Hey, my name is Niki. I am a Registered ICU Nurse. I came to NZ in June 2016 from the UK. The process to come to NZ took me many months to plan but once I actively started the wheels in motion it took around 9 months to get everything in place.
The easiest part of the process was the job search and interview stage. Merryl helped me through it all, don't think I would have go through it all without her help and support. The most challenging part of the process was getting my transcripts from my universities to complete my nursing registration, talk about stressful and time consuming!
In coming to NZ I have taken the leap from public hospitals into the private sector. Although the patients are still patients, there are quite a few differences from what I have experienced in the UK. However the staff team here have been amazing at helping me through the transition of moving to a new country and moving to a slightly different style of nursing. There are similarities which are reassuring too, for example some of the equipment we use in the UK is the same as the equipment here (although, often called something different which has caused a few laughs!)
Having visited NZ twice previously I had some idea of where we were moving to and what to expect, but living in NZ is a whole new experience. The people are so friendly, even more so when they find you are new to the country and they want to offer advice and support and luck for our new adventure, it is so lovely.
Wellington is a city I had explored very little on previous visits but we love it here. My husband and I aren't big city people so it is quite daunting to think we are living in the capital but it has a lovely small and friendly feel, unlike many of the UK cities. We are still finding our feet but are enjoying exploring our new surroundings.
We miss our families greatly and we do have moments of homesickness. But our families are planning their first visits out soon so we are looking forward to that. Hopefully we can persuade a few of them to make the move too!
My advice to people considering making this move...DO IT! You will never look back, it is a beautiful country, way of life and people. Make sure you plan the move as it can be challenging and don't get disheartened by hurdles, there will be plenty. Accent are invaluable in making this move, I know we wouldn't be where we are now if we hadn't had their support and help, huge thank you to Merryl!
