Amstelveen Market, Is My Nursing Career Over? U.S. Expat Vlog.

American expat living in Amstelveen, Netherlands. Mother to one sweet baby boy. Registered Nurse, passionate about climate change and health disparities. My spouse, who is a Dutch citizen, convinced me to move here after a devastating wildfire season in California.
In this video I will be discussing my nursing career as a U.S. expat registered nurse.
00:35 Amstelveen Farmers Market
04:35 History of the Croissant
05:30 My Nursing Career

[@jackvandersluis1723]

Go for the nurse job here! We need nurses in this country! 👍💥

[@woutervanr]

If we really want something we should actually pay a decent wage. Same for teachers.

[@michellezevenaar]

They have a decent salary in the Netherlands. They need to complain every now and then to keep it and make sure the salary increases with inflation. I'm in IT and the teachers I know make more money than me.

[@TheSeNaBi]

@@michellezevenaar No they don't. Healthcare is very low pay

[@TheSeNaBi]

It's not that easy

[@michellezevenaar]

@@TheSeNaBi teachers do. I don't know what pay people in health care make but our neighbors across the street that works in health care took 6 month unpaid leave to travel so they must be making ok money.

[@jacobmannessen1191]

As a man married to a nursetrainer i know we need much more nurses. So go for a job and learn Dutch on the way. Be proud of being a nurse and stay being a nurse. It is possible.

[@hunchbackaudio]

My wife is a nurse in a care center for elderly and she has some non Dutch speaking colleagues who are still learning Dutch. They can work already but they’re not yet authorized to do all tasks until their Dutch is sufficient enough, but working in a care center they make good progress with the language. There’s such a demand for nurses that the’ll will find a way to get you your license as quickly as possible. That’s for sure.

[@hds66nl29]

It also depends, are they from the EU or outside the EU. A diploma from any EU country is valid in another EU country. A diploma from outside the EU can be a bit more difficult. Look at what happened with Brexit, some UK workers in the EU suddenly had no valid diploma, because it was no longer accepted/accredited after Brexit.

[@TheSeNaBi]

No it's not. It's just not that easy

[@annemiekgroot9737]

First of all, I do not know specifics. But I believe that, if you apply to a hospital to be a student nurse, you can work in the hospital while they help you with the certifications here in the Netherlands. Some procedures are different here, but you also acknowledge that your biggest problem would be the language barrier. The profession and skills of a nurse is in high demand, so you have something to offer, and by offering to be a student again, you let them know that you realize that they must invest in you. You could ask for the possibilities by the hospital you are applying. It can even be that you get fully paid while being a student.

[@radicalbyte]

You can learn Dutch in a year if you can take language course. NT2 Dutch-as-a-second-language, do it at a university. It worked for me - and I was never interested in learning a foreign language before.

[@radicalbyte]

It's well worth learning - it has opened a lot of doors for me. Once you learn it, your being American is a super power (my being English is). Even in health/policy (which is currently filing my days - on the eHealth / tech side for the government). Actually especially in that area.

[@radicalbyte]

On qualifications. Some context. My wife is a pharmacist, she employs a number of people who were not educated in NL. Some of them had to complete extra training here due to differences in the education level. They had to learn Dutch of course (that was the bigger issue). My guess (from my knowledge of how NL works) is that you'd probably need to complete some kind of vocational qualification. You absolutely should be able to get some support here to find the details. And if you don't, then feel free to reach out (my wife especially has the contacts).

[@TheSeNaBi]

First Helpende (1 year), then IG (2 years) then verpleegkundige (nurse) (2 years)

[@TheSeNaBi]

If her dimploma's do not apply here, she has to at least do IG then Nursing, that would be a total of 4 years. She will get student pay for those years

[@fransezomer]

I know from first hand that there is an enormous shortage of nurses in NL. True, you must have the right qualifications and it is not easy to become a BIG registered nurse (ie. you must speak the lingo, pass exams, etc). Wound care nurses especially are in high demand at many hospitals. Sounds to me that with the right guidance, you should be able to continue your career in NL easily. Contact a staffing agency like Randstad for an intake. They even have a separate business unit focussed on staffing nursing professionals in NL. I am sure they have all the answers to your questions. They are experts in transferring foreign registered nurses (ie. from South Africa, Eastern Europe) to Dutch nurses. You can also contact any hospital's HR and ask them for info or an interview. [edit] good luck! Greetz from Amsterdam xxx

[@gerrygrouwe70]

Go for it girl people with you we need over here. Stay positief be happy and follow your dream.

[@hankmiller990]

Your husband is one of the most lucky guys on this earth. Your are a fantastic woman and human being. Stay who you are.

