Hey everyone,
I’m currently working as an EN grad at a hospital and I’m finally starting to really enjoy it now that my confidence is growing.
I have two little kids (1 and 4), so life is pretty hectic. I know nursing is the career I want, and the plan has always been to do my RN. Originally I was thinking of starting uni next year, but now I’m wondering if it might be better to wait until my kids are a bit older and I’m fully confident in my EN role first.
Did anyone else delay their RN for a few years? Do you regret waiting, or was it the right decision for your family and confidence as a nurse?

I’m curious what people’s opinion on this is. Personally I really like the universities which have nursing students uniforms which say “Student Nurse” clearly across the back because it Instantly identifies them as a student. One university has unfortunately made their uniform the same colour as the public hospital systems uniform and the only identifying mark is a really small “student nurses” and the uni name on the front and I have almost asked one of their students to get a DDA with me 3 times on the same shift.

But I think this should go for med students too. The number of times I have gone to talk to a team about something I need for a patient and the response is “I’m not the one you need to talk to” because I was talking to the med student instead of the RMO/REG is irritating. I don’t mind if the doctors WANT me to pass the Infomation through the students for their learning (have done the same with nursing students and been put in that position when I was a student myself) but if I need something, ESPECIALLY when I need it in a hurry I don’t want to have to say everything only to be told “I can’t prescribe you have to talk to the RMO”

Some areas have addressed this issue (such as ED) with “Med student” stickers

Working in healthcare in Australia and noticing white Aussie staff mostly stick together socially, while anyone non-white or non-Australian gets left out of that circle, even with perfect English. Interaction is limited to “good morning” and work tasks, nothing more.

Is this normal across healthcare workplaces here, or just my experience? Keen to hear from others, especially migrant/non-white workers. Has anyone seen a workplace where it’s genuinely different?

Hi everyone!

I’ve currently applied for MH graduate programs and although I plan to do mental health, I do enjoy clinical aspects of general nursing. After finishing my grad year is it possible to eventually find a casual job alongside MH such as a GP clinic?

Would love to hear some experiences and any advice!

Thank you in advance

Hey everyone, just looking for some advice! I have applied for a mix of mental health and general nursing streams for Victoria’s PMCV grad programs. I interviewed for all the positions I applied for and generally feel pretty good about my chances of getting one of my top preferences.

My question is, do I go for general or mental health nursing?

I have loved every placement I have been on, so I really can’t decide between them. If anyone has any advice or pros and cons on either, i would greatly appreciate it.

Also, if anyone has any experience transition from mental health to general nursing, or general to mental health, I’d love to hear about that too!

Thanks!!!!

Hi I'm a PCA currently working in aged care. I only started working in this role this year and haven't been too happy with my current workplace. The Nurses and other staff here also say this place isn't good for its staff as we're often understaffed, underpaid & the higher ups are awful.

So I just wanted to ask if any of yous have recommendations for aged care facilities or companies to work at? That will be easier on a newbie like myself?

I know this line of work will be difficult no matter what, and I plan to go into nursing in the future, so any info, advice or recommendations (even places/companies to stay away from) would be super helpful.

Thank you.

I have 3 weeks left on my 8 week placement. I did my first 4 weeks in a different ward but I just feel like 8 weeks is too much. And we're there as students 5 days a week 8 hours every day. Some of us work during the weekend and most of us still have courses ongoing at the same time and have assessments due during the placement and we cant get extensions for our assessments as being on placement is not considered as a valid reason to not finish it on time. Some of us dont drive too so they would need to wake up at 4am everyday to catch the train and bus on time to get to a 0630 shift in the city and constantly worry about getting home at 2300 during PM shifts.

Dont get me wrong I loved my first 4 weeks and genuinely enjoyed it. I am doing good for my last 4 weeks too. But it's just, I feel like im starting to get burnt out and I can see it on my friends faces as well. We are so tired. I feel like giving us a week break before starting the next 4 weeks would be great just to catch our breath, and do assessments and everything else we need to do.

Not seeking for advice but just wanted to get this off my chest.

Is anyone here a child and family health nurse? I am really interested in pursuing this avenue of nursing but would love to know more about what it involves. Do you need a post-grad? Is it hard to get a job? Do you enjoy it? What does your day to day look like? I currently work in special care nursery and love working with the babies and families but I’m not sure I want to work shift work anymore lol

They’re both options for clinical preferences at hospitals I’m applying to for a grad program. When I google it, it says that surgical care is peri operative, but I’m not sure if that accurate. It’s not just general medical, that is also an option.

