Currently, I work as a Registered Nurse in New Zealand largely with the Elderly in a Private Residential Care Facility. I really like the staff I work with and the job has taught me a lot of new skills & knowledge but it is no longer providing me with the challenge it once did. The pay and conditions are not as good as working in the public hospital but that didn't bother me so much as I have been able to work the same duties and days each week and there is no horrid rolling roster like in the public hospital. All in all, I have been the primary care giver and worked around my kids schooling and husbands work.
Anyway, I have a friend who shifted to Darwin last year and works as the Quality and Risk Manager for the Department of Health over there. She told me of positions they had just created and were trying to fill in Community Health working as a Clinical Nurse Consultant in Custodial Care (aka people held in police custody at the cells) in the Darwin Police Watch House, Katherine Police Watch House and Alice Springs Police Watch House. She asked if I would be interested in applying for one of the positions, knowing I was ready to to find other employement. To be honest, at first I thought living in the outback would be HOT..... way too HOT for the likes of me. Then there is the family to consider. I would have to uproot them from school and their lives here. Greg (my husband) would have to leave his job. The whole idea, while I was interested, sounded like a HUGE mission.
After thinking on it for awhile and talking with Greg we realised there is no reason why we can't commute, at least in the short-term before we make a decision to all shift for the long haul. The job offers a large amount of leave and pay that it would make it relatively easy to do. The kids also seem happy with the idea. Of course, knowing they could skype each day and have hoildays in Australia sure did seem to go down a treat. The heat, so I'm told is not such an issue if you have an indoor job, as everything is well air-conditioned.
Anyway, after finally being convinced this would be a good move (both career and financially) I decided to apply. Afterall, "nothing ventured, nothing gained" right? Well, they may be my famous last words...... as I got the job and start induction on 13th March 2012. So here I am, with two weeks to go before I fly out and with soooo much to do before then.
So let the adventure begin........