[@carmenm.4091]

First I’d like say say, your son is adorable. He’s got the cutest smile. Although we would be blessed with a nurse like you here. Do what you think makes you happy. If that doesn’t work out for you, you have something to fall back on. But you’re still young and you’ll learn new things so much easier!! Carpe diem, and go for it. Good luck 🍀

[@dutchyjhome]

Hey Ellen, Yes, I've seen your video's and when it comes down to priorities: Do yourself a favor and start learning Dutch right now, so you'll be able to teach your son in a progressive way the little but growing amount of Dutch you'll know which gives him an true advantage he otherwise would lack of and he's gonna need a certain ground level of Dutch to be able to go to school ! You don't want to put your son in the situation that he's far behind in Dutch in comparison with the local kids, so he's gotta have additional lessons in Dutch just to get to the level of his classmates. In the end your son and you both will learn Dutch and together with your Dutch husband you should be able to get fast at the desired level of Dutch you'll have to get anyway to do your inburgerings-cursus. This way you also learn your Dutch for business purposes and maybe when you've reached the level of Dutch you want and need, you feel strong enough to get back to work as a nurse. By the way; within a radius of 20 Km you'll find 4 or even 5 hospitals and hospitals here really need urgently well trained nurses, especially the ones with relevant working experience! When you start working at an entry level in a hospital, they'll be able to certify your diplomas so you'll be able to work first at an entry level...learn Dutch along the way...in practice at work and in school of course, meanwhile your diplomas are getting certified...

[@SimonMeulenbeek]

Honestly, if the Dutch husband talks Dutch with the kid, and the child goes to a Dutch-language school, the child will probably learn enough Dutch to make up the difference. You see this a lot in immigrant families, where the children often translate for the parents. Child brains are very good at absorbing languages, and because he's so young I suspect he will not have much problems... If you really want to give your kids a leg up language-wise; read them bedtime stories. I don't think it even matters which language, just the fact that you spend time together reading

[@dutchyjhome]

@@SimonMeulenbeek I respectfully will have to disagree with you no matter where on the globe; If you're in a different country with a different language than the one you grew up in, The highest priority really is there to be able to go around in this new country in this new language as soon as possible, especially when you're having a young kid running around. So getting the kid to pre-school a few day's a week to begin with; in which Dutch only is spoken, is very important, together with the effort the Non-Dutch speaking parent should take to learn Dutch as well. The goal is that you should feel at home in this new country and especially feel at home in this new language as soon as possible. It 'll take some time, but you'll get there. Going the "easy way" : Avoidance...trying to stay in your comfort- zone in you old language will give you many problems in the nears future. So you'll have to avoid your USA-English language speaking as much as possible to make Dutch your new comfort-zone. This is a Dutch society after all and the fact that most of us speak a little foreignness superficial small talk (Englishness), to foreigners here does not absolve you from the fact that you have your own responsibility to master this new language within the shortest possible time; in the interest of yourself and especially in the interest of the child!

[@sissieb71]

As a nurse in nl first learn dutch. Your nursing skills should not be the issue. Realize that there are 3 differant shifts in nl And they are 8 hours of work. So you work at daytime. In the evening or a nightshift

[@kevinstucki717]

Great video, love the content! I say don’t stop pursuing your dream of nursing. You’re a great nurse in America, you’ll be a great nurse in the Netherlands as well.

[@a.ar-castrejon6014]

Hi Ellen, I'm another Cali girl living here too. Its so nice to see your videos on life here, I relate! just subscribed :) Also, on the topic of starting life again, I ended up getting accepted into a Masters program here, same career track as in the USA (I am a mom of two) & am also taking Dutch classes and its helping me. I think it kind of exciting starting again, finding more passions, one of the main reasons I love the Netherlands is because of this. Go for it!! :D .

[@ExpatEllen]

Hey girl!! Are you from Norcal or Socal? Also what area of NL do you live now? :) We should connect. Thanks for saying hi

[@jaloemimoe2319]

I am a pediatric nurse here in the netherlands. Go do it. Start learning dutch!! It will give you a kickstart

[@amy4924]

Hi Ellen! I have a friend who is an expat nurse. She had to start over again to get her license. She found a empolyer who payed her dutch crash course but is also paying for her to go to school and get her license again. Meanwhile she works for the employer and does the little jobs she is allowed to do without license. What I want to say by this: this country is in such need of nurses that there are so many possibilities. If you want more info you can sent me a DM!

[@ed7872]

Talkto the HR department of a hospital near you. I believe the AMC is near and is a teaching hospital. They employ multi lingual staff, so nothing new to them. When you apply for a job there they can help you sort out all the paperwork and other red tape. Typically they are quite helpful. The hospital is part of two universities in Amsterdam. They offer a variety of master programs that might interest you. The hospital may offer you a master course when you work for them. Good luck.

