[rgirls3]

I am currently in my first class of my nurse practitioner program in Chicago, IL, USA. We are studying the many issues that face the nursing profession, including what it is like to be a nurse in a country outside of the USA. I would love to hear from someone who is willing to share some of their stories of what it is like to be a nurse and some of the details of the profession in their country.

[Mixedpuppy]

I was stationed in South Korea as an Army RN. Korean nurses are overworked and severly underpaid. I made 2-4 times more than they did. 2 of my ex girlfriends were Korean Nurses. The quality of care is questionable due to the few nurses and demands of a system that is somewhat socialized. Iraq's healthcare system was aweful. I can't tell you about other countries. You can work as a civilian GS employee on DOD/Military hospitals in foriegn countries.

[Se-la-vi]

I was wondering the same thing about nursing in other countries. Not so much about the money, but more about the work that it entails.

Do hospitals in socialist countries have the equivialant of a CNA, that do some of the 'unspecialized' stuff or is all of it a specifically a RN's job?

[debyoung2]

Nurses in Canada make more money than in the US due to the fact we are unionized...the pay is better, the hours are better, and the benefits are far better. The vacation time (3 weeks-15 days-paid your first year) and holiday time ( 11 statutory paid holidays per year)is awesome compared to the USA (this adds up to 26 days paid off your first year). Compare that to PTO you 'earn' in the US...most places max out at 10 days per year, includes vacation pay and holidays...what a joke!). As a Canadian nurse living in the USA off and on since 1995...I can't wait to go 'home'. they say 'the grass is always greener', and it is so true. My son has just graduated high school (I had promised him we would stay in one location until he finished school). I am now anxiously searching for a position in British Columbia. With 31 years Operating Room nursing experience, it shouldn't be an issue. The hospitals do have CNA and LPN status positions similar to the USA. All postions in Canada require Nurse supervision...you can't be a housekeeper one day, and then decide to do 'on the job' training to become, say for example, an Anesthesia tech. The training for ancillary personnel is far more intense, and professional resulting in more highly skilled staff members. The working conditions are far better in Canada...we do not work as hard...I guess we feel 'life is too short'. If I had to remain in the USA, I would be giving up my nursing career...there is no respect for nurses in this country...and the pay is ridiculous considering the shift work, weekends, 'on call', etc., etc....I could go on and on. My 'new husband is an American, and he wants to move to Canada too. Also, I am very tired of paying outrageous fees for my healthcare...in Canada we are taken care of by our government...I am excited to return to this system.

[Diane RN]

Anyone out there know anything about ARAMCO in Saudi Arabia

[lu1]

Nursing in England is definately different from what I hear, the perks being that we get about 35 days paid leave a year (vacation and holidays), and also paid days of for sick or what we call compassionate leave. In total we get about 6 months off - full pay - for maternity leave, and more, I think up to a year, if you have unpaid leave (although the government would give you something anyway. In exchange for the 'perks' we get terrible pay and terrible working conditions. We are always under staffed on shift and are expected to do everything, I mean everything...I work in an Emergency Dept, and work includes assessing patients on arrival, including baseline obs, EKG, bloods, undressing the patient, collecting samples (urine/stool etc if needed), we are also expected to help patients on to the toilet, wash/dress them to get up/go home/be admitted, give all medications, do all treatments/dressings, make tea/breakfast, sometimes we don't have a receptionist so we have to book them onto the computer on admission too! All this, and the unexpected you always get in the ED...by the way there are generally only 5 nurses on each shift...getting the picture!?

[germanRN]

nurses in germany have a very limited scope of practice. in my hospital in berlin the doctors would be the ones to put foleys in and draw blood... nurses do the basic hygiene care, administer meds, and smoke a lot. nurses go through a three year apprenticeship, which is 60% on-site training and 40% theory. Nurses get paid about half of what we earn over here, but our cost of living is cheaper. 6 weeks of vacation is standard, universal health care, and unemployment benefits are probably a little more generous than over here.
hope that helped... best of luck in your career.

[Dignan]

Very interesting topic. I'm just a student now but will be graduating in about a year. I have often thought about the possibility of working in another country. Does anyone know a good route to take to look into this further?