My name is Fran, I am a Registered Nurse. Angel (who is also a nurse) and I came to NZ in July 2024 from the United States.
The process to come to NZ took me from December 22 to July 23 from documents to APC. (Delayed move for son to finish school) February 24- July 24 Job hunt, offer, and move. So 12 months.
The easiest part of the process was Accent Health finding positions for us to interview for. The most challenging part of the process was gathering all the necessary documents for the straight to residency visa and documents to submit to CGFNS. Very time consuming.
Our recruiter was Hayley. Accent was instrumental in preparing us for all steps of the process. We had several zoom calls to discuss the process prior to starting everything. Then many check ins along the way. When it was time for interviews Accent helped prep us for what to expect. Accent followed up with employers leading to multiple job offers in multiple locations. Upon arrival, Accent checked on us shortly after we arrived and even gave us some common Kiwi groceries for our first days.
My first impressions of NZ were that everyone was so nice and the clean fresh air. It definitely smells different. What we specifically like about NZ is; Fran says the coffee is fantastic. Angel likes the overall sense that the culture is about the "we" instead of "me" where we came from. There is such a sense of community.
One of the best parts of New Zealand is that we were able to go from standing in the snow on the top of a mountain to walking on a black sand beach in the surf all in the same day.
We live in Wellington. It is so full of arts, culture, diversity, amazing food, and have we mentioned the coffee.
We miss New York Style Pizza and Bagels. If you're persistent in looking for what you want, you will find something to satisfy your craving or what you're missing. After trying many different pizza places, we found one that is the closest. We also make our own pizza now with fresh dough from a local Italian shop.
"We plan to visit more of the South Island as it is so beautiful and
really gives us a getaway feel without large travel times."
We have already visited the South Island. We flew into Christchurch and rented a car, drove through Arthur's Pass (iconic and must do) to Fox Glacier where we had a lovely few days in the mountains and seeing the mirror lake.
My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is to start the process early. Be patient and diligent in following what is needed to meet requirements for visa and APC. Take it one step at a time. It is overwhelming and not a fast process. Trust the advice that you are given and the guidance because these are people here in NZ with the experience and knowledge of inner workings of the Job and Healthcare system here.
The work/life balance made a difference to my life because I'm no longer mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted after work anymore. I am able to come home and enjoy time with my family before bed on workdays and truly enjoy my days off. I've been able to be more consistent with health and wellness goals as well as just do things I enjoy on a daily basis without having to have recovery days.
Accent Health was a huge part of our move being successful, but also in settling in as they have checked in and put us in touch with others that have been through or are starting this process. NZ has been everything we hoped it would be for our family.
The major differences between my current role in NZ and my previous role in the US. Is that Nurses have so much autonomy here. You are able to use your nursing judgement and practice within your full scope of practice. The emphasis is truly on the patient and not on numbers, patient satisfaction scores, or profits for private companies.
The technology used for advanced therapies in the ICU are just as modern here so it was an easy transition. The respect and care that is given to palliative patients and how culturally sensitive we are in day to day practice is something that is specifically done differently in NZ and has interested me and the way I practice my profession!
Fran and Angel
