Greeting from Perth, Western Australia

Hi Kathy,

Congratulations on your course. When I start Nursing at Mt Lawley TAFE in July, you'll be finished! I did one year of the EN course when it was a 2 year course and then got a scholarship to University. My family was telling me I should finish EN first but I didn't listen! So I went to do RN at ECU but got sick half way through the degree...now I am starting all over again. But I can tell you from having studied at both uni and TAFE - I found TAFE a lot more difficult. I found at uni that they tended to "spoon feed" us. I leart a lot more at TAFE in one year than I did at uni in 18 months. Good luck with your registration and future studies.

Hi again Kathy,

Thanks for responding to my post. I wanted to ask you how many people enrolled when you began your EN at TAFE? I enrolled the other day and there were 120 students enrolling. I thought at first, surely they are not all enrolling for nursing, but they were! 120 students! They gave us an enrollment form and whichever group we had on our form is the group we will be in (they have split students into four groups). When I enrolled in 1997, when it was a 2 year course, we had 40 people enroll. I am assuming that what they will do is try and phase students out so that our group ends up to be about the size of 40 students going on to semester 2.

When I was at ECU in 1999, there was a lecturer there called Sue Selapah (not sure if she is still there or not). Many of the students disliked her and clashed with her; I was lucky enough to get along with her and thought she was actually quite a kind lecturer. This year I bumped into one of the ECU staff who was working there when I was there - she told me that Sue's job, in addition to lecturing, was to try and "get rid" of students in semester 5 who she thought would not be good at nursing - she did this by failing them. I imagine that at TAFE, they have taken such a large number of students (as a money making business) and will phase out those who they think should not be there.

As for your Registered Nursing at ECU, I'm sure that when the time is right, God will make a way for you to become an RN if that is what your heart desires. Look at me, it took me 12 years to get back to nursing, but I am soooooooooo excited that I am finally back where I feel I belong.

When you were at Uni, did you participate in Spinrphex? It was a group of students from Nursing (ECU & Curtin) and Medicine (UWA) who were interested in rural practice. It was so much fun and I would have to say it was the highlight of my time at university. We use to go on camps, we would have a lecture once a month (sually at Sir Charles Gairdener Hospital) on things such as clown doctors, working in third world countries; it was so much fun and I learnt so many things I could not have learnt without belonging to that group. I even won a trip to the National Undergraduate Rural Health Conference at Philip Island in 1998. When we went on the bush camp, we learnt suturing (on pig's trotters), making casts for broken arms, we even had senarios where we had to go in groups and navigate through the bush to find our victim (volunteer who was supposedly wounded). If anyone is reading this who is at ECU or Curtin, it is a fantastic idea to look into Spinrphex (it's free) and the things you learn are priceless (and lots of fun too of course!)

Good luck Kathy and all the best with your future work and studies.

Hi Yusra,

Thank you for responding to my post. That is fantastic news that you are going to be studying what you love - God always gets us where He wants us in the end :) I am in group C. I was surprised at the amount of students enrolling. What did you think of the timetable? I think they have put so many units in the first semester to determine who really wants to be there, ie, who will really study to get what they want. What are your hours and days at TAFE? When we enrolled the other day, I was sitting up the front of the class right next to the lecturer. All the best with your studies - I hope I get to meet you in our journey at TAFE. We might end up in the same classes next semester :)

Oops, still new at this
Hi there Mirabell,

Glad you responded. I got a shock when I saw all the students for Diploma of Nursing enrollments. Is it always like this every year? This is something new to me, hope I will be able to cope with all the assignments as I have school going kids. I am also 43 years of age, I hardly saw people my age. I came a bit late on Thursday, queues were long and slow. My timetable shows everyday classes, earliest start is at 8.30 on Wed, latest at 11.45 on Tues,most days lectures end between 4.30 and 5.00. Its a pity theres no parking around the area for longer hours or am I incorrect.

Regards
Yusra

My email address is: faredae@gmail.com

Hi Kathy,

Thank you for the valuable knowledge, it will come in handy. Is Toni Bishop still there? She use to be one of my lecturers when I was there in '97, but now someone told me she is head of nursing??? Also Eugeine Jelly? Will you being doing an EN grad program in August? Also, with university, how many years does it take to do once you have your EN? It use to take 4 semesters but now I have been told it still takes 3 years - the only difference is you do different units. I think to myself - that's not very fair. We don't really get any exemptions, we still have to pay for the same amount of units, and the reward is to do different units? Doesn't make any sense. After all, an EN who converts to RN and a high school student who studies RN - they both still come out with the same degree!

