In need of some wise advice...

[Picklednerd]

Hi all!

Im so confused at the moment, any advice you can provide would be much appreciated...

I graduate with a Bachelor of Nursing at the end of the year, and may have to choose between two hospitals, Hollywood Private Hospital, and Sir Charles Gairdner, in Perth... I am looking for a friendly, well-structured and supportive graduate theatre program. These two hospitals are very different, private vs public, big vs small(ish).

I also am considering applying for the Post Graduate Diploma in Health (Perioperative Nursing) through the University of Notre Dame. One hospital is very supportive of me doing this next year, and the other recommends that I do their graduate program and then see... The course itself is accepting direct entry (no previous theatre experience required) for the first time next year, and is encouraging direct entry.

What to do, what to do? Ive got no'one to discuss these career dilemmas with, and I would just appreciate any thoughts at all on my choices.

Thanks so much for your time.

[joannep]

Hi,

I am impressed that you have selected a specialty and are prepared to undertake further education in that role. I assume you have done a perioperative rotation as an undergraduate student and enjoyed it.

The debate about doing a grad year before specialising is ongoing. Many postgraduate courses require you to have a year of acute care experience before they will accept you. Also it can be a great year. Some of my oldest nurse friends are those I did my grad year with and formed the beginning of my nursing network. Many of us are now in senior management positions, others have remained clinical nurses and are a fountain of up to date clinical information.

I also knew that I wanted to go to theatre when I finished, I was able to negotiate my grad year to a 3 mth med rotation, a 3 mth surg rotation and a six mth perioperative rotation which included theatre/anaesthetic/recovery/ccsd rotation.

The med/surg rotation gave me insight as to what the patient experienced pre-operatively and what they would experience when they returned to the ward. It gave me insight into the patients anxiety about surgery and also their families anxiety. I think it made me a better perioperative nurse.

At the end of my grad year, my hospital offered me a scholarship for postgraduate education based on my theatre managers recommendation. Further down the track and the hospital gave me a scholarship to help pay for my Masters degree.

Postgraduate education is expensive, not only for the cost of the education, but for the loss of earnings while you are sitting in class rooms.

Do you have sufficient funds to pay for further education at the moment?

Do either hospital offer scholarships for postgraduate education? If so, how would you qualify?

I hope this has helped you,