FOR the past six weeks Cootamundra has played host to two Indian nurses conducting their nursing bridging training at the local hospital.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Shiji Mathew and Suja Jacob are both keen to work in Australia, however given Australia does not accept their qualification from India, the ladies are required to undertake a three month bridging course, six of weeks of which sees them placed in a regional hospital.
The ladies have been looked after by Cootamundra-based registered nurse Lindy Cooper.
They have been having a ball at the Cootamundra Hospital and say nursing in Australia is an entirely different ball game to nursing in India.
“We are enjoying the different situations in health care, nurses here get a lot more respect than in India,” Shiji said.
“Nurses are treated like real professionals,” she added.
The ladies said Cootamundra has been a great place to get a feel for nursing in Australia.
“It is not so busy so we get a chance to build good relationships with our patients,” Suja said.
Mrs Cooper has been responsible for planning the ladies’ time in Cootamundra and assessing their work.
Both ladies have worked not only in India but also in the Middle East, where they can work without bridging qualifications.
Shiji, who has worked as a nurse for three years has practiced in both India and Saudi.
Suja, with 13 years as a nurse under her belt, has nursed in India and in Muscat.
The ladies are two of 40 students doing their bridging training across the Murrumbidgee Local Health District.
Once completed, they can apply to the Australian Practitioners Health Regulation Agency (APRHA) to become a registered nurse enabling them to practice in Australia.
Prior to coming to Cootamundra, the ladies spent a month at the Institute of Health and Nursing Australia, which operates out of Melbourne University, and will return to Melbourne for two weeks following their placement in Cootamundra at which point they will qualify to apply to the APHRA.
Mrs Cooper said the ladies have been incredibly popular at the hospital, both with the patients and the staff.
She said she hopes the ladies may consider returning to Cootamundra to work once they are settled in Australia.
Shiji and Suja said they have enjoyed their bridging training and are coming to grips with not only the cultural differences between South Asia and Australia but also the way the healthcare system runs in Australia.
Both ladies have family in Australia, including Shiji’s husband, who is based in Adelaide.
While in Cootamundra, they have been staying at the nurse’s quarters at the Cootamundra Hospital.