And, where did you do your clinical placements with EN? And also when? Was it at the end of the semester in a two week block? I've just typed this and it wont let me copy it so I will contact you via email next time.

www.spinrphex.uwa.edu.au I noticed on there website that they are currently looking for an ECU rep, so maybe this is why you haven't heard much. When I was there, there was a girl in 3rd year who was our rep and she would come to classes before they started and talk to the lecture theatre about Spinrphex. Definitely worth looking into - the things you learn will not be things you will learn in nursing. There's a phone number on the website - they can tell you where the meeting are. They are usually held once per month at Sir Charles Gairdener Hospital starting at 630 / 7pm. There's a free sasauge sizzle (now I know why so many people go!), you make heaps of friends, and you have the experience of a lifetime. You can even win prizes (I won a trip to the National Undergraduate Rural Health Conference in 1998 over in Phillip Island. I went with nursing and medical mentors and a few other students who also won the prize. Then when we got there, there were all the different rural health clubs from the universities around Australia - it was incredible!

Thanks again. Keep in touch and all the best with your RN - sounds like your heart is in the right place.

Hi Kathy,

Thank you for all that helpful information. ECU has definitely changed. When I was there in '98 & '99, the EN students got 8 units exempt from the main stream Bachelor of Nursing. When I looked at it the other day I realised they have changed the course so that you still need to do 24 units over 3 years - the only difference is that ENs have different units (for some of the course). I don't think this is very fair - after all, both courses still come out with a Bachelor of Nursing at the end. I looked into some university over in Melbourne and the EN pathway is 2 years! I think ECU is into making more money (aren't they all!) I am really disappointed. The reason I had enrolled in TAFE first was because I thought this to be the cheaper option, ie, only ending up with 2 years at university. But it obviously is not going to be cheaper - ENs still have to do 24 units. NOT FAIR! I don't understand if both degrees come out with a BN, why can't ENs just do the main stream RN and get 8 units exempt as they use to?

When I was at TAFE, my first placement was at Craigmont - I think this is also where you are saying you went. My second placement was originally at Fremantle hospital. At the time I was living in the hills, thus, over one hours drive to Fremantle Hospital. I chucked up a big stink and asked them why I could not be place at RPH. In the end they gave into my demand and placed me at RPH (only one hour in total to get to clinical practice - yay!) The third semester would have been SCGH for surgical had I not gone to university. Fourth semester was either Graylands, Bentley, and I now have heard they also use Swan Valley Centre.

I think I'll look into do my nursing interstate. I still can't believe that ECU have made ENs now do a different course but with the same amount of units as the mainstream Bachelor of Nursing. It's really annoying. It's like ECU have cashed in on making ENs do more units - some of them are completely useless. Honestly. When I was there I could understand doing certain units if you were going to branch into a specific area like reasearch, but otherwise they were really pointless. If anything, they should chose those pointless units (eg, research and statistics) to be electives for people who want to branch into specialties, and give us more prac units or physiology.

Where do you hope to do your RN grad program and when will you be finished RN?

Hi Yusra,

You should be able to change but I imagine you will need to find someone to swap with. Perhaps approach the lecturers when you go to orientation, failing this, try posting a sign up on the nursing board - I'm sure there are others who are in the same boat and would also like to swap. All the best and good luck.

I have just completed EN course at Mt Lawely. My experience is that they have the attitude that if you want to do the course you do want is given to you even if you are putting your family second.
I have a young toddler and had no family support up in Perth and found it hard to get information about prac hours and days in advance. With all the tears and frustrations and many times wanting to quite or go part-time. The thing that got me through was the lecturers who were understanding and helpful. Also being very organised and spending the time finding better textbooks then the ones they recommended (most of the lectures didn't like them).
I now have a job up at SCGH (got into partnership programme with them at TAFE worth it) starting on the 27th of this month and have registered with the board so goodluck.

I was lucky as I was appart of Charlies partnership programme while I was studing, so we had some perks while on prac. like getting told when they were advertising and what to except during the interview. I know that they have now changed the application process which I think is now on the government health website, as a couple of girls have just had an interview for Jan's intake 2010.

The most important part is the selection critaria and the interview questions are based on them. So you have to make sure that you put relievent hospital information to each question which is based on your prac. experience.

Hope this helps. My advise is to join the ANF sometime as a student as if you have any issues they are great for advise, aslo Charlies are strict with their OH&S and if you think you will have a problem (past injuries are looked at) they will help.

Goodluck with your studies.

Hi There,

Iknowu, congrats on ur success. You have mentioned "finding better text books"than the ones that were recommended would be better. Please give some idea which text books you are referring to, title and author. It will save me buying text books that are not very useful or does not have updated information as required.

We had induction classes, today been the last. I felt a bit overwhelmed with so much prior things to know, especially for research,references. You must remember that I studied 26 years ago in Year 12. Thanks MaxMax for the info regarding parking, I will definitely park at the train station.You mentioned you have 3 kids, if you can cope and succeed, so can I with my 3 daughters.

All the best in your studying and God Bless!

Yusra