mental health nursing

[steve777]

hi everyone

I am moving to perth from the uk ,with my wife and daughter age 9,we have jobs in Bentley hospital as mental health nurses, level 2.Would really appeciate any info on what mental health nursing is like over there.

steve

[ali]

Hi Steve, I work in Armadale. Community resources aren't the same as UK, big pressure on beds here. You're lucky to get a level 2, I only got offered a 1.9 initially but am level 2.4 now. Patients seem to be the same the world over. Hardest bit is learning all the trade names for meds, they don't seem to refer to many drugs by their generic name at all. Good luck with the move.

Ali

[steve777]

hi Ali

Thanks for your comments it all helps to take the mystery out of the thought of working in perth.We were out in perth at easter and loved it,then came home and by coincidence the wa health department were over in uk recruiting gave us jobs right away but were rather vague about what the jobs were.Have been contacted by nurse manager at Bentley Hospital who has filled us in and reassured us. It will be quite odd going back to the wards after working in the community for the last Seven years but change is as good as a rest.

How long have you been over in perth and have you found the transition to working in perth not too painfull?

steve

[ali]

Hi Steve,

I'd not worked on a ward for 10 years - gave myself 6 months then to find a community post (which I started in August). U'd been a band 7 CPN in a crisis and home treatment service so our job was to keep people out of hospital - our community teams just aren't big enough to do that.

We've been in Perth a year and love it, all settled in well (2 children 8 and 12)Where are you going to be living? We're in Leeming which is not far from Canning Vale

Ali

[steve777]

hi Ali

We have not made up our minds yet as to where to live , we are looking at south of the river but it will depend a lot on house prices. We would welcome any advice on where not to live!, have friends that live in secret harbour and sounds nice.

Do you find nursing over in perth, has less red tape and paperwork? over here we are drowning in it. Do you find the pace of work any less stressfull or relaxed?

We are still waiting for a visa and I suspect it will be a while before we get over, the waiting is a nightmare. My daughter (9) cant wait to go she does not seem phased by the idea at all (thankfully).

steve