I'm currently a travel nurse in the US and have talked to recruiters in both England and Australia about how to get licensed there and relocate.

Australia seems like the best option overall, especially considering my love of beaches, desert hiking and road trips but I'm bringing my 2 dogs and it'll cost anywhere from 10-16K USD to move them. I forgot the name of the Visa the recruiter recommended but it would require significantly more steps and a higher cost than a similar one in England.

England has slightly better relocation assistance and the visa process is less strenuous. Plus, added bonus, my dogs already meet the requirements necessary to move there.

All in all, if I started both processes today, I could be in England in less than 6 months but Australia would take over a year.

Are there any nurses who can compare any of the relevant healthcare systems to give me a better idea of what I would be stepping into? I'm peds ICU, if that helps. I've read several promotional brochures and websites but they are consistently more cheerful than the very few blogs I can find by people who have done the transition.

I'm not super concerned about leaving family / friends behind (already did that) or planning for natural disasters (I'm from Houston, my car stays packed for evacuating). I have been warned about the cost of living in both places by everyone under the sun.