I’m a QLD nurse (half half RN + CNC), I have experience in education and CNCs roles at tertiary hospitals. I am very much done with nursing. Has anyone pivoted out of nursing into a similar or better paying job? If so, please tell me more

For a while now, I've been really wanting to do "the great lap" of Australia. I couldn't imagine not working for up to 12 months, so I'm considering travel nursing.

I'm currently a Y2 Team Leader in RAC (my anniversary Is January). I'm planning to travel in 2028/2029 for 6-12 months as I'm currently building my tourer.

However, I am wondering if it would be worth it? I know HCA mentions they take on ENs but is there enough work to make it feasible? I'm really asking the crystal ball here but just considering my next few years.

Or is travel nursing more geared towards RN/RMs?

There is a NIC that bullies everyone on my ward. She is always in a foul mood, it’s like walking on egg shells and being in an abusive relationship, except, it’s the workplace and she’s an in charge. She swears openly on the ward…I hate this fucking place”. She bullies grads, she sits on her phone scrolling all night while on charge on night shift and doesn’t help anyone despite having no patient load. She openly brags and laughs about giving shitty allocations to the staff she hates. I became her “friend” because it was tactical, so I wouldn’t cop the brunt of her abuse and I would be on her good side. I am so stressed about making a complaint in writing. But I did. Because someone needs to. She’s had complaints over the years, but nothing ever happens. Her behavior stops for a few months and then she comes back angrier. Please tell me I’ve done the right thing because it is so hard to separate my emotions.

It’s frustrating enough as it is that we’re paying higher prices for petrol, food, MORTGAGE. I just found out (the hard way) that ANMF decided they want to increase their membership fees. I budget pretty tightly to make sure I stay on top of all my expenses per fortnight. I was expecting an ANMF payment today, the same payment I’ve been making over the past few years only for a higher amount to get direct debited out of my bank account. I’m fed up :(

What do my fellow nurses make of this? Seems like it could have a significant impact on our bargaining power come EBA negotiating time.

We have multiple Doctors on our ward who complain to our IC or NUM if we clarify medication orders they’ve written that don’t make sense or are inconsistent with their own progress notes. (I’m in a private paper based ward)

Is this common on every ward?

I’m so sick of trying to the right thing by the patient (and the dr, surgeon +anaesthetists) only to be scolded

all, I'm an international nursing student in Australia and I've failed the medication OSCE twice after missing early lab weeks. My uni allows two attempts unless there's an "exception," and my placement has been almost cancelled because of it.

I'm not asking for a pass, just a chance to show I can meet the standard. Has anyone been granted an exception, and what helped? Any advice on how to approach it, or on what a repeat course length, would be appreciated.

Thanks!

At La Trobe uni

Final-year BN student in NSW. It's mid-October and part of my final placement still hasn't been allocated. My uni has said it will be December, January or February, but not which month, and the record will update once it's allocated.

I can work either in NSW or Brisbane, QLD next year.

For anyone who ended up finishing placement between December and February because of a delay like this:

1. How did you handle job applications and registration while you waited?

2. Did your uni give you a timeframe, or did you just wait for the record to update?

We’ve had several repetitive posts relating to grad programs. Please use the thread above instead.

Current nurses also welcome to assist by answering questions or reassuring our students.

Thanks!

I just came from the [r/aussie](r/aussie) subreddit where this was posted and I want to cry for this young girl. She didn’t have a nurse at all? I really don’t understand how this could have happened.

Even the replies on the thread in that post notice that it was a failing of monash and the government not the medical staff, as it is trying to be framed as. Why isn’t the monash CEO on the stand? Why is it just the Junior doctor?

Edit: Here is the coroners report if anyone wants to read

https://www.coronerscourt.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/AMENDED%20Amrita%20Lanka%20-%20Finding.pdf

Hi friends

I work for QLD health and I very deliberately stayed under a 10 hour break agreement because 11pm finishes with a 7am start is foul.

