Aged Care desperately needs R.N’s who want to work with the Aged.
I have found it interesting reading about cases similar to mine and don’t feel so alone in this mismangement of R.N.’s attempting to return to work.
Thank God the Association has finally commited to taking this issue on …
You will all now receive an emailed request to collect signatures for a Petition to the NSW Govt. ( for the issue to be raised in NSW Parliament )
In order for the Petition to be submitted we need 10,000 + signatures ( you might say, one for every dollar the CON course costs !! )
I’m sure it will get off the ground, and something will happen to get AHPRA to change it’s ‘unchangable’ attitude …
I’ve been sitting at my computer absolutely gob-smacked by this discussion…it is truly very disappointing what is hapenning in Australia with nursing. I’ve been nursing in the Middle East for the last 15 years, and for the last 2 have been away from the bedside. I was looking forward to returning to Aus. soon, but after reading these posts am concerned about how I’ll go with job hunting. I’ll be sure to sign your petitions and keep an eye on the discussion. Coming to the Middle East to pursue a career can be rewarding for many people, but it’s certainly not the answer for everyone – and why should Aussies have to leave their country to find work? I left at a time when there were plenty of choices ‘at home’ – now I can see a very different picture. I hope things start to pick up soon.
Aren’t remunerated I should say…sorry obviously I’m tired whilst writing this . . .Thanks!!
My name is Chris Walker and I work for the Southern Courier newspaper, a paper in Sydney. I am writing a story about this issue and am looking for people in our readership area to offer their opinion, and perhaps their situation. The Prince of Wales Hospital is in our area. My email is chriswalker@newslocal.com.au or phone is 8062 2360. As soon as possible.
i got my letter from AHPRA today!!! as expected i have a referel letter to do a assessment of competence course.
has anyone made a submission to the board to reconsider? and if so-what was the outcome?
has anyone actually done the assessment course?
I have just read through this and remain more than a little confused. I have been out of nursing since 2003 and am currently registered with APHRA as ‘non practicing’ but am not really sure what this means in terms of refreshing or re entering nursing. Any advice more than welcome! I will ring APHRA at some stage but there seems to be a lot of knowledge on here.
Also what about the SAN course is that not an option for people at it is cheaper??
Thanks
hi there, sounds like if you have not been practising you will not meet the standards for recency of practice which is 3months equivalent over the last 5 years. yeah you will have to ring them to find out! maybe when you go to change to practising, you will have to re-apply to register which can be a long process – i made my application last may and only got my answer this week!!!
the SAN course is only for nurses already registered! maybe you qualify for that if you are registerd as non practicing. hope this info helps and hasn’t confused you more! good luck.
PS I did hear Jillian Skinner being interviewd on 702 ABC the other day about this and she said that NSW health made scholarships available to pay 60% of the cost and they were not all taken up. I look at the website and it was only open for a few weeks and obviously not promoted. I rang Westmead hospital as they had an advertisement for scholarships as well and spoke to a VERY rude woman who told me it had closed, I told her the date was for later that week and she told me it was clearly (to who??) an error and hung up on me!! Charming.
Thanks Sandra – I think it is confusing for someone in my situation as I maintained my registration despite not practicing. I will ring them and see what they say. I was wondering if the SAN course was suitable due to the fact i am registered. Again will need to ask!! Thanks for taking the time.
Don’t be too confident in AHPRA’s integrity …
Most of us who have posted here already, know how deplorable the organisation is.
Being ‘registered’ does NOT mean you can practice / work as an RN / EN, if you have not previously worked the three months during the last five years.
My wife had this ‘registered but not practicing’ status. As soon as she went into the Sydney AHPRA office to lodge documents to support her claim, that AHPRA made a mistake ( she had in fact worked three months, as she last worked full time FOUR years ago ) … AHPRA removed all trace of her registration off the website.
So, this means, that you will have the status of ‘non practicing’ until you start the process of application / enquiry. When you have attracted attention to yourself, AHPRA will remove your name from the Register, until you satisfy THEIR requirements to have your name reinstated upon the Register.
