My name is Evonne. I am a Registered Nurse. I came to New Zealand in June 2024 from Singapore. The process to come to NZ took me one year.
The easiest part of the process was having ACCENT Health Recruitment as my recruiter and the job interview, they helped arrange for me!
The most challenging part of the process was getting the CGFNS application and license to practice as a nurse in NZ. There was a lot of waiting.
My first contact with ACCENT was with Prudence, who was introduced to me by an ex-colleague. Prudence helped him secure a job in NZ previously and when he heard I have intentions to move to NZ, he highly recommended Prudence to me. From the 1st contact I made with Prudence; she has never failed to make me feel so assured in my NZ application process. Prudence has been in this line for many years and has a wealth of experience helping healthcare workers move to NZ. Though there are hiccups and difficulties along the way, Prudence and her team are always there to lend their help and advice. I can't thank them enough!
My first impressions of NZ began when I went to the South Island for a holiday in 2023. It was my 1st time to NZ and I fell in love with the place and people immediately. Everyone is friendly and nice. Everywhere is a beautiful display of nature and space. That started my dream of moving to NZ and here I am now.
The easiest part of the process was having ACCENT Health Recruitment as my recruiter and the job interview, they helped arrange for me!
The most challenging part of the process was getting the CGFNS application and license to practice as a nurse in NZ. There was a lot of waiting.
My first contact with ACCENT was with Prudence, who was introduced to me by an ex-colleague. Prudence helped him secure a job in NZ previously and when he heard I have intentions to move to NZ, he highly recommended Prudence to me. From the 1st contact I made with Prudence; she has never failed to make me feel so assured in my NZ application process. Prudence has been in this line for many years and has a wealth of experience helping healthcare workers move to NZ. Though there are hiccups and difficulties along the way, Prudence and her team are always there to lend their help and advice. I can't thank them enough!
My first impressions of NZ began when I went to the South Island for a holiday in 2023. It was my 1st time to NZ and I fell in love with the place and people immediately. Everyone is friendly and nice. Everywhere is a beautiful display of nature and space. That started my dream of moving to NZ and here I am now.
Entrance of the hospice I work in
I don't feel a sense of racism here at all. Everyone is so pleasant, friendly and helpful even though we come from different places/cultures. Everyone is respected and respectful.
New Zealand has abundant space to be admired and explored. The pace of life is slower here, compared to where I came from. So, I really appreciate the opportunity I have to enjoy work life balance and truly live a life here.
I like the area I live in because It's a balance of nature and city life. I'm glad I managed to find accommodation near my work and the train station. There's even a small supermarket nearby. So, it's really convenient for me to settle in.
I miss the accessibility and variety of take away food places in Singapore, which is rare here, so I have to end up cooking most of my meals every day. I check out new recipes/what to cook from recipes books or online to get more ideas.
NZ is so big. I hope to explore NZ and go for walks and beaches to admire the beautiful sights and sounds. It's winter now so I am really looking forward to embracing the other seasons to come. I managed to make a short trip to Martinborough recently and it's beautiful.
I definitely feel more relaxed and at peace now in NZ because of the wonderful work life balance I experience here. I have time to rest and care for myself, not just work and work, rushing here and there. I feel I am really living my life well now.
Are there any major differences between your current role in NZ and your previous role in Singapore? Previously I was working in the community, now in NZ I work in the hospice in patient unit. There are not much differences, except I have to work shift hours now. The other major difference is as the RN in charge of my patient, I do everything for them, I do not have an enrolled nurse to help me. Having said that, I really appreciate the personalized care I can provide for my patient, given the lower nurse to patient ratio here so I really enjoy my work. I find it meaningful and gives me job satisfaction knowing I'm able to care and bring relief to my patients in their last days. Medications used here are slightly different from where I came from but it's easy to learn and pick them up.
English is the official language in NZ and where I came from, so communication is straight forward though at times the slang/accent is a bit different.
Is there anything specifically done differently in NZ that has interested you and the way you practice your profession? When a patient dies, they are not rushed out of the facility immediately. Family are encouraged to take time to grieve and be with their loved one, give them a wash, etc. I think this is a very meaningful practice of humanity in life and death.
My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is to come quick! There is totally no reason to deter you from coming to this beautiful and pleasant country.
Thank you ACCENT Health Recruitment for all your help in making my dream come true.
Evonne
English is the official language in NZ and where I came from, so communication is straight forward though at times the slang/accent is a bit different.
Is there anything specifically done differently in NZ that has interested you and the way you practice your profession? When a patient dies, they are not rushed out of the facility immediately. Family are encouraged to take time to grieve and be with their loved one, give them a wash, etc. I think this is a very meaningful practice of humanity in life and death.
My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is to come quick! There is totally no reason to deter you from coming to this beautiful and pleasant country.
Thank you ACCENT Health Recruitment for all your help in making my dream come true.
Evonne