[@Busfles984]

Hi Expat Ellen, Here are a few You Tube channels that may be of interest to you: 1. "Jovie's Home" from a California neighboring state. She has been living here in The Hague Netherlands for several years with her Spanish husband and school-aged children. She learned the Dutch language and obtained Dutch nationality. 2. "Staci van 't Hoff" from the US East Coast, lives near Nijmegen. I believe her Dutch husband is a doctor in a Dutch hospital. 3. "Dutch Americano" Eva, also from the East Coast, lives with her Dutch partner in Utrecht. She is a linguist. Her pronunciation of the Dutch language is really perfect. Here videos are about Dutch language and the quirks of Dutch. 4. "Casey Killmore" is an Australian who is living for several year in the Netherlands with her husband, makes vlogs about learning the Dutch language and about the quiks of the Dutch language and about the Netherlands. her pronunciation of the Dutch language is also perfect. 5. "Bart de Pau" is a Dutchman he has a channel about the Dutch language and about learning the Dutch language. One of his students was the previous American ambassador Pete Hoekstra, his wife and some embassy employees. His videos are really funny. Get a print version and an audio version of a Dutch children's book for the age group of 10 to 15 years, etc. and read and listen to it at the same time. Watch Dutch KZbin vlogs about topics you know well or about your hobbies that interest you and turn on the Dutch subtitles. Have Dutch language only day(s) with your Dutch spouse. Because you live in a bi-lingual bubble, learning the Dutch language will be easier for you. Good luck, You will succed !!

[@dn5239]

It took me 25 years to really pick up speaking Dutch since I always worked within foreign companies where English is spoken and at home my husband spoke perfect English. What helped me the most was reading Dutch. I started out with those very simple books and just moved on. One day out of know where I just started speaking. It was weird. But it is so true, you can’t really fit in society until you learn the language.

[@BrazenNL]

Excellent list.

[@chubbymoth5810]

Learning Dutch, when knowing English should be fairly easy as basic grammar is the same and many words you'll find to sound familiar with a funny accent. You might force your husband into a Dutch hour, where he only talks Dutch to you. Considering he says F instead of V when talking about vogels tells me he is from the area. Watch children's TV series from the 90's to learn Dutch. They are often slower paced and often very funny. Theo&Thea will teach you both the language and the culture.

[@Danihaynes1221]

Thank you! I am currently working as a nurse in Maine, USA, have a one year old named Jack 😍, and am planning to move to Holland with my Dutch husband. This seems to be such a difficult and scary transition, and I love hearing you open up about it. I'd love to hear about any progress you make in this journey. 😊

[@erikaverink8418]

Welcome, and first settle down. Also don't see directness as being rude. There are a lot of youtube video's around about US expats living in the Netherlands. (Don't know about being a nurse) I suggest you watch them. And about learning Dutch, you have your husband. I also hope you are going to love this tiny little country in the EU.

[@pterrypower5140]

You can do it!!! Don’t ever give up on what makes your heart happy. Even if it takes 2 years, you will working back in your passion. My father always told me the years will pass, only difference will be what you do with that time. Is it convenient? No. Is it doable? YES 🙌

[@dutchuncle3310]

In the Netherlands nursing is sort off divided into nurses who are fully qualified and specialised into specific type’s of care as provided in hospitals. But there is a tier ( for lack of a better word) below that for people cared for in sheltered living ( nursing home) usually after being discharged from hospital but not ready to go home, elderly people unable to take of them selves etc. there are also nurses who visit people at home to take care of basics like changing bandages, administering medicines etc. ( you would need your own transportation for that. Often employed by agencies. In the Netherlands it is quite normal to work part time, like for example 16 hours a week.

[@antoniuserickkurniawan1946]

Hi Ellen...how are you today ? I'm your new subscriber from Jakarta, Indonesia...I think you can start what you dreaming on in Netherland because with open mind, positive thinking, and hardwork you can achive everything...Aaamiin...Keep good spirit up !! Luv you full ❤❤❤

[@cherylcarlson3315]

You popped up because of nursing. At one point I wanted to move to Sweden and be able to work, process was too daunting and now disabled by MG .Was RN for 39 yrs at bedside by choice because I could most effectively do public health teaching, influence younglings and fight administration. When you said you get stuck in you made me smile, several admin told me if you don't like it go somewhere else... I hated what they did but went above them and suddenly they were gone... funny. You listed a bunch of options I would absolutely love to do...well, if body wasn't as it is. Meanwhile, will still be in IL fighting too many battles around staffing ratios in nursing homes where it seems legal to force a nurse(me) to work a 20 hr shift with 55 pts. Thankfully the pandemic has boosted my bibliography but they still don't want to do what is right. Enjoy your time with kiddo, find some simple kid books in Dutch and ask someone to read them to you so you can read them to him.

