New South Wales Ministry of Health - City, Metro, Regional, Coastal and Rural Mental Health Nursing Posts

Lots of  Mental Health Nursing posts  in acute admissions, Mental Health Intensive Care, High Dependency Units, Sub-Acute Units, Long Stay Units, Rehabilitation Units, Child & Adolescent Units, Forensic. 

Australia is a federal union, with the country divided into six states. Each state has its own government and parliament, and runs its own hospitals.
New South Wales (NSW) is the most populous state in Australia, with over seven million people.

o What is New South Wales Ministry of Health?

The New South Wales Department of Health is responsible for public hospitals in NSW. NSW Health runs the hospitals through Local Health Districts (LHDs), also sometime known as Local Health Networks (LHNs). The post you apply for will be offered by  one of these districts/networks, which are responsible for a wide range of services
from primary care posts in the remote countryside to city-based tertiary health centres.

o What is Professional Connections? What is Profco?

Professional Connections, also known as "Profco", is a nurse recruitment agency specialising in overseas recruitment.
Professional Connections is a preferred supplier of overseas nurses to NSW Health. Since 2003, NSW Health has repeatedly awarded contracts for overseas nurse recruitment to Profco, and we have assisted hundreds of nurses to relocate to Sydney and other parts of New South Wales.

o More about New South Wales' geography

It is important that you study the map of New South Wales and know its
geography, so that you know where vacancies are when we discuss them with you.
New South Wales' best-known city is Sydney, but we recruit for posts across the whole of NSW.
The state's largest cities and towns are as follows:

City/ Town  Population
Sydney 4,336,374
Newcastle 523,662
Wollongong 280,159
Maitland  61,431
Wagga Wagga  56,147
Tweed Heads 53,650
Coffs Harbour 50,726
Tamworth 44,970
Albury  44,787
Port Macquarie  42,042
Orange  37,333
Queanbeyan 36,331
Dubbo 36,150

Australia is almost the size of Europe, and many nursing candidates do not realise the scales involved when travelling within the country.
Here are some distances and journey times between major cities in Australia:
Journey Distance  Approx. time to travel  by car or train:
Sydney to Melbourne  867.32 KM 8. 5 hours
Sydney to Brisbane 922.40 KM 10 hours
Sydney to Adelaide  1401.67 KM 14 hours
Sydney to Perth  4028.46 KM 40 hours 

How long do I have to work in Australia?

We are seeking nurses who want to commit to at least one year or longer. We receive a variety of applicants. Some nurses want to go and work in Australia for a year and then return home, others plan to stay a few years, and some plan to relocate permanently. All of these can be catered for, as long as the commitment is for one year or more.

o How much would I get paid?

Please visit the NSW Health website for more information on future wage rates:

 http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/nursing/employment/nurse_award_wage_rates_11.asp
Salary rates are determined by years of experience, with increases each year up to the eighth year of experience for registered nurses and midwives.

o How does salary vary according to shift?

Employees working afternoon or night shifts are paid percentages of their salary in addition to the ordinary rate:

o What are the working hours?

Hours of work for registered nurses and registered midwives employed under the Public Health System Nurses' and Midwives' (State) Award are: 152 hours in 28 calendar days for day workers and an average of 38 hours per week in each roster cycle for shift workers.
Employees who work eight hours each day are only rostered on duty for 19 days in each four week cycle. This allows nine days rostered-off duty instead of eight days per four week cycle.

o What about annual leave?

Annual leave on full pay is granted on completion of each twelve months of service.Employees required to work on a seven day basis attract six weeks annual leave. All other employees attract four weeks annual leave.

o Will I get any assistance with relocation costs?

In general, New South Wales Health does not reimburse any relocation costs, and does not provide any relocation assistance. The hospitals do not provide accommodation.
However, rural areas may sometimes offer assistance, which generally will be linked to a specific recruitment campaign. The benefits available would vary with each such campaign.

o How do I register as a nurse in Australia? What is AHPRA?

