With a young family to think of, Simone wanted a career that offered more work-life balance.
“The job I walked out of – I never felt I could do it on a part-time basis. When I decided to go back into the workforce I thought, ‘I can do anything I want’. It was quite liberating. I chose nursing,” says student Simone.
Transferable skills
Simone found she had many transferable skills from her corporate gig in incident management: she was well-versed in handling high-pressure situations and she was skilled with people.
“I’ve always been good at calming and guiding people when they feel unsure and stressed,” says Simone.
Touching people
But there were things that were unfamiliar, too. Like touching people.
Adjusting from a corporate environment to a role of carer has taken some time for Simone, but she’s relishing the change. Photo by on
“The hardest thing I’ve had to get used to is touching people. That took a bit of getting used to.”
A personal choice
Closer to home, there was a more personal driver for Simone’s decision to switch to nursing.
Simone’s daughter was born with a rare, benign tumour in her left humorous. It has meant the family have spent a lot of time in and out of hospital.
The tumour has left her bones as thin as an eggshell, meaning even a light bump can result in a broken bone.
Simone’s daughter and their family must attend six-monthly check-up appointments at the Royal Children’s Hospital to monitor and assess the tumour.
“My personal experiences in paediatrics with my daughter definitely contributed to my career change. People who can care for children like that are just incredible,” says Simone.
Real-world nursing experience
Simone is enjoying Swinburne’s flexible approach to learning and the real-world experience she’s gaining while she’s studying. And she’s especially looking forward to seeing things from the other side of the paediatric ward.
“As part of the Eastern Health Fellowship, I’ve gained experience working in immunisation clinics, and working under a Registered Nurse in the emergency and the neurological ward at Box Hill Hospital. I also did a six-month placement in the orthopaedic surgical ward,” she says.
“I’ve seen everything from bike, car and electrical scooter accidents, and have worked at different points of the process; from people coming in and not knowing what is wrong with them, to patients who have a very detailed care plan to deliver.”
What’s next?
When she graduates, Simone is interested in working in all aspects of nursing in a perioperative setting or within the plastics settings looking at scar review and burns.
“That’s the best thing about nursing. There are so many different areas I could go into,” she says.
For now, she’s focusing on completing her final year of studies and getting the most out of all of her remaining placement opportunities. The best part? As part of her Fellowship, she’s guaranteed a job interview by becoming a fellowship student and a RUSON (Registered Undergraduate Student of Nursing).
Interested in making the switch to a more caring career? Say goodbye to existential crises and hello to helping people with our
