Meet the 2023 Diploma of Nursing student reps
Mater Education's 2023 Diploma of Nursing student representatives have been appointed and they're ready to hit the ground running.
Semester 2 students Jaime Orr and Joshua Gill have been selected to be the voice for all students in the Diploma of Nursing program at South Brisbane, connecting with new students and organising activities and charity drives.
Josh and Jaime will also play a key part in upcoming Mater Education Open Days, encourage students to get involved in campus events and sit on the Diploma of Nursing advisory board meetings.
Jaime said she is eager to put her ideas into action.
"My goal is to increase student contact and start study groups and programs with all semesters of students," she said.
"I am a crafty person so I would also like to organise a 'build-a-bear workshop' with students where we have a coffee and a sandwiches and sew up teddy bears to donate to the hospital and the paramedics.
"My son was experiencing seizures and we went on a couple of ambulance rides. The paramedics gave him a knitted teddy bear and he cuddled it. I thought it was sweet and it made him feel less scared."
The mother-of-two said she's thoroughly enjoying her Diploma of Nursing journey.
"I have always wanted to be a nurse. I'm in my 30s now and I finally got to do it after working as a dental assistant and receptionist in a GP clinic, as well as supporting my husband with his sign writing business," she said.
"The Diploma has been the most amazing experience ever."
Josh said he was surprised that he got the call up to be a student rep.
"I didn't really believe it, I had to read the email a couple of times!" he laughed.
"I am excited to have been given the opportunity. I am looking forward to connecting with more people and meeting future students at Open Days."
The 20-year-old said he's found his passion in healthcare after previously studying IT.
"I didn't know what I wanted to do when I left school but I was decent at computer programming so I tried that but found it just wasn't for me," he said.
"I enrolled in Mater Education's Certificate III in Health Services Assistance to get a taste of the healthcare world. The educators were really engaged with us and made sure we understood everything.
"The educators are the same with the Diploma. They care and want you to pass, it's a real community."
Josh said witnessing his older brother's experience with diabetes as a child and seeing the impact of good healthcare workers also influenced his decision to enrol in the Diploma.
"My mum also has lots of health issues and she's got stories about great healthcare workers and not so great ones," he said.
"That makes me want to be more therapeutic for patients and to look out for them and their families to the best of my ability."
Interested in a healthcare career? Apply for the Diploma of Nursing and start studying in Brisbane in April: mater.li/ApplyForDoN
Or, enrol in a Certificate III in Health Services Assistance and start studying in May: mater.li/HealthServicesAssistance
Come along to our Brisbane Open Day on Thursday 23 March to find out all the details! Register here: mater.li/OpenDayBNE
