Sabrina Neesome

Before starting at UTS I finished high school and went straight to work in hospitality management. By the time I turned twenty-six, I decided that although I had a great job and a career lined up for me, I really wanted to become a nurse. I decided to bite the bullet, quit my job and apply to study a Bachelor of Nursing. I’ve now almost completed my second year and studying nursing is probably the best decision I’ve ever made.

I wanted to study this degree because I really love connecting with people. I think nursing has a good balance between practicing a skill set and constantly learning. When you’re working the wards, you’re meeting different people every day. You’re trying to relate to those from all walks of life and I think that’s what so important about being a nurse – you learn to not only master your practice, but learn to also empathise with patients.

I chose to study at UTS because nursing students get the chance to practice their skills and have one on one time with clinical academics. The clinical teaching labs are truly incredible. They’re identical to working in a proper hospital ward, which is reassuring as a student. Studying at UTS is also very flexible. My lectures are posted online so I can absorb the content in my own time. I’m also able to tailor my timetable as well, so I’m able to studying around my work commitments.

The most rewarding aspect of this course is that I haven’t even graduated yet and I’ve already had the chance to make a real difference to patients. On placement, I’ve identified an area overlooked by other nurses and was able to prevent a patient from suffering from an infection. It’s amazing to see my actions have contributed to a patient’s recovery at this stage of my career. Each day, I know I’m constantly growing to become a confident, outgoing and resilient nurse. I’ve learnt to cope under pressure and that you can never know what to expect in this profession.

Looking forward, I’m excited to find a graduate position once I complete my studies. I’m also considering postgraduate studies and am exploring my options studying education and becoming a nursing educator.

My advice to future students is to always keep an open mind. Once you go out into the field and meet people, you can’t imagine how much you’ll enjoy it. You never know who you’re going to meet or what opportunities will arise.

I was involved with the ‘Digital Stories of Diversity’ project where a number of videos were produced for the first-year subject, Communication and Diversity. Students enrolled in this subject will reflect in class on a series of videos of the struggles of patients from many walks of life when it comes to communicating adequately. I had the honour of providing insight as a sibling of a severe intellectual disability patient. I believe my contribution was important to the project because I believe the expertise of family members should have the same amount of consideration to that of clinical knowledge. It was an amazing experience to provide input to this project and I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity.

Find out more about nursing at UTS