[@bartlucassen9145]

Girl, you are still so young! See it as a journey to take steps what you want to do!

[@DJohn001]

Thank you for all the complements for talking so nice about the Netherlands. It's crazy to hear someone talking about all the things we take for granted. Have a happy life here. I would encourage you to become a nurse in the Netherlands. I mean, you would become a nurse and have been a nurse so it should be easy for you to get it done. Thereby there is a shortage about nurses here and it would help you to learn speaking Dutch too.

[@hollandduck79]

thanks for the video Ellen

[@jimjungle1397]

In America the vendors have to pay a fee to process each debit or credit card transaction. in Europe, there was a special card for small purchases, which is less the minimum credit card charge, but now that must be included in the debit cards. When I lived in Belgium, Poland was not an EU member, but there were two Polish nurses in my apartment building, working illegally at the hospital, because there was a nursing or staff shortage and the hospital knew they were illegal. Even though they were Polish registered nurses, they were given the worse nursing aide type jobs in the hospital. I didn't ask, but it was at the height of the HIV epidemic. That was in Antwerp. My university dorm in Ghent was next to the university hospital.

[@Tclans]

Hi Ellen, regarding an education; search for STAP-budget. The government subsidizes 1K per citizen for education and development on official courses. Btw, don’t let the ‘red tape’ hold you back. With some elbow grease and your papers they can be converted to Dutch ones most of the time. Cheers!

[@Tclans]

Just a little addendum; if you have a bachelors contact a ‘Hogeschool’ and try to get them to help with the conversion. If your nurse degree is below a bachelors, contact an ROC (regionaal opleidingen centrum).

[@rbisschop8529]

Hello, Just don't give up there must be work for you as a nurse in this country keep up i believ that you will succeed

[@robinbraamhorst1410]

We have a hospital right here in amstelveen!, it's called " amstelland ziekenhuis"maybe something to check out! So good luck with your choices!

[@hhjones9393]

I am sure that the people there would be lucky to have you working in medicine! My sister is a career ICU nurse and just recently retired. She found herself at a crossroads in her career at a similar point in life. At the time she was working weekends for a full salary and home all week with her children. As more staff became available the hospital discontinued that program. She took time off and decided to focus on the kids and explore some other opportunities. It was time well spent for her. When her children were approaching adulthood she returned to nursing. I do not mean to imply that "women belong in the home" or any of that sort of thing. I only wish to share that you are early on this path and there are a lot of possibilities. But I see from your video that you can't sit idle. I am sure that you will find the best way to contribute your talents. Best of luck to you all!

[@MrExezz]

Thank you for your heartfelt story, it seems to me you feel really passionate about your career in nursing. I would say it is clear your are very passionate bout it, than you should persue it here in The Netherlands, you say you feel like it would take forever, but what is 2 years when speaking about a career that you are truly passionate about at your age which is I guess around 25? Besides if you are serious about living here in the Netherlands you would have to learn Dutch anyways eventualy, than you have a Triple reason to so do.. for Work, your life in the Netherlands aswel as for your husband, nothing warms a Dutch heart more than his/her partner making at the very least an effort, not to mension the parents in law. Ofcourse you can make the argument the other way around (Wich you did) you are stil young so can make a career switch just as easely. But as said before you feel really passionate about nursing "Nothing quit like the feeling of helping some one get better" from what I gather is that you got burned out becuase of all the things surrounding Covid, not so much the caretaking it self as a bedside nurse. Just my 2 cents.

[@bramvalkenburg5655]

Great vlog and welcome to our little country. You said that becoming a nurse was always a dream for you. I bet you could become one here as well, no doubt. But is that something you really want? You might learn Dutch quicker since it's pretty mandatory but you might want to grow in your career as well, perhaps also as a person. Just to choose something to prove what exactly? You've already done that in very challenging conditions. Looking it at that way, it does sound attractive to choose the masters degree... GL on your choice!

[@Jaapst]

I lived my youth in Amstelveen. My school was the Kkc I lived in het oude dorp.

[@ExpatLensofZeba]

Great video

[@RichardRenes]

I am pretty sure that if you want to, you can be a nurse here in no-time. You already know a lot already. OK, you won't probably have to treat gunshot wounds a lot but help is always welcome at the SPH (spoed eisende hulp) of any hospital.

[@jonathonkitchens4697]

I am coming to Amsterdam at the end of the month and would love, if you’re willing, to have lunch or something and talk about this! I am an ICU nurse working just outside of NYC and want to move to Europe and have heard Amsterdam is the best for expats. Would love to be able to pick someone’s brain while I’m there.

