Rockhampton Hospital’s Day Surgery Unit is thrilled to congratulate team member Nicholas Burt on successfully completing the transition from Undergraduate Student In Nursing (USIN) to Registered Nurse (RN).
Nurse Unit Manager Trudy Tempest said this was the second consecutive year of Day Surgery’s very successful USIN to RN program.
“Nicholas joined the team last year as a second year USIN and has worked hard to complete his studies with CQ while working across multiple areas in Day Surgery with increasing delegations and duties.
“The staff within the unit are very supportive of the program and USIN employees and are proud to watch as Nicholas now takes the next steps in his nursing career.”
Nicholas said he was loving life as an RN.
“Your scope of practice expands a lot, it’s very exciting to have more autonomy and responsibility for patients’ care until they leave the unit,” he said.
“In my first few days I was involved in more complex care, including helping in recovery as a patient recovered from an emergency caesarean.”
Nicholas said the USIN to RN program had been a huge advantage in kick-starting a career in health.
“My first year of study was isolating because of COVID and it was hard to stay motivated, but once I became a USIN it was inspiring to see qualified nurses practising their skills in a clinical setting and making a difference to the lives of patients.”
Nicholas will continue to work with the Day Surgery team until he formally enters the Central Queensland Health graduate nurse program.
Trudy said the USIN to RN pathway had proven a great success and she was confident it would continue to grow and adapt to improve opportunities and enrich experiences for many more future nurses.