Hello from Queensland, Australia

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Hello everyone,

I'm relatively new to the world of nursing, and welcome any advice, tips or tricks that you throw at me! Last year I decided that I needed some kind of direction in life, because wandering aimlessly and meaninglessly wasn't getting me anywhere. So after looking at my options I applied for a Diploma of Nursing, and to my surprise I got in and my studies officially started this week which is pretty exciting. I even went and got my first stage Hep B vaccination (this morning, actually!) despite my irrational fear of having dead things put inside my body.

I did a bit of research on the difference between an Enrolled Nurse and a Registered Nurse, and chose this Diploma as it qualifies me as a RN and bridges on into a Bachelor of Nursing, so I can work while studying to become an EN. It's a long road, I'm sure, but it's worth it... right? It's probably the biggest venture that I've set myself onto in my lifetime, so I'm pretty nervous and also willing to accept any relevant advice. I plan to become a mental health nurse, but that's a long way off and plans change. I do have a few questions, though, if anyone's interested in answering them.

1) What tool, instrument or resource is the most crucial for you as a nurse? What do you find yourself leaning on more so than anything else?

2) In regards to resources, are there any that you would recommend for a student? Do you know of anything that I should read to prepare myself for Vocational Placement?

3) In the course outline they say that nurses have to be open and accepting about everyone, regardless of their circumstances. How often would you say that this rule is broken? Are most nurses accepting and tolerant of others?

4) Are there any nurses here with mental illnesses? I ask because I've been diagnosed and treated for an array of mental illnesses, and still take antidepressants and anti-anxieties. Will this affect me much? Does having a mental illness affect you much as a nurse? How do you get around it?

5) Confidence. This is something I lack a lot of. Does it grow as you get deeper into your studies, or do you have to fake it until you make it? How do you go about increasing this essential life skill to better prepare yourself?

Thanks for reading this far, if you have. And I hope to hear from someone!

-Alex

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