Despite this, I’ve been rostered late earlies. My understanding is that there is some fatigue pay for breaking the shift break agreement. I just can’t find any sources that state the entitlements, someone told me you get double time the whole shift?

Also, a friend of mine was in the situation and just worked the late earlies and then management told her she isn’t getting any fatigue pay because she didn’t say anything about the late earlies meaning she implicitly agreed to a shorter break?? Could this happen to me if I work the late earlies and don’t say anything.

Thanks!!

I’m currently on my nursing placement (internship) at the moment in a cardiology ward. It’s week 4 and they are delaying my ANSAT because of my lack of knowledge. I haven’t had a ward placement before and it’s been really difficult for me to learn. I’m really trying and they can tell, but I just had a breakdown sobbing and vomiting in the bathroom because I feel so stupid and this has knocked my confidence so much. They really want to help me but I just feel so extremely stupid and not good enough since I’m the only student this has happened to. Does anyone have any advice?

Hi! This year i got into university to do a bachelor of nursing. I've always wanted to help people and wanted to get into this course so badly. At the beginning of the year i was really enjoying it and excited to be a nurse. However, it is now coming to the end of the year and i am deeply regretting my choice and starting to panic. So far we have had 2 clinical demonstration assessments and I've butchered both of them due to my major anxiety that i'm unable to control. The first one i was incredibly anxious, but was still able to pass. The second one i had a panic attack right in the middle of it and we had to stop the timer for a bit. I have failed that one. I practiced sooo much as well. I am feeling really down as i wanted to do this so bad, but if i'm this anxious around fake patients, how am i going to be when i'm with real patients? I do feel like my nerves is based on the fact that i am being watched and i just want to be good enough, but it always ends up letting me down. Does anyone have any advice? I'm genuinley thinking about dropping out due to my anxiety, but then thats such a waste of a year and money.

Realistically, what would your options be to get out of nursing altogether? 5 years RN experience. I dont think I would have it in me to do a whole new defree again. Could probally manage to do a tafe course. Any suggestions advice welcome. I just hate nursing, the passion is gone. I am 40. I cant give amotuer 25 years doing this.

How do you make it work? Im returning to work in February after 18 months off for parental leave. My son will be almost 18 months and my other child is 4.5! Extremely overwhelmed at trying to figure out what works with a young family... for context my husband leaves at 6.45am and doesnt get home until 6pm. We dont have a lot of family help unfortunately. It makes me more anxious given our daughter will start school in 2028 and how we will manage school drop off and pick ups.

When I returned at 1 year post our first child, I returned on a FWA at 0.6 and had some set days that aligned with childcare but starting to realise shift work with multiple kids is hard and lets be honest, shit ha ha

Starting to discuss whether nightshift will be the way to go in this season of life (although not ideal). Thought maybe weekend shifts at the way to go but then I'll miss out on family time.... ahhhhh its so overwhelming 😭

Hi everyone, just trying to get an idea of what the hours look like for a new grad in qld, 0.8 fte. How many shifts a week and how many hours per shift? Whats an example of a fortnightly schedule (I understand it’s different each week). How soon in advance do you get the roster usually? How often do you have to stay back or work extra hours without notice?

Also, regarding daycare:
How do you coordinate daycare and shift work? I’m not sure how it will work if I will work different days each week. Do I just book him in for a couple of regular days and then when the roster comes out try and book in casual days? Just wondering how nurses with young children do it.

I appreciate any guidance and advice! Just trying to figure out how I will navigate it all with a toddler. TIA!

For context, I've been a nursing student for 5 years. I've done most of my studies part-time and had to take an intermission for a year at one point due to ongoing health issues, having to get surgery, and financial constraints.

For anyone here living with chronic health conditions, I have a few questions:
1. How did you cope as a student and how are you coping now as a registered nurse?
2. What support systems best helped you go through it?
3. Were you able to get some adjustments/considerations applied surrounding clinical placements?

