Nursing in Russia and gaining access into a closed city

[BatmanUSA 105]

Hi all,

So my wife is adjusting well here in Florida..

But I'm wondering about, in the future, to spend some time in Russia...

I am a Registered Nurse...

I understand that the salary is much much less for a nurse in Russia, this is not the issue...

I am wondering, if anyone knows, what is required to obtain a nursing license in Russia..??

Lena, my wife, is not sure as she is a teacher...

Also, her parents live in a closed city.. They said they can make and submit the documents for me to obtain a permit to enter the city, but unknown if it will be approved...

any thoughts or experience on this subject???

thanks, chris

[Hollyday 122]

You realise that 'much less' is like 6-10k roubles per month?..

[Amy_and_Victor 159]

Hi all,

So my wife is adjusting well here in Florida..

But I'm wondering about, in the future, to spend some time in Russia...

I am a Registered Nurse...

I understand that the salary is much much less for a nurse in Russia, this is not the issue...

I am wondering, if anyone knows, what is required to obtain a nursing license in Russia..??

Do you realize, that being a nurse in Russia is EXTREMELY different from being a nurse in the US? In Russia nurses often don't get almost any respect (because it's considered as a simple and low-level job for somebody who are not even capable of getting a government paid degree to be a doctor) and poor income job (you can make way more money even by delivering pizza) where you have to do a lot of various things even if it's not your duties, and you're just one step above a toilet cleaner in the eyes of your co-workers and customers?

I will add one more thing to consider. In the US I've seen almost no "gender oriented" jobs - here girls driving big trucks, guys trimming hair in barber shops, and nobody thinks it's weird. In Russia it's a lot of gender oriented jobs. Like I'd tell it's very little amount of guys working as a nurse because it's considered in society as a "women's job", so don't be wondered if in some clinics you'll be only one guy nurse. No, they exist, of course, but in many cases if guy in Russia tells to somebody that he is a nurse, he will get a strange stare and will be asked "really? why?", because in Russia it's still considered that if guy wants a medical career, he should be at least a doctor with diploma, and nurses - it's a job for girls. The same stereotype about barber shops, I've seens plenty of guys doing this job here (especially in old fashion barber shops for men's), but in Russia if you'll tell that you're working in barber shop, almost everybody will think you're so much gay and will not believe your wife has no beard. It may be a little different in big cities, but you mentioned "closed city" and they're usually very small and often conservative.

So you know, I would NEVER go to work as a nurse in Russia. Hell, no. I would rather unload trucks, drive a taxi, deliver pizza - I would make more money and people around wouldn't look down on me, but a nurse job? No, thanks. In the US I would do it for sure.

- Victor from Russia

Edited July 27, 2013 by Amy_and_Victor

[eekee 182]

You'd be better off, and make more money, teaching English than becoming a медсестра.

[Hollyday 122]

*медбрат is the title of the job when a guy does it

[eekee 182]

*медбрат is the title of the job when a guy does it

I've never seen one

[Hollyday 122]

I've never seen one

i've heard rumours they exist. Heh. Actually just like last week there was a post on livejournal or something similar that said 'Well i can see that there've been investments into healthcare, this hospital's been redecorated, more men working as nurses as such but food still sucked'. But that was about Moscow. Everything will be back to normal post-soviet state outside of it, i think. So yeah, pursuing this career - not recommended. English teacher is a good option.

[Amy_and_Victor 159]

I've never seen one

Because they usually work in ambulance cars as a drivers, or madhouses where they have to deal physically with violent patients, or in mortuaries because women nurses much more often creeped out of this job. Otherwise I agree - I've never seen "медбрат" in usual clinic/hospital as a nurse, because they can find something better than making shots and changing diapers for the salary of janitor.

- Victor from Russia

[BatmanUSA 105]

well, ok then..... thanks for the info....

my wife told me a little about how nurses were thought-of and how low the salary....