Palimah Panichit
11 November 2016: The student-led University of Canberra Nursing Society (UCNS) has teamed up with the Australian College of Nursing (ACN) to launch new membership options on campus for those looking to get a foothold in the workplace out of school.
The event, held at the University of Canberra last month, brought together nursing students from local universities and nursing professionals to discuss graduate employment.
Students obtained tips of how to transition to the workforce and set themselves up for a successful career. They also heard from University of Canberra alumna and ACN Emerging Nurse Leader Meg Bransgrove, who shared her transition experience from UC student to being an integral part of the ICU nursing team at Canberra Hospital.
UCNS president Connor Lynch also spoke about the challenge of transitioning to the workplace after graduation and how the society aims to help with that process.
“It’s really exciting [to graduate], but it’s also a really daunting process for all of us,” Mr Lynch said. “There are different avenues to go down, there’s a bit of pressure with graduates to think you have to do a structured graduate year.”
He said this event was helpful to give students an understanding of what to expect.
“It was good to have people to talk out those issues that we might have as second or third year nursing students.”
This is the first year that the ACN has released membership options for undergraduates, which include coaching sessions that determine the undergraduate’s field of interest as well as linking up the student with a mentor.
Mr Lynch said that the UCNS also looks to form a community and be a support group for members.
“I think nursing is quite an exceptional professional discipline to be a part of. We’re a pretty tight-knit group, and being part of the UCNS has led to closer relationships being formed through education and more social events,” he said.