Meet Sarah – Part of the ANAN Team 1. Tell us a bit about your background – country of origin, growing up, etc I grew up in a small town in the middle of Ireland where everyone knows everyone. It was great to have such a great sense of community around, but I began to feel I needed something a bit more. I studied business studies in Athlone institute of Technology and then decided to move to London when I was 19. I loved the change from a small-town life to living in such a big, beautiful city. I spent 3 years working in hospitality and retail until I finally decided to make the big move to Au ..read more

Here’s a joke: what do you call a Kiwi with a hundred family members? A shepherd. Here’s another one: did you hear about the winner of the New Zealand beauty contest? Me neither. Alright, we’re finished. Don’t worry Kiwis, we love you! Despite our bickering and rivalry, Australians and New Zealanders are practically family. We share a language, much of our modern history, and at one stage, there was even a proposal for New Zealand to become part of Australia – in fact, Australia’s constitution still leaves an open invitation for New Zealand to become an Australian state. The similarities are s ..read more

A lot of people who come back from working overseas describe it as a real life-changing experience. And it’s not hard to see why! Working holidays are an increasingly popular way of experiencing Aussie life. Getting to know a new country, immersing yourself in a new culture and making lifelong friendships, all while gaining a range of work experience – what’s not to love? Done right, a working holiday can be an experience you’ll cherish for the rest of your life… but only if you do it right. One mistake we see far too many travellers make is spending too much of their working holiday at work ..read more

With a little help from Australian Nursing Agency (ANA), your working holiday in Australia is finally on-track! Your luggage is packed, the visas are in order, and you’ve already organised accommodation for when you land. Time to officially start the countdown towards your departure! A lot of planning goes into preparing for a working holiday. But have you put any thought into what you need to bring with you? We’ve already written a helpful blog post about the important essentials you will need in Australia – including an intro to our public transport ticket system as well as advice on finding ..read more

O Canada! You mightn’t think that the great white north and the Land Down Under share too many similarities. One known for its lush green (when it isn’t frozen over), and the other known for its dry, arid, and wide open land. You might even say they’re polar opposites, if you’ll pardon the pun! Yet in spite of that, both of our nations are closely entwined, sharing similar histories, much of our culture and a language (except Quebec!) All of these make Australia the perfect destination for qualified Canadian nurses looking to go on a bit of an adventure. There’s always a place for Canucks down ..read more

Are you a battle-hardened nursing looking to further develop your nursing expertise? Or perhaps you’re a recent graduate, big eyed and bushy tailed, ready to take the world of nursing-head on with your freshly earned degree? Whether you’re only just beginning your nursing career or are twenty years in already, if there’s one thing a nurse can’t afford to do, it’s to stand still. After all, health care is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the Australian economy, not to mention one of the fastest growing subjects at Australian universities. With this much competition, nurses can’t afford to ..read more

Australia is frequently viewed as a shining example of multiculturalism done right, ranking as the world’s second most diverse country in the world. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone – after all, modern Australia is a country built on immigration. According to the 2016 census, 26% of Australia’s population (more than 6 million people) was born overseas. But did you know that one in six of those people hail from the UK or Ireland? In fact, immigrants from the British Isles make up the single largest immigrant group in Australia. And with the close historical, work and immigration link ..read more

When people think of Australian cities, we’re willing to bet that most people think of Sydney. Contrary to popular belief, Sydney is not the capital of Australia. And there’s another city vying for your attention: Melbourne. The sibling rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney is almost as old as modern Australia. Ask any Melburnian, and they’ll rant and rave about how their city has a better restaurants, better coffee, better football teams, better events and a better music scene. We’ve put together this list of ten interesting facts about Melbourne to set the record straight and spread the good ..read more

So you’ve decided to go on an international working holiday. There’s just one question: with a literal world full of opportunities out there, where do you go exactly? Choosing the right destination for your working holiday is the most important decision in the entire process. There’s a lot to take in: what are your job prospects as an overseas nurse? Will you have a hard time finding a place to stay? Who, if anyone, can you turn to for support? Here’s a suggestion: why not come down to Australia? Don’t let the distance scare you off – in our (possibly biased!) opinion, you really can’t go past ..read more

According to the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, almost half (45%) of the Australian population (8.5 million people) aged between 18-65 will experience a mental disorder at some stage. However, only one third of people (34.9%) with a mental health disorder used health services for their mental health problem – that means almost two thirds of people with a mental health disorder go completely untreated. Mental health is an important – and all too often, ignored – field of health in Australia. Fortunately, that’s all tipped to change with increases in government funding for menta ..read more