Following in the family tradition to become a nurse
Tabatha Davies is a proud Wemba Wemba woman who grew up watching her grandmother and mother work as nurses and give back to their communities by working in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical clinics.
Now the 21-year-old is fulfilling her lifelong dream to become a nurse and is one of more than 160 students graduating this week after completing Mater Education’s fee-free, 18-month Diploma of Nursing program.
“My grandmother has been working as a nurse for more than 50 years, my mum has been nursing for about 25 years, and they are both my biggest inspirations and role models,” she said.
“I have always wanted to become a nurse just like my mum and grandma, and work within our Indigenous community to improve lives and health outcomes.”
Ms Davies has had her own challenging health issues to manage whilst trying to fulfill her dream to become a nurse.
Suffering from Graves’ Disease, an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid gland, Ms Davies dropped out of school at 16 due to a range of symptoms which led to her partially losing sight in one eye.
She is now managing her condition with medication, which has enabled her to train as a nurse and given her a unique perspective on healthcare.
“I learned so much by doing Mater Education’s Diploma of Nursing, it has been a life-changing experience and given me the opportunity to become an enrolled nurse without having to pay $25,000 course tuition,” she said.
“I would like to work in palliative care because I think everyone deserves to die peacefully and as pain free as possible.”
Ms Davies will soon start working as an enrolled nurse at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (ATSICHS), where her mum Belinda Charles also works.
This year’s NAIDOC week theme is “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy,” which celebrates achievements of the past and the bright future ahead.
And as she celebrates her graduation this week, Ms Davies is doing both - following in a proud family tradition of nursing spanning more than half a century and paving the way forward for future generations of her family and young Indigenous women.
“I’m so excited to graduate and I’m very proud of myself and looking forward to working as a nurse and helping others,” she said.
Mater is Queensland’s largest not-for-profit healthcare provider and manages 11 private and public hospitals across the state.
Mater has been training nurses and other health professionals since 1906 and Mater Education is the only nationally accredited, independent, hospital-based Registered Training Organisation (RTO) in Queensland.
Mater Education Director of Education and Training Toni-Maree Henaway said fee-free study applications for the October 2025 course will open soon.
“Queensland urgently needs to expand its nursing workforce to meet the healthcare needs of our community now and into the future,” she said.
“Fee-free training has been an enormous incentive for those wanting to start their healthcare career.
“If you’ve been considering a healthcare career, there has never been a better time than now to make the change!”
Applicants for the Free Nursing initiative must live in Queensland and be Australian citizens or permanent residents to be eligible for a fee-free Diploma of Nursing.
