RP Nurses in UK Want to Move to Australia

Employment opportunities and the promise of a high salary attract Filipino nurses to work in United Kingdom (UK). However, since UK is one of the most expensive countries in the world, what some perceived to be a high salary is actually just enough to get you by in this European county.

This is the reason why many Filipinos nurses in UK want to move to another country that can provide better living conditions and higher value for their money and they are targeting Australia.

Many Filipino nurses currently in UK want to transfer to Australia because they feel that they will be better off there. Aside from the competitive salary, it also has lower cost of living and favorable climate. Other Pinoy nurses in UK are eyeing Canada and Saudi Arabia as the country to migrate to.

The annual salary of a Filipino nurse is 24,000 pounds or more or less 2 million pesos. However, if you have a family to support and considering the high cost of living there; that seemingly huge amount is still not enough for the nurses in UK to afford a house they can call their own.

A study conducted in Britain confirms the poor quality of life in UK and the country has recently come to be regarded as the “Sick Man of Europe.” Even British citizens are leaving UK to migrate to another country.

An estimated 41,000 Britons left UK in 2006 to settle in other countries. The figure is said to be the highest number of mass departure in Europe.

Source: Nursing Guide

Saskatchewan and Japan Compete to Hire Foreign Nurses

The healthcare industry of Saskatchewan, Canada is facing labor shortage and they need to hire more foreign nurses to fill the demand. As Filipino nurses are known for their excellent work ethics and job performance, Saskatchewan seeks to hire the services of RP nurses.

However, aside from Saskatchewan, Filipino nurses are also in demand in other countries as well and one of them is Japan. The need for people to fill up job vacancies in the medical field and the aging population leave Japan no choice but to open its doors for foreign nurses and caregivers.

Japan seeks to hire healthcare professionals from the countries of Indonesia and the Philippines. A Washington, D.C.-based reporter for Japan's NHK, Masaru Takagi, said that a memorandum of agreement between Japan and countries of Philippines and Indonesia has recently been created and Japan would soon hire soon foreign nurses and caregivers.

Takagi said, "The first large group of health care workers from Indonesia is expected to arrive in Japan in early August. Nurses and caregivers are in demand especially in more rural areas, while hospitals are also seeking workers for the less desirable midnight shifts.

The deployment of foreign nurses is big news in Japan which had always been wary of any agreements that would allow the entry of expatriates in their country. Nursing organizations in Japan criticize that hiring of foreigners is not the best solution to address the labor shortage.

Foreign nurses to be deployed in Japan are advised to familiarize themselves with the Japanese language and culture to avoid culture shock and to make communicating with the locals easy. Hired nurses will also undergo six-month training and pass a national nursing exam in Japan within three years. Nurses who will fail the exam will be sent home.

On the other hand, Saskatchewan is active in its efforts to attract the entry of Filipino nurses. Representatives from the government of Canada (Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association and the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses) visited the Philippines last March and May to conduct a nine-day recruitment mission. An estimate of 300 new nurses was hired as a result of that trip.

Saskatchewan prefer Filipino nurses because of the excellent English skills and for being educated using an American nursing curriculum.

Source: Nursing Guide