Hi I’m Erika,
An ED nurse from good ol’ Southern California. I arrived to the beautiful land of New Zealand December 2015. The entire process to get here, to say the least, took about 6 months. Prudence and the rest of the Accent Health Team were available as well as more than helpful during the entire process. It’s difficult to say what the easiest part was in terms of experience; I feel the entire process was relatively easy, just time consuming. The challenging part was reminding people to finish reference letters, emails, and schools to send credentials.
My first impression of NZ still remains the same. It is a country that offers something for everyone in one of the most relaxing ways possible. The people for the most part are hospitable, friendly, caring and honest. As a country it is in a league of its own, on its own. But with change there comes a catch, 9 months in and I truly miss Mexican food. It’s just not the same here and getting ingredients for home cooking is really difficult.
As far as advice goes, be flexible, roll with the punches everything will always come right.
Nursing practice here as it would be in any other country is a little bit different. The core essentials of nursing are the same however the scope of practice is limited. Depending where you are coming from, you may not be able to freely do the things that you did at home. I have found that flexibility, open-mindedness and enthusiasm go a-long ways while working abroad.
Besides all that, don’t forget that you’re in NZ, there’s an adventure waiting at every corner.
