ICU certificate equivalent in NZ

[ytmilla]

Hi
Wonder if there is anyone that can shed some light on my query regarding ICU nursing certificate.

I Emigrated to NZ in 1999 with my family. Returned to Europe 2003. Now Planning to return to work and live in NZ again, but this time with upgraded nursing skills.

First a little background to my questions:
I'm currently employed as a nurse at a big ICU in Denmark (Denmark is my country of origin)
I will soon become a certificated ICU nurse, which is a quite involved education here in Denmark as it is a 2 years full time education on top of the RN.
The education programs include classroom instruction and supervised clinical experience in hospitals and other health care facilities. Students take courses in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry, nutrition, psychology and other behavioral sciences, and nursing.
The theory teachers are consultant anaesthetist, and our books ( and theory exam)are on a medical level. We are at the end of our education having to carry out what i believe to be similar to the english "Capstone" (Thesis) that has to be "passed" to obtain the final certificate.
Once graduated, the certificate in ICU specialist nurse will lead me to a higher pay here in Denmark, as I will be counted as a specialist in ICU nursing (above a registered nurse)

However I have had a hard time trying to find out what the above described education would translate as in NZ - It seems that NZ does not pay ICU certificated nurses any higher than the basic RN. It also seems, that the ICU postgraduate certificate in NZ is not as involved as the one i have been through.

I am wondering if anyone may be able to help shed some light on the post graduate nursing education in NZ as it makes me somewhat confused.

How long does it take to become an ICU certificated nurse in NZ, and what does it entail?

From the description I have given above of my education, would it be possible to tell, what the equivalent education/title in NZ would be?

Kind regards
S

[Hagabel]

I do not think there is any like that over here. I work in ED at a busy NZ hospital and was surprised to see there was nohing like that in ED here. In the US we had the CCRN for ICU nurses or the CEN for ED nurses. All nurses are paid the same dependent upon their years of practice. The higher rate of pay is after 6 or 10 yrs (cannot remember which) and then we all get paid the same. A little unfair I think.

I did find this after some googling though:
http://www.fmhs.auckland.ac.nz/son/p...s/ICU_PICU.pdf

Hope this helps.

[ytmilla]

I do not think there is any like that over here. I work in ED at a busy NZ hospital and was surprised to see there was nohing like that in ED here. In the US we had the CCRN for ICU nurses or the CEN for ED nurses. All nurses are paid the same dependent upon their years of practice. The higher rate of pay is after 6 or 10 yrs (cannot remember which) and then we all get paid the same. A little unfair I think.

I did find this after some googling though:
http://www.fmhs.auckland.ac.nz/son/p...s/ICU_PICU.pdf

Hope this helps.

Hi Hagabel
Thanks very much for your reply. I'm afraid, you may be right. It seems to be the same problem in Oz and UK...no extras for extra education within this trade.
I cannot think of any other trade than nursing, where one would not be promptly paid for extra 2 years of postgraduate education. shocking!

I actually think it is rather scandalous, that one is not valued and payed for 2 years of extra specialization...and to cap it of, it even seems that one has to pay for own education in NZ too... without the prospect of extra pay afterwards.
To me this leaves one big question: whatever motivates nurses in NZ to further educate themselves? Are we still expected to all be fueled by the warm heart and motivation of Florence Nightingale?

Top qualified, my next hope then is, that a basic nurses wage is one that is one can survive on

[Hagabel]

Hi Hagabel
Thanks very much for your reply. I'm afraid, you may be right. It seems to be the same problem in Oz and UK...no extras for extra education within this trade.
I cannot think of any other trade than nursing, where one would not be promptly paid for extra 2 years of postgraduate education. shocking!

I actually think it is rather scandalous, that one is not valued and payed for 2 years of extra specialization...and to cap it of, it even seems that one has to pay for own education in NZ too... without the prospect of extra pay afterwards.
To me this leaves one big question: whatever motivates nurses in NZ to further educate themselves? Are we still expected to all be fueled by the warm heart and motivation of Florence Nightingale?

Top qualified, my next hope then is, that a basic nurses wage is one that is one can survive on

I am on $62 k and I have been an RN for 22 yrs, inc 13 yrs ICU and 9 ED.

[azilahchan]

This is depressing!