The writing was on the wall that Emma was going to be a part of Griffith University’s Nursing cohort, since she began bandaging her teddy bears at a young age. Her passion for people and love of science made pursuing a Nursing degree an easy choice and, upon looking into the industry options, she applied for her Bachelor of Nursing at our Logan campus. “Logan campus was not only within a reasonable distance, but offered a fantastic learning community and environment,” says Emma, “Griffith University provided fantastic, varied and quality practical placement opportunities for me to experience and practice real nursing skills and patient care.”
Since graduating Emma has achieved her goal of gaining a Graduate Nursing position with Mater Health Services in South Brisbane and wants to complete her Master of Nursing, in the future, to become a Nurse Practitioner. Reflecting back on her journey with Griffith Emma discusses the tools which helped her succeed, like having academic and professional staff available to consult with at a range of hours. “The staff make themselves available face to face and via email for questions queries or a general check in,” she says, “Because of the wonderful community spirit and comradery between students, study and university became less overwhelming and really enjoyable.”
Studying at the Logan campus also allowed Emma to find a community of likeminded peers to undertake her degree with and her ability to connect with people has clearly led to her success in gaining a Graduate Nursing position with a prestigious partner like Mater. Taking advantage of the small class sizes and inclusive learning model of the School of Nursing & Midwifery helped Emma feel comfortable in the tertiary learning environment. “The campus is easy to navigate and the class sizes offer inclusive learning, co-operation and participation between staff and students,” she says, “The Student representative council are fantastic in organising student events, free food days and assisting with any questions or queries.”
One thing Emma wishes she had realised before graduating is the importance of taking advantage of educational assistance to ensure you achieve the best grade possible, as “your GPA is important and can affect your opportunities after graduation.” However, she looks back on her time at Griffith fondly, “I absolutely love the comradery between Griffith students, staff and alumni. Being a part of something big and a University that is doing great things for the future.” We can’t wait to see the great things that Emma does in the future, caring for the community.
