Diploma of Nursing student's 'wild ride'

Mater Education Diploma of Nursing student Elly Cotterall is due to graduate on 5 July and will be celebrating more than just her graduation, after having an article accepted for publication by the National Enrolled Nurse Association of Australia (NENA).

Elly, who began her Diploma of Nursing at the age of 17, wrote the article as part of a group exercise during semester three of her Diploma and it was accepted by NENA shortly afterwards.

“Having an article accepted for publication is a great honour and I’m thrilled my article was chosen out of all those submitted,” Elly said.

In the article Elly reflects on her experience as a Diploma of Nursing student and describes feeling both ‘excited and daunted’ on her first day as well as ‘terrified of failing’.  By the end of her first shift as a student enrolled nurse Elly compares her experience to ‘a wild ride’—with every shift a new and exciting experience.

Mater Education Course Coordinator Suzanne Cosgrove said students are encouraged to reflect on their experiences throughout their Diploma.

“Reflection is an important part of the Diploma program and Elly’s reflection on her experience is very well written. It provides a great insight into a student perspective on learning and Elly put a lot of effort into her article,” Sue said.

Following graduation Elly will be starting the Mater Enrolled Nurse Graduate Program on 24 July and is looking forward to the next chapter in her nursing career.

NENA is scheduled to publish Elly’s article in the August edition of their magazine and is calling for more material for their magazine, so if you’re keen to submit an article, more information is available on their website: http://www.nena.org.au/PDF/Call_for_NENA_News_Material.pdf

Pictured L-R: Sue Cosgrove (Mater Education Course Coordinator), Elly Cotterall (Mater Education Diploma of Nursing Student) and Helen Stapleton (Mater Education Course Educator).