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) is responsible for accreditation of health professionals in Australia.
All nurses and midwives must be registered with AHPRA before they can work in Australia.

o Can Profco help me register with AHPRA?

Yes. We organise phone times with candidates who need AHPRA registration, where we spend 30 - 40 minutes explaining how to prepare your registration application. When you have completed your AHPRA application, you can send it to us to be checked before sending it to AHPRA.

o How long does it take to register with AHPRA?

APHRA processing times vary depending on their work load.  At the moment it seems to take between 4 to 6 months.

o What is an AHPRA eligibility letter?

No overseas nurse is granted full registration straight away. Once your application is assessed and accepted for registration, you will get an eligibility letter.

o Do I need to do an English language test to be a nurse in Australia?

If you have been taught and assessed in English at secondary and vocational or tertiary level in one of the following countries, you do not need to do a test: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, UK, USA.Everyone else has to do a test, if they haven't already done one recently.

o What kind of English test do I have to do? What is IELTS?

There are many English tests you can choose from, but the most popular is Academic IELTS.

If you do IELTS, you are required to do the Academic Module and achieve at least Band 7 (1-9) in the overall score.
You are required to score at least 7 in all four parts of the test: Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. The test must be dated within the last two years. The original test result document, issued by the English language testing authority, must be submitted to the nursing board.
For more general information about the IELTS test, please visit the global IELTS website at www.ielts.org.

o How will I be interviewed?

For the actual job interview, NSW Health sometimes send representatives to the UK, Ireland to undertake face-to-face interviews. However, usually you will just have a telephone interview with the nurse manager on the unit you have been shortlisted for.

o Will I need to have a criminal record check?

Yes

o What kind of visa do I need to work in Australia?

When undertaking employment in Australia, there are currently three forms that you should consider applying for:
Working Holiday Maker Visa (WHMV)
You can apply for a WHMV if you are between 18 and 30, and a
citizen of the UK, Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, Ireland, Korea,
Malta, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Hong Kong (HKSAR),
Finland, Cyprus, France, Italy, Belgium, Estonia or Taiwan.
(There is also a Work and Holiday Visa available to people from Chile,
Thailand, Turkey and the United States. Visit the Department of
Immigration and Citizenship website at
http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/working-holiday/462/ for more
information.)

Temporary Long-Stay Business Visa (subclass 457)

Usually simply known as the "457", this visa is valid for up to four years
and requires your potential employer to sponsor you and (if necessary)
your spouse and dependents. Application for the 457 cannot begin
until you accept a job offer from a hospital in Australia. The process
takes about twelve weeks on average.
There are a number of requirements to be met prior to a hospital
applying for your sponsorship nomination, and candidates will be
assisted throughout this process by his or her personal recruitment co-
ordinator at Profco. The 457 is the most commonly requested and
issued visa among all of our applicants. You will get a nomination
number from Professional Connections once you are approved for a
post in Australia, and you can then apply for the visa online.

Permanent Residency Visa (PR)
PR is the most time consuming and potentially problematic visa
offered by the Australian authorities. Applying for the Permanent
Residency Visa outside Australia takes approximately three to six
months to process, and requires a great deal of paperwork. Should
you choose to apply for this visa, your personal recruitment co-
ordinator will assist and advise you throughout the process.
We should emphasise that the Permanent Residency Visa is only
recommended to those candidates who are prepared for a longer
recruitment process, and are absolutely sure that employment in
Australia is the right career path for them. You should note that the
Permanent Residency visa is only offered to nurses who have children
of school age (4+). Also note that if you have children with you but do
not have PR, you would have to pay school fees of 4500 Australian
Dollars per child.

o Can I change the type of visa I am working under while I'm in Australia?

Yes. We understand that the recruitment process is complicated and often unpredictable, and should your personal circumstances or future plans change, the option is available to change the type of visa you are staying under.

o What if I am travelling to Australia with my family?

If you are going with a Temporary Long Stay (457) or Permanent Residency visa, you would be allowed to bring your spouse and children (under the age of 18) as dependents.

o Do I need to submit my original documentation when applying for my visa?