[@hds66nl29]

As far as I understand, you checked your possibilities on the internet, which can be helpfull. I would suggest, make an appointment at a hospital, explain why, your experience etc. I think they really can help you out, know the rules, how to value your education, come up with solutions, work/school and ways to help you to get there and also are really on your side. We need nurses, so an experienced, educated foreign nurse, well we need you!

[@Demonomania87]

Your son is adorable :)

[@javiermarcialcespedesberne8575]

Hola, que tal?, como van?, Los mejores y más cordiales Saludos desde puente piedra, lima, Perú, ojalá que puedas venir en algún momento a mi país y que disfrutes mucho de todo por aquí, con la familia y los amigos; Felicidades por tus vídeos..

[@matthijs73]

Sounds like you need to follow your heart... Go for it!

[@guuskaitjily8581]

To start learning dutch in my town you go to the library and will find different level classes ,my sister helps smart refugees to learn proper dutch.She told me kids she worked with 3 years ago now attend uni after successfully get there school exam.The best thing would be to befriend dutch people.Actually I learned English when I met this guy who wanted to learn dutch ,I only spoke Dutch to him and he replied in English.

[@ruudvisser712]

Regarding paying for bathrooms, someone once told me that there are places where this is also te discourage abuse of the bathrooms by homeless persons, addicts that like to shoot up there (occasioanlly the bathrooms have a purplish/blue-ish ligting so the veins will be harder to see), or (international) truckers who wash and shave there and all leave a mess. I was at a McDonalds once where your receipt came with a four digit code that let you open the door to the bathrooms so it would be free for customers. But maybe this is in larger cities where this is more of a problem...?

[@Trimaran12]

Have you found your Dutch teacher? As I casually try to maintain my limited Dutch from afar, I like the 'Dutchies to be - Learn Dutch with Kim' KZbin Channel. It might be a place to start or continue. She's fun but also not just another pretty face on KZbin. She has a masters in linguistics... Lots of free KZbins to watch as well as paid course materials. All the very best in your learning.

[@arturobianco848]

If you wanna be a nurse again here you probable need some rescholing to be up to "Dutch regs" we really need more nurses so i hope you go for it. You might wanna try "Start people" for practical information. I'm out of the field for a couple of years now but they where pretty knoledgable about that kind of stuff. Or you can just ask a nearby nursing school or hospital if they know of any programs to get you up to dutch specs and certificatians. I know they where looking to get foreign nurses a couple of years back so i'm pretty sure those programs are still around.

[@camillanonbinarylegend]

I think maybe it feels like your spark might be gone because there's so many hurdles you need to take to get back to doing what you love. But just check once those hurdles are out of the way, check how you feel then. And then you can know for sure. But I completely understand if it might feel like it's not worth it and you know what.. that's totaly fine to! I think many jobs here you could really benefit from your experience in cali without needing your license in that way. Just follow your heart is what I'm trying to say (; If you ever need any advice or help or anything whatsover you can always message me. I'm from Rotterdam myself, right now I live in Tiel (in the provence Gelderland) and I'm more then happy to help (:

[@Drummerwilhelm]

Leuk!

[@GerdtBrouwer]

Follow your heart and gave it time.

[@beliskner]

We have a shortage of nurses in the Netherlands, so pretty sure you could find a job easily, lots of training opportunities, the only issue would be a the language barrier, but if you are willing to learn :)

[@robertboender5816]

Don't think in problems but in solutions. If you want to be a nurse in The Netherlands, just go for it.

[@NiinaW]

in my mastersprogram there are many nurses. I am studying Health Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit. However it is a very full program (42 hours per week of studyhours per week) you have to want that as well..

[@azaleajoke]

Though it might not be any helpfull advice, I think taking Dutch classes is the best starting point. By not speaking Dutch your job opportunities are less, even with a master degree. Also, it is a great way to learn the subtle social codes of Dutch culture (this is something I learned when I majored in Japanese). During the courses you have plenty of time to reconsider your choice of being a nurse here. If you don't want to explore that option, than, talking to a university for a master program might be of help. Just write them, explain your situation and ask their honest opinion.

[@woutmoerman711]

Thanks for the video. "Loempia" is Dutch for Spring Roll. Glad to have you here! There must be a spot for you to fit in, maybe in a private clinic?

[@Dija-says-freePalestine]

No loempia is not a Dutch word it's a Indonesian word!

[@woutmoerman711]

@@Dija-says-freePalestine thanks for correcting me! We owe Indonesia for so much delicious dishes and their names !

