Trisha Cunanan

About Trisha

Hi, my name is Trisha. I was born in Sydney, Australia and was raised to become your everyday traditional Muslim-Filipino girl. Being the youngest of three girls in a very family-oriented household, I naturally was surrounded by the best role models who taught me the importance of showing compassion and empathy towards every person I may meet.

Why I chose to study a Bachelor of Nursing

During my final year at St Marys Senior High, I developed a deep interest in Chemistry and Biology and knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the STEM field. After enrolling in another course at UTS and about to begin the first semester, I remembered seeing my sister come home from long shifts at the hospital and continue to care for our family with and without her uniform. Although tired, she would tell me about how full her heart was and the satisfaction she got from making even the smallest impact on the lives of her patients. Without a second thought, I changed my degree to a Bachelor of Nursing. Now in my second year, I can say that choosing to study this course was the best decision I made as it aligns perfectly with my beliefs and is so rewarding.

Why UTS?

Choosing to attend the University of Technology Sydney was an easy decision that I had made two years before I even graduated high school. UTS provides realistic clinical laboratories to simulate a typical hospital setting in the safety of their own facilities for Nursing and Midwifery students and are taught by very experienced nursing staff. In high school, UTS had a renowned reputation for their Nursing degree as my classmates who wanted to pursue it, people who were currently enrolled, and those who were studying the same course at other universities only said good things about this degree.

My experiences while studying a Bachelor of Nursing

I am currently in my second year of Nursing, completing the last few days of my four-week placement at Westmead and Fairfield Hospital. I had the opportunity to become a student representative for both first and second year which allows me to advocate for my peers and help make developments on education environments/communities so future Nursing students can have the same or better experiences. I recently became a mentor for the U@Uni Academy, a two-year program running by UTS that provides an alternate, non-ATAR pathway for selected students attending participating high schools.

What advice would you give to future nursing students?

When you begin your classes and come across something you find difficult, don’t let it dishearten you. The best thing about this course is that every single student in your class is also completing a Bachelor of Nursing, so stay in touch with people from your classes, and join all the big group chats. The more students you know, the more support you can get. To work effectively in a multidisciplinary team after your degree, try to jump at any opportunity to enhance your collaborative and communication skills. And finally, don’t switch off notifications for Outlook and Canvas!

Learn more about Nursing at UTS Health.