Madison Hobson

I wanted to study nursing as I have always been very interested in science and health – my first degree was in Health Science. I always thought this would be the perfect career to go in to. When I was younger, I was a surf lifesaver and had multiple experiences with having to perform rescues, provide first aid and in more serious cases, CPR.

I am passionate about multiple things; however, the main things are education – I believe everyone deserves the right to education. I am a firm believer that education doesn’t simply occur in a classroom, and that travel is hugely important for people to become educated about the world around them. Before starting my first degree, I had a gap year and travelled the Pacific Islands, Europe, America and Mexico.

I am also passionate about helping others, which is essential for anyone working in the health care system, as you always want to have your patients’ best interest at heart. I am also very interested in film photography and try to do it as much as possible.

I chose to study at UTS for a few reasons. These include the location, the facilities and resources that are available to students. Even before I had been accepted into the university, I had all the information and help I needed.

The most rewarding aspect of this degree so far has been an experience from my first placement:

I had a patient who, with their partner, had travelled to Sydney for treatment. The patient was in hospital for an extended period of time, and their partner had to pay for rent, food and washing. I noticed that they were sharing their meals, so I asked my supervising nurse if we could give an extra meal to the partner and the ward was happy to oblige.

The patient confided in me that they were struggling to pay the cost of living. Again, I spoke to my supervising nurse and recounted their difficult situation. The ward was able to arrange for the partner to have meals with the patient, and have their clothes washed.

While this experience was not medically-based, it was a rewarding situation as I was able to help my patient and their partner through an already difficult situation.

Throughout my studies so far, I have learned strategies to be a better leader and delegator. While I have always felt like a bit of a natural born leader and like to be in control of situations, I’ve quickly learned that plans can change on the clinical floor, and how imperative it is to be able to adapt to the changes quickly.

My plans for the future include working as a Registered Nurse in either a critical care specialty or in theatres. After working clinically for a few years, I would like to complete a Master’s in nursing and eventually progress on to becoming a Nurse Practitioner.

To future students, my advice is to be organised and have all assignments written out in an easy-to-see place. Keep on top of notes and readings because, in nursing, our teaching weeks are short and intense due to placements. I would also say that while it is a heavy work load and can feel quite intense at times, it’s a very rewarding degree and the intensity of it is setting us up to succeed on the clinical floor.

Find out more about the Bachelor of Nursing at UTS