Sydney settled at last! Putting down my suitcase and having a wardrobe again has never felt so good. Neither has walking out your door and walking 5 minutes to get to one of the most famous beaches in the world, Coogee!
Since I have been in Sydney I have been working as a nurse for an agency. Agency work is better for my situation as I am only here for a number of months. My employers have been great and there is always so much work so I am never short of shifts. If you are thinking about nursing in Sydney, I am happy to give advice about the registration process or agency applying etc. I got to work in hospitals all over Sydney and gain really good experience.
There was similarities and differences to nursing in Australia in comparison to Scotland. For example, it baffled me when I saw nurses walking around in their uniform in public as this is allowed there, whereas its very much the opposite in Scotland. You can also have your nails done in Australia which I loved! Getting your nails done there is also a lot cheaper than at home - win win. There was also clinical differences despite all that. With IV infusions you don't need to make the IV up with a colleague you just need them to check you have the correct medications and set up. We were also allowed to write the times of the medications in the kardex charts which here only doctors can do. I found nursing in Australia slightly more independent and you are expected to just get on, which is good and bad. It was a great learning opportunity and an even better way to network!
Not only did I nurse in Sydney, I decided to get another job as I thought I will be nursing always now and wanted something a little different. I done some bar work in a venue called Establishment. Establishment is owned by a company called Merivale who own 65 restaurants, bars, pubs, hotels and function spaces in Sydney. This company was no other words than incredible to work for. They treat their staff well and even better, you get discounts and deals in all of those 65 venues. My favourite club in Sydney was called IVY, especially on backpackers’ night which was on Thursday. They have a rooftop pool in the night club and have pool parties during the day. If you are looking for bar work or catering, I would definitely recommend working for Merivale. I was there for the Merivale ball which is when they host a function in IVY which was completely rented out for over 1000 staff. It was free food and drink all night and it was nothing less than making you feel like a celebrity, one of the best nights I’ve had! I missed out on this one but if you are working for them over Christmas, their Christmas party is renting out an island and taking all their staff over for a festival!! Keep in mind its Summer there as well at Christmas so festival season is prime. There are hundreds of really cool bars in Sydney but from personal experience, Merivale is a great company to work for. If you are in Sydney, make sure to go check out Establishment as well (the best one). They also have great salsa night on Tuesdays.
I lived in a suburb called Randwick which is really good for transport and walking distance to Coogee. It’s a great area for young travellers to live in as its cheaper than living in the centre, its not far from the city and its really quirky. I was lucky enough to have some good friends I went to University with already living there so flat shared with them. Some of the most fun I had was actually in the flat - there is something about living with your friends abroad that you can’t quite beat. Sydney was my favourite place in Australia. It’s the city that has it all! It is filled with opportunity and it is almost impossible to get bored. There is something for everyone here, I can assure you.
My time in Sydney is almost coming to an end and I am soon going to be travelling up the East Coast for 3 weeks before my return for a short while and then it's destination home.
I'll be back, Sydney!
