My name is Melissa and I am a Delivery Suite Registered Nurse. I came to NZ on the 8th of November from the USA.
The whole process took 8 months because something things only get done on KIWI time!
The easiest part of the process was working with Accent Health. When things got so stressful that made me doubt why we were doing this, Hayley was always positive and offered solutions. Even if she did not have the answers, she was willing to be honest and say, "Let me find out for you."
The most challenging part of the process was collecting every document, and making sure it matched exactly with the requirements, especially when it came to documents for animal transport. Transporting animals can become expensive and overwhelming, but worth it in the end.
We had to work with several agencies during this transition, everything from animal transport, to nursing, travel and immigration agencies. Accent Health, was the only one that we felt we had a genuine connection to and felt comfortable handling my future career. Hayley was able to keep me in my specialty even when the odds were stacked against us. She pushed through and proved there was a place here for me and my family.
In the USA, I am a Labour and Delivery Certified Registered nurse with a specialty in High Risk Obstetrics. Unfortunately, here in New Zealand I would require changing careers to become a midwife in order to continue doing what I have done for the last 12 years. Changes are coming to NZ with the current need for more midwives, and I hope to bring back the need for obstetric nurses. In the US, Midwives are Nurses whereas in NZ they are separate paths. It is taking some time to understand those differences.