There are some people out there, who have stated a different treatment from AHPRA. I think what is happening, is that there are many minor variations with personal situations. Thus, we will see some variation with how AHPRA will treat various people.
Overall however, AHPRA are not concerned in the slightest about Nurses / former nurses as ‘people’ … paperwork and ‘the rules’ totally over-ride all else.
GORDO
Thanks Gordo – I have been registered as non practising for 2 years now (since it changed over) and did have problems initially but my name does appear on the register. i would not try and change my status to practicing until I had the pre requisite experience, but my concern is which way do I get that experience. I am going to make some calls today to find out.
does anyone know if when regsitration is gained again after doing the burwood course, do we regain registration back to where we left off ie in my caseRN7. or do we go back to RN1? AHPRA couldnt tell me!!
That’s a very good question. One too depressive, in preparation for what the response might be. I hate to say it, but I would think, you would lose your previously earned ‘year’ status.
It has always been up to each employer, as to what year-of-service they will pay you. You would have a right to ‘apply’ for your appropriate year, but you may not get it.
Old system meant, you could have breaks along the way ( not work a year or two ), but you always just added up the HOURS – 38 x 52 = 1,976 hours, and that moved you to the next year of service.
Another interesting question would be – how are the Uni.s going to deal with people having TWO BNs ?? Nobody can take away your BN from say ten years ago. Should you need to do another one, what are you going use as post nominals ?? BN ( Syd 1991 ) & BN ( Wgong 2014 )
GORDO
I would like to add my comments to this issue.
I trained back in the 1980s in NSW. In 1990 I moved to the UK and worked there as a registered nurse for several years. During this time I kept up my registration with the NSW Nurses Board as well as with the UK one.
In 1997 I left nursing to raise my children. At the time I was able to continue my registration in NSW but I had to give up the UK one as they required that I have current practice.
In 2009 I wished to return to nursing. I was lucky enough to find a Return to Nursing course at my local hospital. These are all done via a University and the course gives academic credits. This was free but I had to do 150 of unpaid clinical practice. In my area there are no longer any more courses, but there are others in the UK. These cost £500-£600 ($750-$900).
Luckily I had returned to clinical practice by the time I had to register with the AHPRA so I was able to answer positively about the recency of practice (although it is overseas).
The Return to Practice course are now run from the local universities (but not all run them). Perhaps this could be done in Australia.
I know the frustration of trying to return to practice and I know in my area there is no way for a nurse to return to practice other than moving to a new area for 6 months in order to complete a Return to Practice course. This is impossible for most people especially mothers who have taken time off to look after children.
Although I had been out of nursing for 13 years I found that I had no trouble getting back into the swing of things, it was mainly coming to terms with the new rules and regulations.
Hi all,
I too, am a victim of the AHPRA scandal. I was a CNS in Anaesthetics & stopped working after my 3rd child was born, to raise my (now 4) children. To complicate matters, my eldest child has Down Syndrome and so to undertake anything full-time, let alone to pay $10 000 through the nose for it, is near impossible for me. I have contacted the Anti-discrimination Board and will be lodging a complaint as having a “Carer” Status may hold some more weight.
I also had a letter to the Editor published in the last edition of “The Lamp”, and received an email which I have copied below for everyone should they wish to be involved in potential legal action through the Nurse’s Association:-
Dear NSWNA members,
In addition to petitioning the Parliament, the NSWNA is seeking counsel’s advice on potential legal options for mounting a legal challenge to the retrospective introduction of the Recency of Practice Registration Standard by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. We therefore need to hear from nurses who have not been able to renew their registration due to the fact that they have not met the requirements because of the retrospective application of the Standard. Many of the nurses who have contacted us have been caught out by the retrospective application of the Standard because they have taken time off from nursing due to maternity leave and/or because of their child-care responsibilities. If you fall into this category, or know someone who does, please contact the NSWNA, and/or pass on our telephone and email details. Please phone 02 8595 1234 ~ 1300 367 962 or email gensec@nswnurses.asn.au marked to the attention of Joanne Moffitt. Joanne MoffittIndustrial OfficerNew South Wales Nurses’ Association & Australian Nursing Federation – NSW Branch50 O’Dea AvenueWATERLOO NSW 2017Phone: 02 8595 1234 ~ 1300 367 962 Fax: 02 9662 1414
I have lost my registration due to Recency of Practise Standard. Has anyone tried appealing to the Tribunal and if they have, then what was the Tribunal’s decision?