[@kleffekaas5059]

We need lots of nurses here👀

[@_PJW_]

How about a heads up for us Dutchies. Some expats are struggling. How about a bit of help? Regardless their 'added value'. Any (silent) cry for help should not go unanswered! Hit me!

[@SAMUDRAMAC]

Great video. First think about wanting to be a nurse again. If you do, go for it. We need people like you and you better learn the lingo anyway. Just speed it up, you’re still young. Just don’t expect any gun shot wounds.

[@bertkassing8541]

Girl, just study in English. These studies can be found in sufficient numbers here in the Netherlands. Many colleges and/or universities have English-language lectures. My youngest daughter studies at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (Engineering: Product Design). Wonderful study that demands a lot of creativity. But what matters is that you find something that suits you. Enough choice!

[@piepkwiep4312]

In the past we paid 25 cents (guilders) and threw it on a small dish after using the restroom. That was normal behaviour all over the country.

[@H1SCOTTY]

This situation one on one I don’t know But they are talking about to get nurses out of the Philippines and Indonesia and there are already polish and Portuguese nurses who live in home of their patients / clients (and in regular nurses jobs)... I would think if your degree isn’t fully qualified it isn’t for a masters degrees so you would need the same refresher training as you would need for the nurse position. This I would ask directly at a university, what’s possible as a nurse you can ask at UWV or maybe with the hospital or caring home in which you would want to work.

[@SerialBagmakers]

Croissants made with butter are half moon shaped. When made with margarine they can not be moon shaped and for that reason, they are straight.

[@lbergen001]

Wouw, I respect and sense your honesty in this video. For what it is worth, I see a young intelligent woman who already achieved a lot in life and you feel you are entering a new phase. Just take your time to find out what you really want deep in your heart and start that journey step by step. You will get there if you follow your heart.

[@markovermeer1394]

Your "debit card" is your bank card. Compared to American payment systems, the use is extremely cheap: less than 7 euro-cent (8 dollar-cent) per payment, fixed rate. Also, there exist very cheap terminals which you can connect to your phone or tablet. That's why everyone uses them everywhere: easy AND fast AND cheap.

[@basengelblik5199]

Very different culture in various hospitals around you. Just ask around. I am sure they will welcome you.

[@ollie7381]

As I hear you speaking, my strong advise is to try to become a nurse in The Netherlands, it has more personal benefits than only being a (parttime) nurse. And by the way, otherwise later you will regret you didn't try. Succes.

[@Dija-says-freePalestine]

Don't let the paperwork/courses encourage you to become a nurse here. Being a nurse here is a bit different than in the US. We for example don't have 12 h shift, we have 8 h shifts (day, evening and night). I am a nurse and I work in the youth healthcare as a schoolnurse which is totally different from the schoolnurse in the US. I also used to be a bedside nurse in the hospital (internal medicine) in 2010 till 2012 then I said goodbye to the hospital forever, it was not my kind of thing and also underpayed 'cause I did not do any kind of specialism like IC, E.R or CCU nurse. Here in the Netherlands when you have a Bachelor in nursing and are registered you can work everywhere as a nurse and outside the hospitals is often better paid unless you are a specialized nurse like I mentioned before. We also have nurses who don't have a bachelor degree (I think this is very unique) and are registered. They can also work in the most common places like hospitals, nursing homes, homecare but there a nursing jobs that only requires bachelor degree nurses and are very well paid I think. All the jobs I had after my very short hospital career where only for bachelors degree nurses. I am not an expat so unfortunately I can't answer your question, but again don't let it encourage you! Just do it so you have something to fall on and to not regret it later You can meanwhile also start a new study. And if you are registered as a nurse and speak the language you can find a job in no time since we have a shortage of nurses in any workfield so if nightshifts or weekendshifts isn't your thing there are a lot of jobs where you don't have to. The last time I worked night- evening- and weekendshifts was in 11/12 years ago when I still worked in the hospital. Anyhoo think about. Let me know if you have any questions!

[@mbontekoe3358]

My Chiropractor (here in NL) does not speak Dutch but we get on fine.

[@jpdj2715]

