Nurse & 5 kids to France?

[Audois]

My best friend, a Kiwi has an idea; move to France with her 5 kids and work here for a year.

It all came about because her son, my godson had a dream the other night that he was living here again with me. She's also fed up with where she is in NZ and wants a change. Having had 5kids she's been a little tied down. She's single, got lots of guts and will do it ... but I'm in a quandary as to how it could work.

1. She's a qualified theatre nurse with specialisms in gynaecology, orthopedics and generalist operations.

2. She doesn't speak French (but is willing to get to grips with it in an intensive course before coming over)

3. She has a Kiwi passport (in my eyes, I have a feeling French hospitals will want a EU passport and probably French qualifications).  However I have heard that French hospitals are madly recruiting nurses.

Can someone give us a clue ... anyone in the nursing profession in France on the board? I'm not sure if this will work but I would love to see them all here for a year or two. I think there may be a job for her in Toulouse ... but whether they'd accept her ... Ideally she'd like something in the SE near me so they could all live at mine.

Any ideas? She'd change her specialisms - ie. work with elderly in a home etc ...

[Will]

Being able to communicate in French is a must, particularly under stress (having to dive for a phrase book or dictionary in mid-operation is not a good idea). It is probably easier to learn a specialised vocabulary, e.g. as used in theatre, than trying to deal with more general nursing areas such as geriatrics. Though I saw on the BBC this very morning that the BMA is concerned about EU nationals apparently being able, thanks to EU law, to work in British hospitals without being able to speak English. This must be a different EU from that to which France belongs

French qualifications and EU nationals are preferred, but there is a shortage of nurses in France as in many other places. The only way to find out if your friend could get a job would be to contact a suitable hospital in your area, and see if her backgound and qualifications would count for anything.

My sister is a qualified theatre nurse (anaesthetics) who quite fancies the idea of being able to come here, so we have looked into this question.

I think the most difficult part of the equation is the kids. Don't think a year out of school in NZ and a year in French schools is likely to be good for all of them. Fine for younger ones, but when approaching exam ages it's a different story unless you can use a good international school, and not all of them are particularly good.

[Audois]

Thanks Will

The children aren't too much of a problem.  The 16yo has already done a year at college here when he was 14/15 and the question will be whether he goes to Lycee Agricole here or does his 'High School Certificate' by correspondance from here.

The next one (11) will probably go to college or do the last year of primaire.  The other two (8&10) will be at primaire here in the village and the 'baby' will be 3 and go to maternelle in the village school too.

I've been asking around, there seems to be work in Toulouse where they are taking Spanish nurses and giving them French courses on arrival; apparently they are still desperate for more nurses and offering all kinds of incentives.  The problem is who is recruiting?  Is it a national agency; private or public or does she forward her CV direct to hospitals?

Does anyone know rates of pay here?  Obviously that will be a major factor!!!

 

 

[Kate CKate C]

I have been a Theatre nurse for 22years, the last 3yrs I was a Theatre Sister. I am working here in France in a private clinic in the 'Bloc Operatoire' as an Instrumentiste. What is that I hear you ask?. It is more or less a First Assistant as we have called the job in the UK. I suppose I was quite lucky,as I received a phone call from a French person who knew I was a theatre nurse and asked me would I go and talk to the clinic as there was a nurse going off on maternity leave and they needed a 5 month replacement for her. I actually laughed and thought it all a bit of a joke as I knew my French was certainly to me not good enough to work. I went along in February and was asked to come a couple of days for the next few weeks until this girl left. I started my 5 month contract on the 18th April. There were times in the beginning that I did think 'what on earth have I let myself in for?'. As each day goes by at work I am a bit more confident,enjoy the fact that I am working in an area I love, and very grateful for the improvement in my French and the invaluable experience I am getting. The other people in the theatre department are very kind and supportive. My qualifications were acceptable here as I had made enquiries from the NMC before moving here last year. I didn't have to have anything translated into French,I was asked for my CV and proof of my registration.  When my 5 month contract finishes I will approach a hospital near to where I live as the only downside to this job at the moment is I have to travel 70kms each way, but I felt the experience and opportunity given to me,that the long drive over the summer was a small price to pay. Pay scales I am not to sure about, I earn the same as the other nurses which is €11.30 per hour.

Good luck.

 

 

     

[Audois]

Kate

Thank you so much for your answer.  I think my friend may try to contact you via a PM or e-mail; I'll get her to log on as a member, if you'd be so kind as to correspond with her (she's got a multitude of questions!)

 

[Kate CKate C]

Audois, there is no problem if your friend wishes to contact me, I will, if I can answer any questions she may have and if I can't will do my best to find the answers for her.(with my limited French!).

 

p.s. I looked at your website and it looks very impressive.

 

Best wishes, Kate

[Ann33]

Hi,

I am a registered nurse from England, with qualifications in the specialised area of Renal Dialysis. I am aware there are dialysis centres nearby. I have been told by an English nurse who has lived and worked in France for the past 14years, that some emplyers won't touch you unless:

1. You ahve a sound knowledge of the French language otherwise you are seen as a risk!

2. You need to have your qualifications translated into French (which I have already done)

3. You have to visit DDASS to get youself on the qualified nurses register here in France.

There seems to be some contradictions in what  you need to do.

It may be different in other departments. I live in Brittany.

Anyway good Luck!!!!!!!!

 

[Teamedup]

As usual I find nurses pay here lousy. How will this friend manage on around 1300 euros a month pick up salary. Rent for a family of four, around here at least are from 600 euros a month up, plus other bills and local tax. The good thing is that with those kids, it is doubtful that she will have to pay income tax.

 

 

[Audois]

Thanks TU been a while since we communicated!!!

I agree the pay is lousy ... if that's what she'll end up with.

On the 'up' side she has me here, with accomodation to offer and help with the kids.  The other side of things - if she stays a year or two she'll have all 5 fluent in French, which will be a rarity for a family of that size!!! 

Someone once said to me that nursing is a 'portable profession' which I think is very true, however with 5 kids it's an expensive portable profession!!!  But it would be good for them all, here's hoping we'll find a local hospital who'll take her or a Toulouse hospital who might pay a little extra!