Nursing Careers

"The process of moving to Australia was much quicker than I expected - I approached Maria and Allan in late February and found myself in Australia three months later," says JESSY SIMON from Bangalore. Allan and Maria treat me like family and I can call them anytime if I need advice. I am very happy living in Australia and love how everything is so organised; you don't have to wait days and days if you want to get something done!"

"Australia is a beautiful country and I really like the multicultural community, the climate, and the educational opportunities for nurses," says SONIKA JAGDEV, who is originally from Tamil. "Thanks to Allan and Maria Pittman, I am about to start working at Bupa, which I am really looking forward to.

They have been so helpful, right from the very beginning. They picked us up from the airport and provided us with very good accommodation. Allan takes us to see the hospitals while Maria show us different places, so they are very supportive. I am hoping to specialise in Neurology and look forward to my future in healthcare."

"I have had so many wonderful experiences in Australia and have had great feedback about my work," says PRIYA KURIAN who was born in Terala. "There are quite a few Indians here and I don't even miss my home. After one year of work with Bupa, I am going to apply for a Master in Psychiatry. I am grateful to Allan and Maria for always being there for me when I need them."

After seeing an advertisement in the paper about working in Australia, Delhi based nurse TEENA THOMAS went to a seminar hosted by Careers International in February 2008.

"They showed a video of all these nurses and their positive feedback of their experiences was quite convincing," Teena recalls from her new home in Toowoomba, Queensland, home of the spectacular Great Barrier Reef. "The fact that these nurses had come from Rajkumari Amrit Kaur (RAK) College of Nursing meant that they were reputable testimonials."

Already equipped with two years nursing experience and the necessary prerequisites, Teena filled out the paperwork and soon found herself on a plane to Australia.

"When you're going to another country you wonder how you are going to cope but Allan and Maria really take care of you," she says. "There are so many agencies in India that just desert you once you arrive in Australia but Nursing Careers Australia is like a family."

One of the first things Teena noticed while working in the Australian medical system is how much nurses are respected. "Unlike in India, nursing is a highly reputable job - here you earn respect and good money," says Teena, who now works as a Level 2 RN at Bupa aged care facility.

Teena is so happy with her decision to move to Australia that she is planning to get married here next year. "My fiancé is currently in the UK but is hoping to come here so we can settle down," she says, clearly besotted. "I really love this place."

Originally from Bangalore, ANUPRIYA MASILAMANI DURAISWAMY has created a new life for herself and her family thanks to the support from Careers International.

Since graduating in April 2009, Anupriya is working as an RN in Melbourne with Bupa, and settling into a new home with her husband and young son. "The facilities are beautiful and it's a nice place to work - I am very happy," she says with great satisfaction.

"What I love about Australia is that it is so multicultural," Anupriya continues, "and there are so many people from India who live here."

Job satisfaction rates high for Anupriya, who says that nurses in Australia enjoy greater responsibility and respect than in India. "At first I wasn't used to making my own choices as doctors in India make all the decisions, even for simple situations."

As an RN, Anupriya is in charge of the floor and is responsible for delegating jobs to numerous staff underneath her. "That would not be possible if I was working in India," she says.

Anupriya and her family live in quiet, leafy suburb just a ten-minute walk from work. "We were able to enrol my son in the local school after ten days of arriving in Australia, and find a job for my husband where I work so everything has worked out beautifully."

According to Anupriya, this has all been made possible because of the support from Allan and Maria, who not only helped her family find a home but also furnish it with everything they needed. "Allan is like our father," she says.

"When we first arrived they would call almost every day to help us settle, and they even came to help us buy furniture. I don't believe that you would get that kind of support from other agencies."