Still trying to get my life together. Trying to support my children by myself and regain my registration. Lets hope some common sense prevails and we are once treated like professionals. Good luck to everyone affected by this retrospective discriminatory legislation, mostly women looking after young children.
It is my understanding that the national registration scheme is being brought in across most health professions, not just nursing. Are the same requirements being placed on these health professions too? After a 10 year break from physiotherapy or occupational therapy, is there a requirement to complete their bachelor degree again? If these other health disciplines are not subjected to this requirement then I believe it should not be required in nursing. I am in support of refreshing clinical knowledge and skills after a career break, but to go back to complete a bachelor of nursing twice is outrageous. If theses are not the expectations on other health professionals please tell me as I will definitely be asking why!
After the Report into AHPRA was released last year, it became obvious, that most of the other Health professions are affected by the way AHPRA do business.
A psychologist reported:
( He ) was a highly trained and respected trauma counsellor, and had volunteered his own time to get himself up to Nth. Queensland after Cyclone Yasi, and try to help as many affected locals as he could.
He was ‘on duty’ in a large evacuation / recovery centre, where many ‘professional’ services were being offered at the time, when in mid-session with a client, he was literally ‘picked up’ by two burly security guards, and ‘carried’ out of the premises.
His repeatedly asked what he had done, and didn’t find out until Police arrived, that he was accused of falsely practicing as a registered psychologist …… his AHPRA registration renewal was never processed.
In his story, he claims he sent in his regular annular renewal, at the usual time of year, and never actually checked it had been received and processed ( it wasn’t ) – thus when somebody did an online check of his name, it wasn’t there. It had been totally removed !!
I’m not sure if he ‘sued’ or not. But he further claimed his business went down the drain after that episode ….
AHPRA has got serious admin issues. Perhaps they need some refresher courses in their departments as clearly their skills are not up to date. An example is making data entry mistakes with date of births. When it changed to the new national registration they made a mistake when bringing my details across. Entered the incorrect birthdate which is their means of a security check when you call them. They refused to speak to me at one stage claiming I didn’t exist in the system. Took a while before I was able to sort out their error!
So in regards to other health professionals are they required to redo their degree if out of practice for more than 10years?
Does anyone know if nursing is the only profession in the health industry that is being targeted with the requirement to return to university if out of practice for 10 years or more? If the clinical setting changes in 10 years for nurses then it changes for all other health professionals that have left for that length of time. Perhaps if this occurred across all health professions there might be a bigger protest. If they don’t send the others back then nurses should NOT be sent back to uni either!
Well I am just another number after all this time numerous phone calls, letters and lost paperwork (on AHPRA’s behalf, oh should I mention twice), I have been offered to make a submission to save my midwifery, due to ROP. Can anyone please suggest where I can find some guidelines so that I can do my best in saving my career that I have had a break from to look after my family? I’m sure AHPRA has been given all they should need, except no they want more. Has anyone put in a submission and saved their registration? I would really appreciate any help. Thanx Suzanne
Thanks Gordon for Nurseuncut. It is a fantastic resource.
The comment below sums up my own suspicions. I have been trying to confirm or debunk a rumour that hospitals receive a bonus from somewhere – perhaps government or perhaps universities – for sponsoring immigration of overseas nurses then getting them to do university courses as a requirement for their jobs. Does anyone out there know?
me says:
January 31, 2012 at 4:40 pm
Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I find it rather strange that as APHRA introduced these rules to eliminate our nurses from re registering by either invalidating their degree, or else making the cost way outside most peoples range….but they are importing nurses from India on mass.??
Something else is going on.
