Student nurse on the way to achieving dream job with national award

Now that dream has become a reality, and it's been topped off with a national award.

On Friday, November 17, Ms Smith was awarded runner-up Australian School-Based Trainee of the Year at the 2023 Australian Training Awards in Hobart, accepting the recognition for her studies in Certificate III in Health Services Assistance which were completed at Tamworth TAFE.

Ms Smith was "still in shock after the announcement" and "processing the win".

"I'm truly honoured to have been awarded runner up at the Australian Training Awards," she said.

"Being recognised in this way is so rewarding, and reinforces my commitment to empowering the next generation to pursue a vocational education and training pathway."

Ms Smith was nominated for the award by her TAFE teachers Alison Callcott and Simone Williams. Both are registered nurses.

At the completion of her studies, Ms Smith is a qualified assistant in nursing (AIN). For the past two years she has worked at Tamworth hospital, dividing her time between working in the rehab and intensive care units.

She is now looking forward to starting a Bachelor of Nursing degree at the University of Newcastle in February 2024. Ultimately, she would like to specialise in critical care.

A number of factors influenced Ms Smith's decision to focus on a career in the heath sector, including the fact her younger sister has epilepsy, which meant the family spent a lot of time in the hospital system.

Ms Smith also worked as a pharmacy and dispensary assistant for three years, which encouraged her level of interest.

"Initially I was interested in medicine and when I started my course thought I might follow that path," she said.

"Once I went into the wards and started working, I realised how much I liked working with patients and helping with their care."

Ms Smith was in Year 10 at McCarthy Catholic College when she decided she was "not enjoying high school" and "finding it hard to fit in".

"I was smart but just did not enjoy school - it wasn't the place I wanted to be," she said.

"I knew I wanted to do something with health care and I did not want to drop out of school. I wanted to get my Higher School Certificate and an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank)."

A TAFE traineeship seemed the answer as it allowed Ms Smith to work while also studying something she was interested in.

"The traineeship offered a better balance for me rather than being at school full time," she said.

"I did three days a week at school, one day a week at TAFE, and worked one day a week at Tamworth hospital. It made me a lot happier.

"Without my traineeship I don't think I would have been able to complete Year 12."

Ms Smith hopes to eventually work in an intensive care unit.

"I love working on the wards at the moment but I'm most interested in critical care because that's where I'm learning more: what is wrong with the patient, what they've got and how we're fixing it," she said.

"There's also a lot more responsibility, and I like the responsibility.

"While all nursing is rewarding, it is amazing to see someone on a breathing tube and then later watch them walk out recovered. That change is amazing," she said.