WORKING ABROADDi Francis

Senior RCN Officer

South Hampshire, IOW and Jersey

Plan Ahead!Research your chosen country

u Cultureu Religious beliefsu Lawsu Visas

Resources

u UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) www.fco.gov.uk

Local laws and customsUnited Arab Emirates laws and customs are very different to those in the UK. Be aware of your actions to ensure that they don’t offend, especially during the holy month of Ramadan or if you intend to visit religious areas. There may be serious penalties for doing something that might not be illegal in the UK. You are strongly advised to familiarise yourself with, and respect local laws and customs. Extract from FCO web page

RCN Library

u www.rcn.org.uk/libraryu http://www.rcn.org.uk/development/libra

ry_and_heritage_services/library_collections/e-journals

u Contact other RCN members working abroad- via RCN Direct -www.rcn.org.uk/support/rcn_direct_online_advice

Qualifications and Registration Requirements

u You will need to register with the relevant licensing or registration board in the country

u NMC – for verification certificate and advice on maintaining your NMC Registration

u International Council of Nurses - www.icn.ch

u 6 months experience advisedu Employers in Middle East usually

require 2 years experienceu VSO require 3 -5 years experience

Finding a Job

u Nursing Journals u Recruitment eventsu Interviewsu Always take time to seriously consider a

job offer

Contract Checklist

u Do not sign if there are blank spacesu Do not sign if in a language you do not

understandu Do not rely on verbal promisesu Pre employment agreement

u Job Descriptionu Induction/Orientationu Probationary Periodu Premature Termination of Contract?u Changes to Employmentu Salariesu Hoursu Annual Leaveu Length of Contractu Health Insurance

Other considerationsu Sickness entitlementu Emergency leave entitlementu Accommodationu Relocation expensesu Local Law Customsu Cost of Livingu Pension (www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk)u Independent Financial advice

www.lv.com

And Finally

u Join a unionu Make a willu Access Factsheets on RCN website

www.rcn.org.uk/direct

RCN Student Membership £10 per year