Nursing in France...information wanted

[finnpog]

We are planning to move to the Mayenne region having recently inherited property there.

I am a specialist nurse and would like to eventually seek employment part time.

I speak good basic French, but obviously appreciate the need to improve my language skills - can any one advise the best way of doing this whilst living in France? What type of adult education courses are available? Is it possible to get/study a recognised French qualification , if so what is it? What qualifications are expected by French hospitals when employing British nurses?

I recognise that my French will not be up to scratch overnight, and am thinking of trying to get employment as an 'aide de nursing' to improve my medical/technical language skills in the meantime? Is this possible?

I'd also be grateful from info /advice from any British nurses that have moved to work in France

thanks

 

[Ann33]

Hi, Iam an English specialist nurse who moved to France earlier on this year.

The information I have is firstly I don't think you will get a chance to be employed in France as a qualified nurse until your French is quite fluent.In the meantime they may employ you as a "soignant" ( or carer)

You need to have an "attestation" from the NMC approximate cost £34 to verify your qualifications are in line with EEC regulations. When you get this you need to find out where your nearest DDASS (French Health dept) is and takethe "attestation" together with your qualifications maybe passport etc. They will then give you a registration number which will allow you to practice as a nurse here. 

You may need your qualifications translated into French by a "sworn translator" for any prospective empoyer.

When you apply for a job you will need your CV translated into French, along with a handwritten letter of application.

Hope this helps. I have been through all of this process now and got my number today!!!!

It does take time and patience, but it took me so long because i could not find anyone to show me where to start!!!!!

Bon Chance

Ann

[finnpog]

Thanks very much for the reply...and congratulations on getting your PIN through, it sounds like you have had a slog to get it.

 

I thought the fluency of language & technical vocab would be the main issue for me, but I would be more than happy to work as a carer to help this along in addition to french lessons.

 

Have you got a job / post sorted out at a hospital, or are you planning to work within a cabinet? Many thanks once again & good luck.

 

 

[Will]

The advice given is very good, but do check up in the area where you want to work, there are never any standard answers for all of France and I have heard of English nurses getting jobs in France withoout too much hassle. I don't know what the requirements are in Mayenne, but they may not be quite so strict.

I was talking to a friend yesterday who is married to a French nurse who works in a cabinet in the south. Her colleagues are both retiring soon, as are many other nurses, and there are serious worries about how they will be replaced, as there is apparently a severe shortage of nurses coming into the profession. The situation is not bad in the large cities, or the popular areas like the Côte d'Azur, but elsewhere the health authorities are getting desperate. They are talking about a recruitment drive overseas. Unfortunately this does not include Britain, they are looking first at French-speaking countries, e.g. in the Caribbean, for obvious reasons. Fluent French is a must for cabinet work, having to deal with, for example, old people who speak no other languages, and many of them with strong regional accents, where the consequences of misunderstandings could be disastrous. However, most doctors speak English so there may be openings in some areas of hospital work for those with more basic language skills as the shortage is potentially even worse there.

[Ann33]

Haven't got a job yet, but have written to a local "clinique" in my area, and will probably approach one or two of the larger hospitals taking my CV and letter with me by hand.

Hopefully something will turn up!

[Jomo]

Hi,

I am a specialist nurse in Scotland who worked for several years in france and switzerland.You really do need to be have a very good level of french to work as a qualified nurse in a hospital environment, especially on the general side which is very technically orientated and short staffed in many places. There are agencies ie appel medical which may be able to help you find a position as a carer or even down the  french equivalent of the jobcentre I think its the APNE.I had worked in a busy french speaking university hospital in switzerland as a charge nurse for several years before moving to france and found it very difficult initially working in a general hospital in France. Finding a job was not really a problem I was offered lots of agency and cabinet work, however I sometimes found myself in situations which I deemed to be quite dangerous and and actually refused to work in the ward after seeing the situation. I ended up working in a private psychiatric clinic(you do not need to be a RMN) mainly because it was less technical, slower pace etc and much less stressful (at times could be a bit scary too!)

I think that working in a cabinet is a good option once your french is up to scratch and if I had stayed I would probably have gone for this option.

After saying all this however many of the girls I worked with in Switzerland had only O level french and were not at all fluent when they started working there. however they were well supported in the initial  few weeks and the staffing situation allowed one to be mentored very closely by another nurse for a while. For many it was sink or swim ,however this immediate immersion in the language  does greatly increase the speed at which your french will improve! anyway good luck

Joan