Good evening. I am currently in the process of putting my application in for the Queensland Health Graduate Nurse Program. I keep running into a large divide between what my university has told me and what information is available on the QHealth Grad website. My uni told me to focus my application letter on the hospital and ward I would like to work. But the information online says to focus on the HHS I would like my placement to be with e.g. Metro South. We are advised to keep it to one page, and I am bit lost with this conflicting guidance. A cover letter that goes one way or the other with these risks excluding other option and trying to do both in the same letter might not work as well. Any guidance from anyone who has been through this or who knows this process would be greatly appreciated.

Looking for any experiences good or bad of Swinburne RN course. 2027 intake
I’m 33 and have 1 kid, don’t plan on having anymore, looking to change careers and exit the corporate life - always wanted to be a nurse just couldn’t apply myself in my teens/20s. Thinking it’s the right time to take the punt and pursue it for myself. What’s the best thing about nursing?
I’ve never been great at maths, should I be concerned?
Is there anything I could read now to prepare?
Thx!

I’m trying to decide which area to go for my first RN job: I got offered a scrub position (although I’m not very knowledgeable in that area but I’m very interested in it) but I’m also trying to apply for a NICU/SCN foundations program which I have had a placement in and I really really like.
I’m not sure if I’m gonna be accepted into the foundations program as it is desirable for many and if I’m not accepted then the hospital will send me to random wards (grad program). I have had an ORIF not long ago and worked as an AIN for 5 years and I’m totally sick of bedside, floating all the time and dealing with aggressive pt with dementia/delirium. Scrub nursing may not pay as well as shift work but it will give me an area I’m interested in and a work life balance with my child. I’m also aiming to buy a house in the next 3 years with 50k in deposit ready. Experienced nurses, what should I do?

To preface this I really hope I'm not in any way, shape or form am being disrespectful to the deceased.

Had placement around 2 months ago in the oncology ward where I encountered my first deceased patient. She had a very poor prognosis and was comatose, and to put it bluntly her time was coming and we all knew it. I didn't know her when she was conscious, but I built rapport with her family, and when she passed it was very sombre and depressing. My buddy nurse and I cleaned the patient, prepared and then took her down to the morgue where I saw another one of the patients who I had known and taken care of. The whole experience wasn't very distressing while it was occurring, but it was still heavy and sombre to me.

Following this event, I thought I could brush it off and I'd move on eventually but I think I'm experiencing symptoms of what could be PTSD (flashbacks, scared of the dark, sometimes think my deceased patient is following or watching me from behind even though I know its not true, persistent feelings of dread). I do acknowledge I should probably get some counselling or see a doctor for this. This isn't my first interaction with the deceased, as I have seen my grandfather through the window in his casket, but I guess this experience was just a lot more comprehensive. Is it normal to experience this following a first interaction with a deceased patient? What was everyone else's experience like? I'm genuinely just seeking solidarity and reassurance that hopefully I'm not going crazy or anything, thank you🙏

Hey everyone, I recently had a surgery and the care I received from all the staff at the hospital was beyond amazing. From the team who checked me in, to my surgical team and then ward staff, I don’t think I could have asked for better people. I am just wondering if it would be ok to take in something for them at my 6 week follow up? Or would it go to waste?

I was thinking of doing baskets up with items that may be easy snacks or things they may use and sometimes forget?

If there are items that you can suggest that would get used, I would love suggestions! Also would it be ok to do one set for the intake team, one for the surgical and one for the ward? Or just combined in take and surgical? Money/cost of items isn’t an issue, I really just wanted to let them know how much their kindness and how they treated me, helped me.

