So my international travel nursing quest continues. To be honest I'm glad that I'm not in a rush to go anywhere because it is not easy. I have come across more websites with more options and I am starting to think that going through an agency is easier than trying to set up an actual job placement on my own.
Premier Healthcare Professionals is another website I found that does placement in Australia, the UK and South Africa- all English speaking countries. The contracts are all for 1 year... Which begs the question of how long do I want to live abroad for in one country. I was thinking a 6 month contract would be ideal. So the quest continues.
World Wide Staffing- Not exactly living up to its name has a handful of international placement options including the US Virgin Islands, which could be tempting and I honestly never thought of going to a US Island Territory?! Would one go stir crazy living on an island, these are all important things to think about when contemplating the future.
Then I found a place called the English Clinic in Southern France. It is run by a handful of UK staff that provide English language care. I am very intrigued. Their website is http://theenglishclinic.fr/ Even if I could not work there for money, I would still love to perhaps try volunteer? I have a fair number of relatives that live in Southern France, in Nice specifically. Maybe they could also be helpful in identifying any English speaking options that they know of?!
Like I said earlier, I am really glad I am not going anywhere anytime soon! I am starting to see why people volunteer on mission trips. Coordinating work visas and taxes sounds complicated. I am up for all of it, but it sounds like a lot of personal investigation work is necessary. There is not one clear agency and not one easy country to travel to.
Has anyone heard of Medecins Sans Frontiers (Doctors without Borders), I assume you all have as they seem to be pretty prominent. This is yet I suppose another option of working/volunteering as a nurse in a foreign country. While a different vein than working in an international hospital, it is another aspect of international nursing that shouldn't be forgotten!
Thanks for listening to my rant. It is interesting, yet not particularly straight-forward. I'm sensing lots of time researching and creativity could lead to some very interesting adventures.
hmmm...yes quite the investigation you are on! Personally, the southern France one sounds really intriguing to me because you could be in a largely non-Eng speaking country but still get to work. I looked into working in Sweden a little because half my family lives there but one of the huge obstacles is they require you to be fluent in Swedish. My friend's ex-wife has done two trips with DWoutB, I believe she is on one now in Africa somewhere. I might be able to get her contact info if you are interested. HEr beef with them is that you get on a list and then they call you up and say, "Ok! In two weeks: Africa!" She may have found that experience to be different now but at the time she was annoyed that she'd have to give her employer (and husband) two weeks notice that she was leaving the country. I'm so excited about your potential adventure!!!!
ReplyDeleteWow, just the web site for the English Clinic is transporting! I've never heard anyone refer to a "flu jab" before. I admit, the idea of working in France sounds wonderfully romantic. I instantly think of images of traveling to the local market on a bicycle with a basket to pick up a loaf of baguette, a bottle of vin and a wedge of fromage. I'm sure the reality probably isn't quite as poetic as the images in my head, but I think it sounds lovely none the less.
ReplyDeleteTerry Clark is a student in our culture and research classes. She seems to be the queen of nursing abroad. I know she has worked with a couple different organizations including Doctors without Borders and she also travels to Haiti several times a year with her own group. Perhaps an excursion with her would be a good way to get your feet wet.
My husband lived on St. Lucia in the Caribbean for several years. While the sun, sand and surf were great, he admitted that living on an island had some limitations. He said that almost everything had to be imported, and thus was significantly more expensive than buying it in the states. Evidently it becomes a situation where just moving with a suitcase turns out to be far more expensive than packing up everything.
Please continue to investigate, I'm learning a lot and planning my future trips with your help. In the meantime, a little fromage and little baguette sound like the perfect dinner.