Reaching a nursing goal!

I've just handed in my Level 1 Professional Portfolio!

I am so relieved that stress is off my shoulders! Of course the Level 2 Portfolio is due in another 5 months, but at least I am halfway there with this one.

For those that don't know, Registered Nurses in NZ have to meet certain practice competencies to gain and renew their practising certificates. There are 2 ways we can prove this. The first option is waiting until the Nursing Council decides to audit you and then compiling a portfolio with evidence to show how you have met the competencies. The second option is signing up to your employer's Professional Development Recognition Programme (PDRP). This consists of several levels. As a New Graduate RN, the terms of my first year of employment are that I submit a Level 1 Portfolio at 6 months and a Level 2 Portfolio at about 12 months.

Most RNs work at Level 2. You can progress to Level 3 or 4 by submitting further portfolios, but for these levels it would usually mean you had a more senior role or were more experienced in your field. If you are on the PDRP you are exempt from the audits, at least for a while.

Although the portfolios are a pain to do, they are beneficial in providing proof to the Nursing Council that an RN is maintaining his or her competence to practice. A lot of nurses freak out about them, but those of us that have trained recently in degree programmes are much more used to putting portfolios together.

The New Grad RNs are also being encouraged to apply for the postgraduate courses next year. To be honest, I have no intention of studying next year, even if it is free. I feel like I need a year to consolidate my knowledge and concentrate on improving my nursing practice. There are also a lot of practical ward-based certificates and courses I'd like to spend my time doing next year. Although I do want to continue postgraduate study at some point, I really don't think I'd get an awful lot out of it this soon into my practice.

Anyway, I'm going to have a short break from portfolio-related work and focus on some other things, in particular buying my first house!

Intensive Update #3

My blog has been taken over for the last 6 months by tales from my trip to South East Asia, and so I haven't written about anything else. Hopefully now I'll get back on track!

So, first a bit of an update in what has been happening in my life during the last few months:

1 - Job

I started my new job at the hospital about 10 days after I got back from my trip. Six months in, it is still going really well, and I really feel like I'm improving as an RN. As a new graduate I have this job for a year. After that I'll have to find a permanent job, hopefully in the same place I'm working now and definitely still in Dunedin - I have no plans to move elsewhere! I feel settled in Dunedin, and it must feel like home because I always miss it and am glad to get back whenever I leave! I'm not sure I've ever really had that feeling in my life before...

2 - House

I'm currently looking for my first house! Yes, I'm entering the property market, and hopefully before the end of the year when my rental agreement runs out or else I'll be homeless! It is proving quite hard, houses I like tend to be sold very quickly before I can even make a decision! I've got a few lined up to see this week though, so hopefully something will come of it.

3 - Free time

Well I don't have much of this any more, due to all the working! I've had to give up choir for the rest of the year, but hopefully I will be back there next year and able to be a bit more focused! My writing is also pretty sporadic at the moment, I think I need to get into a routine and plan my free time a little better to make room for it. I've also been trying my best to spend time with my friends lately, as a lot of them are leaving at the end of the year - won't have many left after that!! And then there's the boyfriend...

One new hobby I've taken up is vegetable gardening. Well, sort of. I've got the beginnings of it anyway. It'll all be in containers, at least until I get my own garden. I'll blog about it later.

I'm making this a short update. The clocks go forward an hour tonight, which means I get an hour less sleep. I have to work at 7am tomorrow! Argh!

Election Time!

(above from NZ Herald)

Whilst the rest of the world remains enthralled by what is happening over in the USA, the little hidden away islands of New Zealand have their own decisions to make - yes, Saturday 8th November is also Election Time for NZ. Today is the day NZ may or may not be voting in a new government and new Prime Minister!

I am quite excited about this - but why I don't really know. As I've only been a Permanent Resident in New Zealand for 6 months I am not entitled to vote yet (stupid immigration service took waaayy too long sorting out my visa...) So why should I really pay much attention to what is happening? I guess because even though I can't vote I still live and work here, pay taxes, and use health and public services - therefore politics do affect me, even if I can't affect them.

New Zealand has a completely different system to what I am used to - here they use the Mixed Member Proportional system to elect the 120 seat Government. (In the UK, we have first-past-the-post). This means that while the Labour Party (left wing) and the National Party (centre-right wing) are the two main parties, they often have to ally with smaller third parties, such as NZ First or the Green Party, in order to form a Government. Currently Labour is in power, but with a minority Government, so they have agreements with other parties in order to remain in power. This is all quite confusing!

All I know is there seems to be a lot of minority parties in NZ, and they all seem to have a bigger voice that what I remember the UK parties having. I found this helpful article about what the parties are offering (although it's geared towards student voters...) I also discovered that the official Elections website has a funky quiz you can take to test how much you understand about MMP. It makes squeaky noises! Surprisingly, I managed to get 6 out of 9 correct... not too bad...

The current Prime Minister is Helen Clark (leader of the Labour Party). She has been in power for 9 years now. Her main rival is John Key (leader of National). From what I can make of the polls, National seem to be the slight favourites this year, but it seems so close that both parties would have to form coalitions in order to win power.

Who will win? I have no idea. I just hope that the recent fervour over the US Presidential Elections has sparked Kiwis to care about their country and get out and vote too.

Even though I can't vote, I still have my part to play - I have a job as a 'counter' tonight - yes, I get to sit in a chilly school hall on a Saturday evening counting up ballots. But, hey, it's good money, and it makes me feel like I'm doing *something* for democracy. Roll on 2011, when I will be able to vote for the first time!

I'll leave you with this cartoon I found, make of it what you will....

(NZ Herald)