Thank you 💕

Hi everyone,
I’m a stage 6 nursing student and I’ve got an upcoming placement at a St John Urgent Care. I’ve never been in an urgent care setting before, so I’m not really sure what to expect.For anyone who has worked or had placement in urgent care, what skills would you recommend brushing up on beforehand? Are there any common medications I should familiarise myself with?
Also, what types of presentations/cases do you usually see in urgent care? Anything in particular I should revise before starting? Would really appreciate any advice or tips. Thanks!

ok i hope I've put this under the right flare 😭 I'm looking to see if anyone's been through similar things and knows what resources I could reach out to for support? or if there's anything I can do??

so i'm in VIC, I did first/second year and half of third year of a bachelor of nursing between 2020-2022. I worked as a RUSON at a major public hospital from 2021-2022, and was an ANMF member the entire time I studied/worked

i took a leave of absence from my nursing degree near the end of first semester in third year (if I hadn't felt so burnt out and anxious I would've just smashed out my final semester but I couldn't)

my RUSON job's workplace conditions were absolutely horrific, and I was exposed to multiple traumatic events on the job which caused me to take a leave of absence from uni, I quit my RUSON job as soon as I submitted my leave of absence form

i still have documentation about the conditions of my RUSON job, and documentation (without ANY identifying features) about incidents that occured whilst working as a RUSON that left me extremely traumatised.

these things all happened between mid 2021-mid 2022, I was an ANMF member at the time but I was way too traumatised and scared to speak up about my experiences as a RUSON. multiple other RUSON's I worked with did speak up but I don't think much came out of it...

is it worth trying to speak to ANMF now even though these things happened 4-5 years ago and I'm now in a completely different industry? I've also been diagnosed with C-PTSD from my RUSON experience and I really don't know what to do...

Hi I'm an RN Grade 2 year 10 moving into postgraduate mental health nursing in Victoria within the public health Sector— how does pay work?

. I’m about to undertake a Postgraduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing, which is being offered by the same health hospital I currently work for.

Essentially, I’ll be moving departments.

I’m wondering would my base rate be reduced to a student/graduate rate, or would my existing years of nursing experience and current classification be taken into account?

Has anyone been in a similar situation, particularly moving from a general/ED nursing position into a postgraduate mental health nursing program within the same health service?

Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Hi, someone who is considering to pursue masters of Np in future, I would like to get insights about this, also can you also post how much you make annually?
Thanks.

Has anyone else received their offer for CQU BN starting next year? I'm so excited!

I'm an experienced RN in Victoria. Nearly 30 years acute med/surg hospital experience. Currently doing casual bank. Looking to do something post-grad, but the costs are a bit much. What is out there that I could do for low cost? Something that would add value to being an RN in the future.

Hello all! Just wondering if there are any 3rd year Adelaide Uni students in this group:) I was just wondering what time did your placement dates start? This is because I have booked a trip for next year in January. I have asked the course coordinators and but they did not give me dates. They have told me it's about the same as the placement dates for 3rd yrs last yr which was February. With that being said, I took that as an okay for my trip.. but today, I heard one of the tutors said that there will be pre-clinical 2 weeks and January and then placements in Feb. How true is this? I don't know where else to ask. Thank you.

hey everyone! just looking for a bit of advice i guess, for context i just completed my diploma of nursing and are now registered with AHPRA, i'm 21 and don't have a car yet, therefore making it so hard to get to places / longer commute.

now i didn't do a grad yr, and i applied for bachelors next year, but i also am starting a job in retail in a week or so, i just feel stupid? like i have my nursing diploma but im working in retail????

did any of you guys not work as a nurse after graduating? i feel like im going to forget everything by the time bachelors come around? but i'm also conflicted because public transport doesn't even start by the time id have to leave to get to an AM or leave a PM shift as a nurse who doesn't have a car? making me unreliable and just adding more stress on top of starting my first nursing role

am i making a bad decision by working retail at the moment to buy a car and then next yr when studying, start applying for EN roles?

all and any advice welcome x

During my nursing placement I have 2 specialist appointments that I can't reschedule as it was really difficult to get them. Is there any way I would be able to ask the location that I have placement to not give me shifts on those 2 dates or at least request a specific time of the day that I won't be able to be on placement. If so, would I just need to provide them with a certificate of some sort and should I contact them now or wait until the roster has been released? I'm stressing quite a lot.

I’m planning to take a Graduate Certificate after completing my new grad program. I’m still not sure what area I’d like to specialise in, so for now, I want to do it for the sake of study and receive the postgraduate allowance.

I’m thinking of doing a fairly general course, such as Advanced Nursing, rather than something specific to a particular specialty.

1. Does QH provide the postgraduate allowance for general courses like this, or does the course need to be related to my current position? (I’m currently working in a surgical ward).

2. I’ve also heard that QH offers scholarships for postgraduate study, but I haven’t been able to find much information about it on the intranet. Does anyone know much about this? Is the funding only available for certain courses, or do we have some flexibility in choosing what to study?

Thanks in advance!