Over the years that I have been nursing I have heard nothing but criticism about nursing courses being taken from hospitals to Universities. Now that Universities are demanding nurses pay $10,000 to do a 3 month refresher course the anti-nurse lobby is happy.
I am a University trained nurse and 3 years into my career I was forced out of the industry due to a work injury. After being out of nursing for 10 years I did a refresher course within a hospital setting and met all the requirements of AHPRA within 6 weeks, thus I was re-registered and able to resume normal nursing duties again. I then commenced work and rapidly moved into senior roles.
The point I am making is that the fundamental skills in nursing never change, thus there is absolutely no reason why nurses should be forced to pay $10,000 to do a refresher course or (worse) retrain from scratch. If you ask me they could do a one month online refresher course followed by a two month supervised clinical placement to bring their skills up to date. This would save a lot of time and it would be very cost efficient. As it is PCAs do a 3 week government funded course and they are allowed to administer drugs in nursing homes even though they have had no formal training in pharmacology or drug calculations. If the government was really concerned about the welfare of Australians, they would fund the refresher course for nurses instead of replacing them with unskilled labourers.
When I started nursing 18 years ago about 1% of nurses were from overseas, today it appears that about 1% of nurses employed in public hospitals are Australian-born. Having said that I remember working with the Australian nurses 18 years ago and environment was very hostile. I have never understood why western societies promote bullying because it is very destructive. Now I work in an environment where the majority of the staff are from Asian decent; we tend to work in harmony and support each other. As a western woman who is fed up the bullying and back stabbing behaviour of western women I can understand why employers prefer to employ foreign nurses. However I do not agree with it.
I hope that Australians can learn to work together and support each other so that they can reclaim their jobs (this includes nurses).
Don’t waste your money going back into nursing because you may not earn it back. Just look at the job advertisements and you will see that every area of nursing is now seen as a specialty area and they want 2-3 years’ experience plus a post graduate certificate. Worst of all nursing has become more bitchy than ever and most jobs are part time. Better to spend $10,000 on a new career as you don’t earn a fantastic wage in nursing and you are constantly abused by the patients as well as their relatives. I promise you that you will regret it if you go back into nursing.
A number of irregularities are being identified with the so-called ‘scholarships’ offered to cover the $10,000 fee the CON is charging.
A limited number – not as required – are available, on a ‘financial year’ basis. Next course is AFTER new financial year, so the UNUSED funds do not ‘roll-over’ to next year.
There were around 30 odd ‘unused’ scholarships in the 2011 / 2012 year. WHY ?
Because it seems, that the NSW Heath Dept. didn’t see the need to advertise them – so many people simply didn’t know they were available. ( There are some reports, that upon application, certain people have been told, that the 2011 / 2012 funds are still available to November 2012. ?)
The 2012 / 2013 year will still only fund some 30 positions, in a situation that requires the ‘support’ of hundreds of AHPRA de-registered nurses.
There is this requirement of the funding arrangement, that you must be available to do rotating roster for two years, after you are re-registered and start work in a PUBLIC HOSPITAL only ( no Private or Nursing Homes )
Also, that the Public Area Health Service may require you to travel up to a hundred or more Kms. away from your residence, in order to meet THEIR operational needs.
In other words … they will OWN you for two years !!
I am originally from W.A. but moved to Victoria in 2009. I took an extended maternity leave from June 2009 and started applying for work in October 2011 and have not got a job because my references are more than two years old. I have not found a return to nursing refresher program in Victoria that is actually currently running. I have been told that even though I have worked 13 out of the last 19 years as an RN I need to be able to “hit the floor running”. In W.A. I looked after up to ten patients per shift. The Victorian’s don’t know how hard we worked. Recently I was impressed that the Victorian union is so strong and that their ratios are so good. On the other hand, what are they doing to protect the rights of nurses who have children. I was told to go casual when I requested set shifts in 2002 at the time Day care centres enforced set paid days. Nothing has changed in 2012. Worse still I have been asked to work twelve hour shifts. Can you name one single daycare facility that is open for me (other than a nanny)? Human Resources Departments need to become more human……