The most challenging part for me are the clinical placements. At this point, I'm scheduled to go on placement for 4 weeks. This is the 3rd week, but I've missed an entire week last week due to health. That's 5 days missed. My CLN was understanding and I made sure to provide a letter from my GP stating that I'm currently managing chronic health conditions.

I actually do enjoy my placements and maximise every opportunity I get to learn, and I even get great feedback from every nurse (and patients) I've worked with. However, it's been so debilitating to my health so I haven't been consistent with my attendance. Because it's unpaid, I find myself scrambling and loaning money from family just to afford my medications/health appointments. I'm always so worried whether I'm going to get through this degree. Every year for the past 2 years, I always think I'm about to finish. Every time I don't. I only have 2 more semesters left, so I'm feeling extremely hopeful and hopeless at the same time.

I've been told to give up, and been told that this career probably isn't for me. I can't give up now, not when I'm so close. Not when I've loved nursing since I started.

Any advice?

Hi everyone,

Just looking for some advice.

If you were offered a temporary CN position while holding a permanent RN position, would you take the opportunity and give up your permanent RN role, or would you prefer to keep your permanent position?

Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Thanks in advance!

Just about to start a new casual roster, can anyone please recommend a user friendly app to track booked shifts??TIA

hey guys i just wanted to ask ive been going through some personal issues and i feel like it might affect my practice on the ward. is it bad to call of a sick day on placement? ive just haven’t been in the right mind set, on weekends i have to work so i dont really have time to call off im just super stressed and wanted to know what is the processes for this? or would this even be considered i know it kind of sounds dumb

I’ve been an RN since the early 00s and it’s been an interesting career. I realised fairly early that the hospital wasn’t really for me and have since worked in clinics, prison. research, a bit of teaching at Tafe, and some RAN work.

Recently I’ve joined my local hospital’s casual pool as I’m studying and thought the flexibility would be great, which it is.

But holy shit, ward nursing sucks. It’s 50% boring drudgery, 25% getting blamed for everyone else’s issues and 25% high stress unmanageable workload.

Everyone I work with across the hospital seems to be sticking it out for various reasons, but with plans do leave.
Does anyone genuinely enjoy Ward work? I feel like the hospital staffing crisis will never be solved because the job just sucks and burnout happens fast

i like to practice what i preach so i always try my best to keep questions to the end of the handover when the other nurse is finished their train of thought. of course there are exceptions to this but i like to think it’s respectful for them and helps me listen out for anything they may have missed that i can ask about at the end.

last night i had a staff member who was not permanent to our ward constantly butt in like every five seconds. i made an effort to speak slower and clearer as i’m aware i can be a fast talker sometimes. i also don’t mind repeating myself but it gets to a point and i started getting annoyed after i had to repeat myself several times about the same thing. but that wasn’t the worst part.

i’d like to think the person handing over should be the one in control of the mouse and going through ieMR simultaneously with the verbal handover, but oh my goodness, this lady was basically holding my hand the whole time trying to snatch the mouse off me. i let her take it once then i realised i didn’t like that at all so i stood on business and didn’t let it go the next several times she attempted to take it 🤣 like please stop touching my hand i don’t know you!!! 😭

anyway that’s my rant lol! i know i’m gonna meet a lot of personalities in this career but i just realised that is the first time i’ve been actually ticked off by another nurse… and i know it’s bound to keep happening 🤣

Has anyone worked as an aged care assessor visiting facilities and reviewing clients for their AN-ACC class? I have worked in aged care for 15 years, currently in management and I am really over the ever increasing workload. Am thinking of using my knowledge in the assessor space? But what's the work life balance like, pay etc.

I am planning to study nursing in the near future, but I am worried that I'll be rejected from uni, so I'm doing research into TAFE nursing. I have done a cert III in phlebotomy and that was 2.5 days a week on campus, how many days a week are you on campus for you EN diploma?

Based in WA and the closest TAFE to me is north metro.