My name is Kelty. I am a registered nurse (operating theatre). I came to NZ in August 2025 from Colorado, USA. The process to come to NZ took me six months. The easiest part of the process was obtaining my New Zealand nursing license. It was a very straightforward process, and this was achieved quickly.
The most challenging part of the process was getting all four pets imported (two dogs, two cats). There were strict vaccination timelines to adhere to, and our fur babies had to quarantine for ten days at an approved facility south of Auckland. It took a lot of coordination between NZ animal imports, our export vet, the pet travel company, and the quarantine facility.
I cannot say enough about how helpful Hayley from ACCENT Health Recruitment has been throughout this journey. She guided me through the nursing license transfer process, contacting employers, interview preparation, and guiding us in obtaining our straight-to-residence visa. She even helped my wife and me find a rental home in New Plymouth. She still checks in on me to make sure I am settling in well into my new life in New Zealand!
My first impressions of NZ were how friendly everyone is. New Zealanders seem to be very conscientious overall. What I specifically like about NZ is that it is a highly diverse landscape packed into such a small country. New Zealand is roughly the same land area as my home state of Colorado.
I think the best parts of NZ are the diverse landscape. Being from Colorado, my wife and I love to do summit hikes. I didn't realize it would be possible to climb a mountain and walk on the beach in the same day. We could even ski and surf in the same day if we wanted to.
What I like about the area I live in is living near the beach. I've lived in landlocked places my whole life and have always wanted to live near the coast. Now that I live in New Plymouth, my wife and I can walk our dogs on the beach for hours without running into another person.
The most challenging part of the process was getting all four pets imported (two dogs, two cats). There were strict vaccination timelines to adhere to, and our fur babies had to quarantine for ten days at an approved facility south of Auckland. It took a lot of coordination between NZ animal imports, our export vet, the pet travel company, and the quarantine facility.
I cannot say enough about how helpful Hayley from ACCENT Health Recruitment has been throughout this journey. She guided me through the nursing license transfer process, contacting employers, interview preparation, and guiding us in obtaining our straight-to-residence visa. She even helped my wife and me find a rental home in New Plymouth. She still checks in on me to make sure I am settling in well into my new life in New Zealand!
My first impressions of NZ were how friendly everyone is. New Zealanders seem to be very conscientious overall. What I specifically like about NZ is that it is a highly diverse landscape packed into such a small country. New Zealand is roughly the same land area as my home state of Colorado.
I think the best parts of NZ are the diverse landscape. Being from Colorado, my wife and I love to do summit hikes. I didn't realize it would be possible to climb a mountain and walk on the beach in the same day. We could even ski and surf in the same day if we wanted to.
What I like about the area I live in is living near the beach. I've lived in landlocked places my whole life and have always wanted to live near the coast. Now that I live in New Plymouth, my wife and I can walk our dogs on the beach for hours without running into another person.
What I miss the most is our close friends and family from back home. It is sometimes difficult to connect with them due to the time differences and international phone plans. I have put measures in place to help support what I miss, such as staying connected with friends and family through social media and doing regular video chats to keep up with everyone.
I plan to visit Kapiti Island. My wife and I would really love to see a kiwi bird in the wild. We have a strong appreciation for wildlife. During our time in Colorado, we encountered a mountain lion, bobcats, bears, foxes (including a black fox), elk, and countless moose in our own backyard.
The work/life balance made a difference to my life because my hospital closes for three weeks over the holidays, which is unheard of in the U.S. This allowed my wife and me time to recharge and to get out and explore the country.
The biggest difference between my current role in NZ and my previous role in the United States is having a more clearly defined role. My last position in the U.S. was a night shift charge nurse role, and I helped run the operating theatre department with only one other coworker. I was used to wearing many hats, as I was also responsible for gathering instruments/supplies and setting up theatres for the following day. The setting was similar to a public hospital, so my theatre background revolved more around emergent-type cases. I'm now in a role primarily for outpatient-type procedures. The circulator role is very similar to what I was used to doing in the U.S., so this aspect has been a fairly easy transition.
While I have scrubbed a few surgery cases in my theatre nurse career, the scrub role in the U.S. is primarily reserved for a scrub tech (a two-year degree). It's a new concept to me, working with all nurses who can divide the workload with the same skill set. So I'm also grateful to have a lot more help in theatre lists, and learning to scrub has helped to foster my drive to be a lifelong learner.
My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is to bring a really nice camera and binoculars and always bring a rain jacket with you.
Thank you,
Kelty, BSN, RN, BA
I plan to visit Kapiti Island. My wife and I would really love to see a kiwi bird in the wild. We have a strong appreciation for wildlife. During our time in Colorado, we encountered a mountain lion, bobcats, bears, foxes (including a black fox), elk, and countless moose in our own backyard.
The work/life balance made a difference to my life because my hospital closes for three weeks over the holidays, which is unheard of in the U.S. This allowed my wife and me time to recharge and to get out and explore the country.
The biggest difference between my current role in NZ and my previous role in the United States is having a more clearly defined role. My last position in the U.S. was a night shift charge nurse role, and I helped run the operating theatre department with only one other coworker. I was used to wearing many hats, as I was also responsible for gathering instruments/supplies and setting up theatres for the following day. The setting was similar to a public hospital, so my theatre background revolved more around emergent-type cases. I'm now in a role primarily for outpatient-type procedures. The circulator role is very similar to what I was used to doing in the U.S., so this aspect has been a fairly easy transition.
While I have scrubbed a few surgery cases in my theatre nurse career, the scrub role in the U.S. is primarily reserved for a scrub tech (a two-year degree). It's a new concept to me, working with all nurses who can divide the workload with the same skill set. So I'm also grateful to have a lot more help in theatre lists, and learning to scrub has helped to foster my drive to be a lifelong learner.
My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is to bring a really nice camera and binoculars and always bring a rain jacket with you.
Thank you,
Kelty, BSN, RN, BA
