As a child I always wanted to help. I enjoyed helping people in and around my community and have continued volunteering throughout my adult life. I have been a volunteer firefighter with the CFA since 1993. An encouraging comment during an event where I was providing first aid led me to a career change into Nursing. I first attended TAFE and completed an Advanced Diploma and now after 10 years as an Enrolled Nurse have undertaken a Bachelor of Nursing. My higher education path has been dotted with challenges, but with the support of my partner and the University I have been able to continue with study and I intend to graduate at the end of 2024.

Through gaining the higher qualification of a Bachelor of Nursing, I plan to undertake postgraduate studies in First Nation’s Health. I plan to utilise this post graduate study to gain a position within an Aboriginal Health Community Controlled Organisations.

Currently my nursing career has seen me work in clinical areas within hospitals, where the patients I cared for were acutely unwell. Moving on I wish to support and educate First Nations people in preventing illness development whilst also working to reduce the morbidity and mortality rates of my Peoples.

Worldwide there is a nursing shortage and my People historically, have had limited opportunity to complete tertiary health education. It has been confirmed that the education and employment of First Nations health professionals in both Community Controlled and mainstream health facilities has significant positive health outcomes for First Nations patients and families, utilising these services (The Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives, 2018).

I, myself have had health challenges that have interrupted my life and my studies. I understand that I am a small cog in a very large machine, but if I can work to educate in an environment where my story of perseverance and determination through my own health battles can inspire others to undertake the commitment to higher education then I can be a part of the solution instead of a bystander wondering what should be done.

I began this year of Uni taking the local school bus from Rutherglen to Wodonga as I had yet to get clearance from medical people to be able to drive.   Due to my inability to drive, placements that had been required for subjects and Uni were pushed back and I was hoping so hard that everything would fall into place and I would make to the end in one piece. I have got to say that LaTrobe University and their support people were amazing and kept me going at times when I could see nothing but roadblocks (literally) and have got me here today.

In mid-April the green light was given for me to drive again. Then began the great catch up race, to complete placements to finalise outstanding subjects from 2023 and complete subjects from semester one 2024. I had back to back placements through May-June 6 weeks in total. The financial backing from my scholarship kept myself and my family afloat during these weeks as being on placement (working 40hrs a week with no income). I could not have got this far without the Rotary Clubs support.

During and after completing placements, the process for applying for and interviewing for Graduate Programs began. Uploading documents, writing resumes and covering letters when you should really be doing assessments. I laughed with my class mates that they start the process for graduate year places before we even know if we’ve passed!

July came around and classes for second semester began. (nursing students rarely have breaks between semesters because of placements, assessments etc) Nursing students are often on campus before the rest of the student body and then are off on placements when everyone else is beginning their semester. This was an eerie feeling as these subjects would be the last that we would attend as undergraduate students. I actually attended my final on campus classes last week which after nine (9) years of attempting to finish this degree is very surreal for me. I have three assessments (written assignments) to complete and submit and I begin my final six (6) weeks placement in Wodonga. The provision of the Australian Rotary Health scholarship during this time will provide me with an income whilst I am unable to work for income on placement. It is at this time I can start the process of applying for my Registered Nurse Registration through AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioners Registration Authority). I will also by this time have found out if I’ve been successful in obtaining a graduate nurse position with a hospital locally. One interview I attended had interviewed approx. 100 candidates for 23 available positions. I have also started researching other options for post-graduation employment should I not be successful.

“I can see the light at the end of the tunnel”. “The end is near”. “The dawn is coming”. There is a million phrases I could trot out. But as a Nurse I will never stop learning. Things are always changing and interest in knowledge is continuously piqued. This might be an ending, but between you and me I have already started looking at post graduate education and courses.