I am an ODP (Anaesthetic Technician) who emigrated in December 2018 from Scotland to Auckland, NZ after a 7 month process with AHR.
The easiest part of the process was probably getting offered a job thanks to AHR. The most challenging part of the process was dealing with immigration and trying to establish timescales of when the visa would arrive so I could get a definitive start date for the job.
In Scotland I worked for the NHS whereas here in NZ I work in the private sector. There are definitely big differences, however the support I have received from my colleagues has been really helpful in making the transition as easy as possible .
I came with a varied background mostly in anaesthetics, the policies, equipment and the anaesthetic machines are all very similar or the same which has helped.
While there are some differences between work in NZ and back home,
even the different hospitals I worked for in Scotland did things differently, every theatre suit has its own little idiosyncrasies. There is a lot more opportunities for career progression in NZ compared to Scotland.
My first impressions of NZ were: Beautiful warm and welcoming and swimming in the ocean after a long day at work (during the summer) is one of my favourite things about life here!
So far, I haven't missed anything yet as I have been too busy discovering new places and meeting new people, however I think the longer I am here I will definitely miss friends and family and probably decent bacon!
My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is: Take the plunge, it is stressful and you are going to have moments of wondering if you're doing the right thing but it is worth it, there is so much opportunity over here and a beautiful country to explore.
