[Tomsk]

I've been lurking on this forum for a few weeks now and thought that it was probably about time that I registered and introduced myself. My husband has recently been given a provisional job offer from NZ Police, and we're now in the position of completing EOI's and he's got preliminary job medicals to complete before the job offer is confirmed. It's all come a bit suddenly for me.... we'd wittered in the abstract about escaping the UK but I didn't know that he'd actually done anything about it until he asked me to take a day off work at very short notice for an interview at NZ House :eek: A bit of a shock.
I'm a nurse, and I'm sort of hoping that I'll be able to work in NZ, but I've worked in Primary Care for 10 years in the UK, the very idea of heading back into hospital fills me with dread. Shifts, weekend working and bed baths.... not done those for years and I'm not convinced that I want to go back.... but I can't find much about Primary Care nursing on the NZ websites. I'm hoping that I'm just looking in the wrong places.
We've got teenage children (aged 15 & 13), the eldest of whom is currently year 10 and working towards GCSE's summer 08, so I've loads of questions about the NZ education system.
Anyway, I'm excited, scared and just a little confused. Is NZ really better than the UK, or is it just a case of the grass seeming greener, but in reality simply exchanging one set of problems for an entirely different set?
And what are likely to be the consequences of uprooting my children at this fairly critical stage of their education?
I reckon this introduction is probably going to serve as a bit of a warning......... expect lots of questions from me :laugh
Anyway it's great to meet you all, this forum seems like a really friendly place :)
Kate

[willsken]

Anyway, I'm excited, scared and just a little confused. Is NZ really better than the UK, or is it just a case of the grass seeming greener, but in reality simply exchanging one set of problems for an entirely different set?
Kate

Who knows!! I think we are all going for such different reasons, that you really won't be able to answer that question until you move and live the life over there for yourself. I hate crowds.... I know this problem will be solved in NZ, I'm exchaning this for a lot less money than I earn now. Fair trade? I'll find out in a few months and let you know!! :D

Welcome to the forum by the way! :nice1

[Marie P]

Welcome to the forum :cheers

Marie x

[Bruckner]

Afraid I'm not much help with your questions but wanted to say welcome to the forum Kate!

Emily

[Lisa&Andy]

Hi Kate
I am afraid I can't help with your questions as I have many of those thoughts and fears too, although we only have one child aged 3. I suppose in life we can find a million reasons why we should follow our dreams to greener grass :laugh But we could also probably find a million reasons not to go! From what I've read on this forum and other research I've done it seems like NZ would be a very good place to try out, so we have to decided that we are going to keep researching and give it go! Remember nothing has to be forever! Nothing ventured nothing gained!

Good Luck with all of your plans ;)

Lisa x

[Moorf]

Hi Kate

Welcome to THE forum ;)

Can't help with questions re kids as we don't have any, and as for whether NZ is better than the UK - well we have no intentions of returning to Blighty and LOVE our lives here (but then I'm well known for my surgically implanted rose tinted contact lenses :D ).

NZ, like life, is what you make it :cheers

Moorf

[The Hodges]

Hi Tomsk

Welcome to the forum.

I can’t answer all of your questions, but for the Primary Care try here (http://www.google.co.nz/search?hl=en&q=Primary+Care+&btnG=Google+Search&meta=cr%3DcountryNZ).

Good luck and ask away.

[kiwidebs]

Hi and welcome to the forum


What area of Primary Care have you/do you work in? It may just be that it's titled something different over here. I've had the shock of going back to shift work after set days/shifts in London. They are def not as open to family friendly working hours as the hospital I worked in in the UK. And get onto your NZ reg sooner rather than later - as a couple of other threads recently have discussed, it can take quite some time to organise. If I can help in any way just PM me.

Can't help with the schooling questions as my eldest just started school last week.

Debs

[Nienke]

Welcome to the forum! :cheers

[Smiler]

Hi Kate and Family

Welcome to the forum. :cheers:cheers

I can't help with your questions either, but like Moorf my RTS were implanted on arrival in NZ. We're lovin' it here.

[leachio]

:raebanana Hiya kate
What a small world eh? My hubby just been offered police job and Im a nurse in primary care, unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We def need to talk/write whatever! My OH is messaging a kate and her Hubby on the police forum but Im sure they are already out there so I doubt it's you.

Our kids are 3yrs & 6mths so it prob a better time for them than yours but we are looking at it as a fantastic oppotunity that none of our families have had the chance of so we are very excited. Pity my in-laws weren't! Another story! Where do you live at the moment, we are in York. If you would like to chat sometime just send me a private msg and we can swap numbers. I feel the same as you about going back to hospital nursing, I far prefer the freedom my community post gives me so I will be looking along the primary care route or practice nursing perhaps.

So pleased to see someone in the same boat, look forward to hearing from you!

Amanda, Danny, Jack & Ella-Maud xx

[andreamatt]

Hi Kate

Welcome. We're: excited, terrified, confused, unsure, optimistic, unable to sleep at night (actually the OH and children sleep fine but someone's got to lie awake mulling things over!).

Have just re-submitted our EOI with a job offer. Medicals next week.

My constant message to myself is: if it doesn't work out (give it 18 months or so) we'll come back. We really do hope it all works out, and for you too. Good luck with your application,

Andrea Matt William and Martha