My Name is Emilie, I am a Physiotherapist and I came to NZ in January 2015 from England. The process to come to NZ took me approximately 6 Months.
The easiest part of the process was finding a job with the help of Merryl at Accent Health Recruitment and also the time my husband Martin and I spent exploring before we started work!
The most challenging part of the process was getting together my application for my physiotherapy registration, but once it was sent off it all seemed to come through quite quickly.
My first impressions of NZ were WOW! I love this place, the people are so kind and the country so amazing and beautiful. We landed in Wellington, so another first impression was also, Wow, this place is windy!
The best parts of NZ are the scenery, the amazing food and drink and the general outlook on life. The summer weather has also been a bonus!
What I miss the most is my family and friends in the UK, other than that we are 1 month in with no UK food cravings!
My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is do it! Sometimes it feels like you are trying to achieve the impossible but all the time and effort is so worth it. Start early as it takes time to get all your documents together. Having a job agency has made the whole process so much easier, not just in finding a job, but even down to where to go shopping and how to sort all the important documents like tax when you arrive.
Anything else you would like to say? Having never been to NZ, we always had it in the back of our head, what if we are making a mistake, but we don’t have one regret, we are loving life out here.
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR NEW WORKPLACE
Are there any major differences between your current role in NZ and your previous role in England?
The main difference in my current job I’m finding is that the MDT in general seems to be better staffed and better organised. My working day seems far more relaxed. There are some cultural differences but I am learning quickly and I don’t see this as a challenge in any way. The ACC in comparison to the NHS takes some getting your head around, but again I am learning quickly and it is in no way a barrier to how I practice.
Are there any similarities that have helped you orientate/transition easily?
Being a rotational physiotherapist in the UK I have become quite used to settling in to new environments which I feel has helped. I work at a rehabilitation unit and the whole process is very similar to one I worked at previously, which also helps. I guess the major factor in moving to NZ from the UK is that I have not had to face a language barrier in my day-to-day life. Finding Marmite in the supermarkets has also definitely helped my husband transition a little easier!
Is there anything specifically done differently in NZ that has interested you and the way you practice your profession?
When working with clients in New Zealand, you realise the importance of involving the family in the treatment far more than the UK. A client can get so much more out of their rehab programme by using the family and teaching them rehab techniques and methods. Clients are often far more compliant with their rehab progamme when their families are present also, with far greater motivation to recover and succeed
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