If you want to be a nurse here, your license or diploma or certification needs to be formally recognized in the Netherlands. You are certainly not the first here with a foreign diploma and there is a clear and simple procedure if the recognition already exists. If not, a bit more work must be done. I believe you need to be able to get entered into the "BIG" register (BIG _ professions in health care). For you to get a job, you need to work on your Dutch language skills. I believe that Dutch health care has imported people from countries with cheap wages in the past decades and in all those cases they needed to learn some level of Dutch. If you have no education diploma or license, this changes the whole thing and you should seek admission into a Dutch training program. If you still want to be a nurse. Note that the Dutch seem very good at English, but this may be superficial. Also note that certain professional groups may have rather limited or bad English language skills (typically in professional areas that never adopted English as academic language for the highest education levels). The generalization is, people in health care, law-studies, government may have limited English skills. When in technology it is like a second language. Also, there are education level, regional and age group differences. Farther away from the Amsterdam-Utrecht-Rotterdam-Den Haag region people may be increasingly uncomfortable speaking English with you. As you seem to live in Amstelveen, you'll have noticed there is a large and diverse expat community there. You could socialize with them - someone in there has been "here" before (in this problem space and solved it). Also, there are two international schools and you could go look there for advice. Then, Amsterdam has two large university hospitals with loads of academic staff and I would assume there could be opportunities there for a creative person. Your Dutch husband comes with a Dutch network and the feeling of immediate integration, but maybe his Dutch network cannot help you sort this out. I once saw a T-shirt "Life is a DIY project" and this means it's OK to seek help from others, at least to consult with others. Personally, I do not have the details, though. But, say, an HR person in a hospital that has worked with nurses from, say, South Africa or Asia, should perfectly know.

[@daluzsoares]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@therealdutchidiot]

So here's the thing. Like you said it's almost like going through training again, but it's a breeze because you won't have to cram. You have the experience. Sure, the language might be a problem but I've seen immigrants going through their journey of learning the language and in every single case something just clicked for them one day and they did really well. There's this video about learning Dutch, thinking like a child. The guy learned pretty good Dutch (sure there's some grammar issues) which is this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nHeaenRqrNykgdU

[@Meine.Postma]

Please become an IC nurse in Amsterdam, you're needed. Getting the papers should be a breeze

[@lindaraterink6451]

One piece of advice. Learn Dutch. Even though we speak English so well. You'll learn the convience of just knowing and understanding. Once your child goes to school, they will have plays and other events where the parents are invited and you won't understand a thing. Letters of official things will all be in Dutch, I know your husband is Dutch and he can help you with those things, but it is great to have a level of independency. I am sure you don't want to walk around with your Ipad the rest of your life through stores, to see what it says on the box. Focus on that first and then maybe your love for nursing will come back and it will be so easy to take those exams to be able to nurse here. We realy need a new batch of nurses here and you have a special skill level wich will give you an advantage. Gunshots and stabwounds may not be common, but gun violence is entering our borders more and more and the knowledge you have for servere wounds is a great asset.

[@sjaakvantilborg1198]

Just enjoy the time with your son while he is young and also use that time to learn dutch. Also try to mingle with dutch people and not with expats all the time, that way you learn more about us as people and our culture. My wife moved to a small town in Brabant almost 17 years ago and her first job was a administrative job with only dutch people. It was typing out orders nothing fancy.. in the mornings she would follow the inburgeringscursus and she would work afternoons. She had a bachelor in social work from America. Decided to become a teacher instead. Have a wonderful time here. And if you ever make it to Den Bosch make sure you get a boschebol from Jan de Groot..

[@tammo100]

Years ago we had a minimum charge on debit cards as well. But then the companies and the banks abolished it because for them it was more expensive than let people just using debit cards for free.

[@johnkochen7264]

Maybe you could teach army nurses how to deal with gsw’s?

[@dublindutch6346]

I'm pretty sure we need a LOT of hospital staff just about right now haha, don't worry about it. Edit, the language is not too hard. English: my pen is in my hand Dutch: mijn pen is in mijn hand See, you already speak it, without knowing it :)

[@PatQuakernaat]

In the US cash is required everywhere because of the tipping culture.

[@erikmulder2574]

I once had scones with clotted cream in the UK. That was my own fault. The scones were doable, a little bit too heavy but the tast was 👍. The clotted cream was too much, I just could not eat that. As if you are eating butter. I must say, I also do not eat slagroom, or whipped cream. If you decide to go back to nursing or not, learn some basic Dutch anyway. It will help you, even when people speak English.

[@martinvermeulen5510]

Go for it, hope you'll find your place in Dutch society. As for the croissant: real butter is straight and a moon shaped is made with margarine and shortening. All european bakers stick to that unwritten rule

[@johnkochen7264]

I live in Aalsmeer and used to teach Dutch and English so if you need a hand, drop me a line.

[@johnatkins2665]

I've used a lot of restrooms / toilets in the states, and for FREE read : FILTY and DISGUTING ! I'd rather pay 50 cents to have a nice clean toilet. Essentially, that is what you pay for. I know not ALL the free restrooms in the USA are like that, but a good majority are. Give me pay toilets any day !

[@bjhenkes9218]

Learn Dutch, start nursing. Call a hospital and explain the situation. Lots of jobs and lots of paperbull…. But its a wonderfull job. Lateron you can start studying again.

