Nurses wanted in Australia, New Zealand

MANILA, Philippines - Last July, Nursing Boards across Australia, New Zealand and the UK raised the English Language requirement for overseas nurses to gain registration in their country to IELTS 7.0 – 7.0 in all categories. Many people saw this as being a very restrictive move. However, it is quite possible that the Philippines will benefit from this. It is anticipated that the number of applications for registration from India and China will drop sharply, and that the Philippines will quickly become the No.1 supplier of nurses from Asia. Interestingly the biggest supplier of nurses to Australia and New Zealand is the UK and Ireland as they are not required to go through English testing or a registration program but can start work upon arrival. But, the Philippines is poised to become No. 3.

International Education Specialists president Roger Bartholomew, in a recent interview, said that Inter-Ed is putting on a showcase of educational/clinical providers to give nurses and potential nurses the latest, most accurate and most useful information about making the transition from a registered nurse in the Philippines to a registered nurse overseas. Inter-Ed is the country’s pioneer in study abroad, it is soon to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

On Saturday, Nov. 14, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the AIM Conference Center (opposite Greenbelt 1), Legaspi Village, Makati, Inter-Ed will have on display 10 education providers from Australia and New Zealand that offer registration programs, BSN degrees with credit transfer and related graduate courses, all leading to employment and residency. Some nurses, particularly those with more than one year’s work experience, will be able to obtain their eligibility/competency assessment from the Nursing boards and then take their registration courses. Others with lower IELTS scores, less work experience and in some cases even unlicensed, may be able to complete a nursing degree with credit transfer, and will automatically obtain their professional licensure when they graduate, moving straight to employment as a nurse. Others who may no longer want to continue with a nursing career or who want to move in another direction can take graduate studies in related courses such as Addiction Studies. New Zealand is in dire need of trained counselors for this area and this could also be taken by graduates of Psychology, Counseling and even Pastoral studies.

Inter-Ed will be making presentations every hour, followed by Q&A sessions and then one-on-one counseling. In addition, many of the education providers will have their nursing personnel on site, talking about their programs and institutions. Admission is completely free, but as seats are limited, on-line, text or phone pre-registration is required to be sure of entry (www.inter-ed.com; 0918-9041282; 0917-5351956; 8191001).