Hooray!

I was successful and I will commence study on the 10th January!

I will be doing my studies through TAFE and Qld Health, with the support of my workplace, over a two year period on a part time basis. I have to take one day per week off to study at TAFE and approximately 25 days off per year to train in the hospital, as well as two 2 week study blocks per year. This is of course going to mean no holidays for me for two years due to all my annual leave going to support the time off I need for study.

My question:- do you think studying to become an EN while working doable or am I going to drown?

Thank you so much!

That is exactly what I needed to hear.

Our stories are in fact quite similar regarding work/study regime, only I am just starting my study at 42, so I am lagging on you by a couple of years.

I am so excited/nervous it is stupid! I feel I have been working towards this goal for 10 years and I simply can't believe starting the 10th of January it is actually going to happen for me.

You are an inspiration to me and I look forward to hearing your progress, as that finish line nears. Good luck with the remainder of your study, and lady, I think you rock!

Three Cheers For Us!

HIP HIP HOORAY x 3!!

I couldn't agree more about this site, I still find it absolutely amazing that there seems to be a forum shoe to fit every foot, obviously not to exclude the double foot amputee's, who I am sure have a forum shoe to suit their prosthetic foot, I should probably stop tying now...

I collected my text books and Nurse Kit from the Uni on Friday, and my feeling of joy completely overtook my Visa Cards feeling of deep sadness.

It is going to be such an exciting time for us.

Good luck with your start and I look forward to sharing the next two years of study with you.

Yes, absolutely before this i was confusing by choosing my career, but now i have decided to go for RN which is suitable for my career.

hey there tracey.
its all so exciting hey? lol @ yr student card photo...i think we r all hot in our own minds....... hell im a real stunner..at least until reality bites anyway!!!
im still waiting to get my book lists....... i guess as its online and i dont start till feb, the system could be different. so do u wear yr steth all the time....u know get into the nursey zone?? lol. what else did u get with yr nurse kit? i cant wait......omg i cant believe at my great age im really truly AND actually doing this!!

hi tracey...im fortunate that my friend bought all the books last year but sadly she had to drop out after one semester as her husband became terminally ill. so her books r mine on loan till i no longer need them. will only need to buy some if they have been too far updated.
well its not long till u start now..u must be bursting with excitement!!!! the other girl from work who got the other scholarship hasnt heard from tafe either so i expect i will hear from them in january but its frustrating.... i wonder why so many drop out...but as u said and i concur..i love a quitter........i will prob be on herer veery day next year.lol
florence nightingale will be forgotten once WE graduate!!!!

Hello!

Super exciting stuff! January is going to be a new beginning for both of us.

I am completely and totally organised for Christmas. My partner in crime and our son are both working Christmas Day, my partner finishes at 7pm and my son finishes at 2.30pm, so we are going to have (for the first time ever) a traditional candle lit Turkey evening meal as opposed to the usual Aussie lunch, and I am going to make a Margaret Fulton cherry pavlova for dessert, then we will finish off with some kitchy Christmas movie. We will all be working Boxing day and both public holidays. Word on the street is that some legislation was passed so we get to double dip with the holiday penalty rates this year, the double time and a half apply to Saturday and Sunday as well, so we will all pick up a pretty nice penny for opting to work.

Looking forward to having you along for the nursing ride, Erika. It is actually comforting having someone in a very similar position to me embarking on the whole new career thang. I am so proud of us!

Hi Erika

I can't believe my starting date is almost upon me! I officially start my studies tomorrow!

I begin my first two week block at TAFE tomorrow, I will be sure to let you know how I went. I am seriously so excited I could squeal!

What date will you begin your study?

Hello!

Oh my God, I had a simply fantastic first day!...despite my initial cock up. My timetable stated the meeting time at block 4 level 4 and I just assumed it was at the TAFE, but it turns out the majority of our training is to be done in the actual hospital in the education wing and only a tiny amount will be done at TAFE. I am the only student who works outside of the hospital and I am therefore out of the loop to an extent. There was nothing in my paperwork that said hospital, it was only referred to as block 4 level 4, and due to my registration/student card/ information coming from TAFE I assumed incorrectly . Thanks to the extensive flooding up here I was able to blame my being half hour late on the weather, see some clouds do have a silver lining.

We went through the modules of the course in detail and it is going to be a massive commitment for all of us lucky applicants who were accepted through the Nursing Collaborative. I knew I was lucky to be given this opportunity, but it wasn't until yesterday that I realised exactly how lucky I am. I really feel the balance of study/work/play is going to be the secret to my success. At the moment we are focussed on the subject of communication and the importance of being able to ask the right questions, actually hear the answers and document. We have been given our first assignment which the teacher has assured us is "just a bit of fun" but at the moment none of us seem to be feeling the fun, first assignment jitters I would say...

The class appear to be a great bunch, about 70% women, got an absolute hottie in the class, so it is comforting to know in times of turmoil I will be able to gain solace at being able to gaze at his rock hard biceps.

The teacher called at 7.30am today advising me that class was cancelled due to the weather so I will use this opportunity to make a start on my workbooks and start mulling over various topic choices I have for an interview I must conduct. Got to go to gym today and squeeze in a workout, I am determined to study, work and maintain my fitness regime. A healthy body will hold my poor old worn out mind in good stead.

Strap yourself in, lady. I think the next two years will be one of the rides of our life!

Hi Erika

Our Nursing Collaborative is an in house training centre in the hospital. The collaborative advertise positions to study various courses through out the year, 100's apply and about 18 are lucky enough to find themselves with an opportunity to study while working. You have to submit an application where they do their first short list, then if you make it, you are interviewed by a panel, then you wait. In my case my coordinator spotted an expression of interest flyer to study to become an EN and 8 months later.... shazzam here I am!

I am currently doing a 2 week study block (there are 2 two week training blocks per year) and then I will study one day a week (Tuesday) in the hospital education wing, then as time progresses I do one placement day training in the hospital and one day studying in the hospital. We do go to TAFE briefly but I am not sure when and all of our work is marked by TAFE. Oh and I don't get paid to study or for my placement. We are funded for most of our study through work, I think we pay about 30% of the costs - which apparently we claim on tax. We have to purchase all our own text books too.

The sitting in class educational side of my training runs part time for 18months and my last 6 months of my course will be spent in wards doing my placement hours.

I am in a class of 18, but a handfull have been missing due to the floods. I am loving it so far, I have been enthralled with microbiology, I find it absolutely fascinating. I have also fallen in love with Latin - who knew prefixes and suffixes could be so damned interesting?!

I am at a disadvantage since I am the only person in our class who doesn't work in the actual hospital, but on the positive side, I will start my nursing as a blank canvas and learn to do every thing the right way rather than copying unsafe work practices from co workers.

I had to do an oral presentation on Thursday and I blitzed it. I was so nervous I felt I couldn't breath or swallow (swallow? breath taking? this oral presentation is sounding rather bowchikawowy Ha!), I volunteered to go first to get it out of the way and I was super pleased with my feedback both from teachers and fellow students alike.

I am currently studying microorganisms and I love it!

Hope you have as much fun as I am having when you finally start.

Talk soon.

NURSES DO IT BETTER!