No. It is, however, very important that you send certified copies when applying for your visa. The copies need to be authenticated by a solicitor or notary as a true copy of the original.

o How much do the visas cost?

The 457 visa costs 405 Australian Dollars.
The PR visa costs 2095 Australian Dollars.

o Do I need to have a medical to obtain a visa?

Yes

o What kind of certificates do I need when I start work?

You need to bring all documents related to your education (your nursing degree certificate/diploma) and registration (in all countries where you have been registered, including Australia).
You will need to bring proof of all vaccinations for the diseases listed on the NSW Health vaccination document. We will provide you with a list of required vaccinations in our Application Pack.
You also need to bring experience certificates, as your salary is calculated when you start work at the hospital. You will be paid according to the years of experience that you have, up to a maximum of eight years. You must provide either originals or certified copies of experience certificates from all your previous employers. Your previous hospitals' Human Resources departments can provide such certificates.

o What is a Tax File Number (TFN)?

Everyone who earns money in Australia needs a Tax File Number. This can be applied for after you have moved to Australia.

o Do I have to buy private health insurance? Can I get treatment in public hospitals? What is Medicare?

Medicare is the Australian public health insurance scheme, which is compulsory foall residents.
Nurses travelling to Australia on a PR visa are entitled to cover under Medicare. Nurses travelling on a 457 visa or WHMV visa must purchase private health insurance before going to Australia.
For emergency treatment, Australia has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCA) with the following countries: the UK, Ireland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Norway, Slovenia, Malta and Italy. The RHCA system entitles all residents of these countries to free emergency treatment in public hospitals while they are in Australia.

o Do I need to open a bank account in Australia?

Yes, and you can do this once you've moved to Australia. It is important to do this as soon as you arrive, as the hospitals expect you to have a bank account before you begin work.
During your first six weeks in Australia, you are allowed to open a bank account using just your passport. After the first six weeks, you will need other forms of dentification.

o Will the hospital help me with accommodation?

No. You will have to find a place to live yourself, and pay for it yourself. We strongly recommend you look for accommodation in Australia before you travel. If you do not have a place to live, you will have to stay at a hotel when you first arrive.

o Could someone meet me when I arrive?

If you wish to use our Meet & Greet service, Professional Connections has an employee in Sydney who will meet you on arrival in Sydney and take you to your accommodation. Your assigned contact person at Profco can discuss and advise you further on this option.

o How to get in touch with Profco

You can find all our current contact details on this website.
We have phone numbers listed for many different countries, so you can get in touch with us for the price of a local call. All our numbers connect to both our offices.
You can also e-mail us on logistics@profco.com (If you do e-mail, we would ask at you use the same address for all your correspondence, so that our database will match your messages to your record.)
Our Dublin office is open Monday to Friday from 0900 to 1700 Irish Time/GMT.
Our Helsinki Office is open Monday to Friday from 0800 - 2000 Finnish Time (0600 - 0800 GMT).
If you wish to talk to a particular person at Profco, you may find it easiest to do this by booking a "phone time". They will add the phone time to their diary, and contact you at the agreed time and date.

9 February 2012

 Are you planning on taking an early retirement from the HSE before the deadline of 29 February? If you still want to work but agency work is not what you had in mind, this could be a great opportunity to continue your mental health nursing career in sunny Australia. New South Wales Ministry of Health has several mental health jobs for overseas nurses across the state.

Send your CV to jobs (at) profco.com or give us a call on (01) 5547 238 / (021) 243 9281

20 January 2012 

We have several posts for Mental Health nurses at The New Forensic Hospital in Sydney, Justice Health and throughout the public health system in NSW Health. Jobs at inpatient units, community in City, Metropolitian, surburban, rural and remote locations.

We also accept applications from newly qualified Mental Health nurses!

We are adding posts daily, however if you do not see a vacancy just send us your cv and we can discuss your preferences. 

Send your CV to jobs@profco.com