Tuesday, December 30, 2008
A little more background. I have been a nurse for 10 years, and it is my second career after doing 20 years with Alaska Airlines in Seattle, Washington. My passion, following my family, is travelling. I love to travel. I enjoy observing people and their culture. I wish I could travel as a fly on the wall, so as to not disturb the environment, and be able to observe people in their daily habits.
Now that my children are grown and pursuing their own lives, I am finding the opportunity to branch out and to take on more challenges and opportuities. While the Peace Corps has always been in my mind, I have realized that I could incorporate my nursing skills with a good job, and also position myself to be immersed in a different culture. This thought has lead me to the position that I am now in, a job offer in London to work at the National Hospital of Neuroscience and Neurology. I head off on January 1 to London, and begin orientation Jan. 5!!
For those of you who may be interested in how I went about this, it started with researching the Nursing Midwifery Council of the United Kingdom, which requires registration and is the first step necessary before you can even consider applying for a job. With the aided technology of websites and the internet, it is amazing how available information is in helping with this type of pursuit. But before I could fill out an application, it was necessary to take an English test to prove that I can read, speak, and understand English! I had to sign up for a test here in Portland, Oregon, and took the IELTS test. Once I had that certificate in my hand, I was able to continue with the application process, which was lengthy. I needed to gather various documentation, references, transcripts, certifications, and submit them. One challenge was my transcripts, as our system is to record education by credits, but the UK system is by hours, so I needed to do a conversion and hope that they would accept it.
When I finally had met all of the details required, I got approval for registration providing I took a 20-day Overseas Nursing Programme. This created another significant challenge, and a lot of research to find a program that would work into my Portland, Oregon, USA life! Fortunately, Geneva Health in London had partnered with Bournemouth University, and had a program that only required classroom time in London at the beginning of the 20 days, and a test at the end of the 20 days. This enabled me to start it in August in London, come home and do a work book on-line at home in Portland, and return in September to take the test. Six weeks later I received my registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Geneva Health is also a recruiter, and arranged interviews for me in September, which resulted in my job offer! As I have learned, not all areas of nursing in the UK have a shortage, therefore, do not qualify for non-nationals to receive work permits, which is required.
After I received the job offer, Geneva Health helped to obtain the work permit. Upon receiving that, I needed to apply with the UK Embassy in Los Angeles for a permit to enter England as a worker, and that required that I go to an office in Portland for finger printing and processing. I started all of this in May, 2008, and had it completed in December, 2008!! I will be leaving for London Jan. 1, 2009.
I will be checking into staff housing, which will be a single room with coed showers! Stay tuned!!
Now that my children are grown and pursuing their own lives, I am finding the opportunity to branch out and to take on more challenges and opportuities. While the Peace Corps has always been in my mind, I have realized that I could incorporate my nursing skills with a good job, and also position myself to be immersed in a different culture. This thought has lead me to the position that I am now in, a job offer in London to work at the National Hospital of Neuroscience and Neurology. I head off on January 1 to London, and begin orientation Jan. 5!!
For those of you who may be interested in how I went about this, it started with researching the Nursing Midwifery Council of the United Kingdom, which requires registration and is the first step necessary before you can even consider applying for a job. With the aided technology of websites and the internet, it is amazing how available information is in helping with this type of pursuit. But before I could fill out an application, it was necessary to take an English test to prove that I can read, speak, and understand English! I had to sign up for a test here in Portland, Oregon, and took the IELTS test. Once I had that certificate in my hand, I was able to continue with the application process, which was lengthy. I needed to gather various documentation, references, transcripts, certifications, and submit them. One challenge was my transcripts, as our system is to record education by credits, but the UK system is by hours, so I needed to do a conversion and hope that they would accept it.
When I finally had met all of the details required, I got approval for registration providing I took a 20-day Overseas Nursing Programme. This created another significant challenge, and a lot of research to find a program that would work into my Portland, Oregon, USA life! Fortunately, Geneva Health in London had partnered with Bournemouth University, and had a program that only required classroom time in London at the beginning of the 20 days, and a test at the end of the 20 days. This enabled me to start it in August in London, come home and do a work book on-line at home in Portland, and return in September to take the test. Six weeks later I received my registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Geneva Health is also a recruiter, and arranged interviews for me in September, which resulted in my job offer! As I have learned, not all areas of nursing in the UK have a shortage, therefore, do not qualify for non-nationals to receive work permits, which is required.
After I received the job offer, Geneva Health helped to obtain the work permit. Upon receiving that, I needed to apply with the UK Embassy in Los Angeles for a permit to enter England as a worker, and that required that I go to an office in Portland for finger printing and processing. I started all of this in May, 2008, and had it completed in December, 2008!! I will be leaving for London Jan. 1, 2009.
I will be checking into staff housing, which will be a single room with coed showers! Stay tuned!!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Greetings from Portland, Oregon, USA. I am leaving for London this week, Jan 1, and I will arrive into Heathrow Jan. 2. I have a room booked at the Bonham Carter House, at 52 Gower Street. It is an old dorm-style building that was built for women staff who worked at the London department stores before World War 2. Now it houses staff and students for the National Hospital. I will have new employee orientation starting Jan. 5. I am as excited as I am nervous to get started!! Stay tuned!
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