I have sent you a p.m., so please check your Inbox.

R.

Laura, how did you get them to accept your diploma without already having the adequate French level? I am an Australian Nurse Practitioner, have not bothered to go to Red Cross yet as my French is not good enough and their website says it needs to be fluent.

Ritchie, if you have any ideas I would be grateful to hear them also - I am an Oncology specialist so would even be happy to volunteer or do some patient support rather than clinical nursing just to keep my skills up while I am here.

Juliane

Hello Juliane,

I submitted my license, diplomas, transcript, CV in an application packet found on the Red Cross website. 

http://www.redcross.ch/activities/health/hocc/d02a02a-fr.php

i figured why not get the process started and if they reject it, oh well. But they sent me a paper, accepting my diploma, but saying I just need the french diploma to finish the process. It took a little over a month to hear back. But one step is done! 

Where are you learning your french Juliane? I am about a B1 level right now, but I'm always looking at ways to speed the process up!

Hi Laura

My french is no-where near ready. I am hoping to get to B1 level by next April/May so maybe I will never get to practice nursing here in Geneva. I am taking private lessons, two per week (90 minute lessons). My tutor comes to the apartment. I find I can understand quite a lot, but putting the sentences together is still hard work when I try to speak! I wish there was a way to speed it up. I have even considered getting myself knocked on the head in the hope that I will wake up with french speaking amnesia...but am not sure that is a reliable way of becoming fluent!

Do you have a nursing specialty? If you want to meet for coffee and a chat sometime send me a message.

Juliane

@Juliane

I would suggest that you contact the English-speaking Cancer Association, 150 route de Ferney, Grand-Saconnex (see website for other details).  I am sure they will welcome your skills with open arms.

@ Laura In addition to the ESCA mentioned above, two of Geneva’s largest charities -- the Centre Social Protestant and Caritas -- sometimes have a need for English-speaking volunteers to help asylum seekers and others who don’t speak French.  Volunteering alongside French speakers is a great way to widen your own vocabulary.

@ both

You might also like to contact the International Council of Nurses whose HQ is in Geneva for more ideas plus the website of Geneva University to find a nursing student who’d be interested in a language exchange.

All the best, R.

Hi Ritchie,

Thanks for your advice. I do already have a contact at the ICN and am waiting for some advice from her. I will contact the english speaking Cancer Association this week. I have lots of spare time and will be happy to help if they want me!

regards

Juliane