Australia has always remained one of the top study destinations for international students globally. Amongst reasons such as global recognition, excellent education system, vibrant cities, higher standard of living & cultural diversities, the most lucrative reasons to choose Australia are the limitless career opportunities available to international students after graduation and the possibility of making Australia their permanent home.
Australia heavily relies on the migrant population to fill its professional jobs. One of the industries that takes a higher percentage of international residents is the health sector, with 33% of nurses in Australia belonging to other nations. The industry is projected to grow significantly, and the current pandemic has fueled the demand for internationally qualified nurses in Australia.
All internationally qualified nurses are keen to take this opportunity, but it is not as simple and easy as it looks. From gaining an Australian equivalent qualification to getting the Australian Nursing registration, it is a long journey. But is it really that long and difficult? It does not have to be if you are an overseas registered nurse. With Nurse Assist International’s help, you can easily prepare for your OBA assessment and pass your NCLEX_RN & OSCE exams – the accelerated pathway to Nursing Registration in Australia. One of our OBA graduates who has successfully passed her OBA assessment and is now a Registered Nurse in Australia shares her story.
Hailing from Nepal, Swayamta came to Australia in 2018 to study Master of Nursing International course. As she had already completed a B.Sc. Nursing course from India, she could not study another Bachelor level course in Australia – a path that leads to Nursing registration. So she decided to undertake the Master of Nursing International course and explore opportunities available to get Australia Nursing Registration while studying here. She is an overseas registered nurse with 1.5 years of work experience in Nepal.
Like every international student, Swayamta faced several challenges during her early days in Australia. From finding a secure job to adjusting to cultural differences, she had to endure it all. With her past qualification and experiences, she managed to get a job as an Assistant in Nursing (AIN). As she progressed with her studies, she was looking for ways to register herself as a nurse with the Australian nursing board. She had two pathways available for her:
- study another Bachelor of Nursing course in Australia (a time-consuming and expensive option) or
- assess her overseas degree and experience as equivalent to Australian nursing degrees.
She chose the second option and a smart one too. She learnt about the OBA assessment pathway after AHPRA introduced it in March 2020. During her research about this process, she realised that she needed help to prepare better for the NCLEX-RN and the OSCE exams. It wasn’t that she could not prepare on her own, but she realised (later) that it would take her additional time and would be a tad more difficult to prepare on her own in a short period.
Her further research of finding OBA preparatory course providers in Australia presented Nurse Assist International as the best option. She knew she made the right choice as her preparatory course progressed – the NAI teachers were the best, supporting and experienced ones. They helped her overcome her fear of the NCLEX and OSCE exams and equipped her with the skills and competence required for nursing practice in Australia.
She found both NCLEX and OSCE exams challenging, but she was able to overcome these challenges through the NAI courses. The OBA preparatory courses at NAI focused on important topics and skills practice, and the clinical experience and simulation labs were key to acing the tests. She feels a high sense of achievement and is very proud of herself for passing both exams.
It took her only 11 months to get her Australian nursing registration (including delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic), and she is currently working as an Australian Registered Nurse. She feels happy, satisfied and motivated after accomplishing her goals. With Australia presenting endless opportunities to registered nurses, she finds her and her family’s future very bright.
Looking back at her journey, she shares that OBA was the best pathway for her and encourages every internationally qualified nurse to take this pathway. A painter by hobby, she advises overseas nurses to believe in themselves. She adds, “The bigger the challenge is, the stronger you get. No matter what comes in life, take it as an opportunity to learn.”
