A need for nursing

First-year nursing student Joanne Lawrance has more life experience than most of her classmates. 

For one, she has already graduated from university, having completed a physiotherapy degree more than a decade ago.

But she has decided to return to study – this time with her sights set on retraining as a registered nurse – after a stint doing volunteer work sparked a newfound career interest.

From physio to nursing

The Covid pandemic, recent natural disasters and turbulent events overseas have shed an even greater light on the need for nurses.

Which is why Joanne has decided to leave her physiotherapy career behind in pursuit of becoming a disaster relief nurse. 

“I was working as a physiotherapist – as a sole practitioner in rehabilitation – when I started doing some voluntary work with an aid organisation,” Joanne said.

“It was then that I started to become interested in an area of aid work that was being set up overseas for short-term disaster relief hospitals in response to war and natural disasters. 

“I enquired more about it and learnt there was more need for nurses and doctors than physios because of the acute care needed at these hospitals. So I started thinking about retraining. I was also aware of the need for more nurses here in Australia, plus I missed working in the hospital environment, and I like the teamwork aspect of nursing.”

Returning to study 

Despite being an older student, plus the dramatic change in learning methods for today’s university courses, Joanne said she has found it to be an easy transition back to study.

“I was a bit apprehensive about the different style of learning,” she admitted. 

“My physiotherapy degree had been taught completely face-to-face, with our assignments hand-written and physically submitted. There was no online learning.

“But I’ve transitioned quite easily and I really like the balance and variety that ACU provides, with online lectures, Zoom tutorials, face-to face tutorials and practical classes on campus.

“It’s been exciting to be studying again and I’m enjoying the challenge and loving learning. I was a bit nervous about being an older student but have been pleasantly surprised to meet other mature age students also studying nursing. The younger students have also been far more friendly and inclusive than I had been expecting, so I needn’t have worried.”

A good fit

Having decided she wanted to study nursing, the next step was choosing which university to go to. 

At first, she considered going to one of the larger universities in Sydney, before an “impressive” ACU Open Day visit helped her make the final decision. 

“I was so impressed by ACU’s Open Day that I changed my application preferences and placed ACU as my first choice,” she said.

“Having not studied for many years, I was impressed by the accessibility of support services if required, like Academic Skills Unit with referencing, for example. ACU just felt like a good fit for me.”

The work/life balance

It has only been a year of study for Joanne, but so far she’s enjoyed every minute of it.

“I’ve been loving my first year,” she said.

“We put our theory into practice in simulation labs (set up like hospital wards) and I’ve found the subjects are great for interacting with other nursing students too. 

“Even though I was unable to get credits from my physio degree as it was completed more than 10 years ago, I have enjoyed studying the human body from more of a nursing perspective – rather than the emphasis on the musculoskeletal system as a physiotherapist.”

More importantly though, as a wife and mother, Joanne has found the flexibility between her study life and family life has been achievable.

“I am fortunate to not have to juggle work and study so that I can fully focus on my studies,” she said. 

“As a mature age student, with a husband and family, it is important to still maintain balance between study and family life.”

Ready to make a difference like Joanne? Explore our nursing courses.