[@Anonymous-sb9rr]

You'll have to learn Dutch anyway. Yes you can get by with English, but your life will be a lot better if you speak Dutch. People can speak English to you, but they'll still speak Dutch to each other in your presence, so socialising will be much harder if you don't speak the language.

[@harrybruijs2614]

Just enjoy the time with your little boy. Many people are jealous. In the Netherlands they would have probably send you home with salary while pregnant or didn't let you work with Covid patiëns. In any case you would not have worked longer than 8 hours. Of course if you cam e from the Netherlands and go to the USA it would be the same. They also want to check if your up to scratch. Learn Dutch as soon as possible and go for it. Even if you want to do a masters you have to proof you have the right qualifications. And then also knowledge of Dutch will be preferable for you further carreer as if in daily life. I always thought the croissants were created as a memory for that the Turks couldn't take Vienna and were beaten.

[@Paul_C]

There are some equivalency problems connected with nursing. You might want to visit Start People, what the rules are. Start People is a government agency connected to the Arbeidsbureau.

[@rogierburlage]

Don't go for nurse, you have done that already. Try something new. Nurses are very much needed here, but don't get paid that much and at the end it becomes physically hard. Try to become an entrepeneur. For now I would focus on motherhood and on learning Dutch.

[@eobi-edobi4275]

about paying, do you know tikkie? for a lot of US citizens it is strange

[@MrScott1368]

I do not know the laws there; however, I have met wealthier U.S. citizens who travel. You may find a role like a patient representative. You would be the friendly American who represents the travelers concerns to local medical professionals and facilities. Some patient representatives, depending upon local law, advocate on behalf of the traveler. Another choice is to affiliate yourself with an air ambulance service that transports people from Europe to the states. Neither of these jobs will start as full time, but that will give you time with your child while bringing some income. Again, please remember to check local law.

[@richardbrinkerhoff]

Croissants (literally crescents) were baked to celebrate winning from the Ottoman Empire whose flag featured a crescent moon.

[@erikje7352]

just take a long and hard look to compare the working conditions between the us and Nederland BEFORE you make up your mind

[@JohnnyBoy-mt1lj]

the music is a bit too much tbh, specially in the beginning.

[@AnagramGinger]

Croissant - crescent. The shape of the bread is self explanatory. AND WHO EATS A CROISSANT LIKE THAT

[@ExpatEllen]

Lol what did I do 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@anne-liekeberloo9237]

The way I eat it is by cutting it in half so you can put your spread in the middle and than just put two halves on top of each other. That way your spread is in the middle

[@saevius1]

Your a good person who grew up in the wrong country So sad.

[@Goregreet]

You won't see that many gunshot wounds here Maybe sometimes a stab wound But it is not common here at all

[@vincentvermeulen6703]

Learn the language which is good anyway. Then you get a better understanding of the requirements and it may be not so cumbersome.

[@norrisf1469]

You won't see many gunshot victims here. We found out that not having guns to protect ourselves keeps us safer.

[@robvoncken2565]

lol don't worry we are so starved of good personell at the moment they probably pay for your training

[@pimjet]

start with the language

[@johnveerkamp1501]

WHY DON'T YOU GO AND WORK IN A HOSPITAL HERE IN THE NEDERLANDS EVERY BODY SPEAKS ENGLISH. IT NO PROBLEEM I IHINK DO IT !!!!!

[@ronaldderooij1774]

It is forbidden, that is why.

[@johnclements6614]

How many are taught UK English rather than American English. In the video cilantro and coriander are referenced as different words for the same thing. What happens when some one says "I have problem with bum" (bum UK English buttocks) and that is mistaken for problems with a homeless person etc. In that situation you would hopefully figure it out but in others you may not or it may take time. It would be better to be able to communicate mostly in Dutch. Some people have posted about working with older people. This could be a good way to learn Dutch slang for parts of the body etc in a semi medical setting if Ellen wants to get back into nursing. A part time job in a nursing home could fit with study for Dutch nursing exams and childcare.

[@arjanvanderburg5934]

Nurse is a BIG-beroep, which means you have to be registerd in Bigregister. Hospitals are not allowed to hire you as a nurse without the bigregistration.

[@lindaraterink6451]

It is not that simple sir.

[@ExpatEllen]

What's interesting to me is that back in the States we had patients who spoke many different languages, but English speaking American nurses were still certainly allowed to care for them. We just used telephone translators, or utilized family members, it was actually very easy. I believe every effort should be made to make the patients most comfortable, but if what people expect is that there is always going to be a nurse available who speaks in their native tongue, that is not always the reality. Let's say there is a Mandarin speaking patient at Dutch hospital. Are the Dutch nurses able to communicate with them? Of course not.