Places: About 100, divided into streams of 30.
Starting salary: Depends if it's a community or hospital setting. Community graduate nurses: $19-$23 per hour.
Nursing involves working with people who need physical and mental care in a range of environments, from hospitals to youth health centres.
To become a registered nurse, you must successfully complete a three-year nursing degree through one of 17 tertiary providers in New Zealand. Ucol is a provider which offers a nursing degree in Palmerston North, Wairarapa and Whanganui.
All Ucol students are assigned a personal tutor to help them during their three years of study. Topics include nursing science and practice, healthcare systems, and nursing people with complex needs and with life-long conditions.
Clinical placements provide practical experience in primary healthcare, medical and surgical, disability and mental health. Shiftwork is part of placements, so students must be available for 7am starts and afternoon shifts which end at 11pm. Students may also do overnight and weekend shifts, reflecting the reality of a career that involves 24-hour care.
Students must also pass the Nursing Council NZ final exam and get a recommendation from the head of the school at which they studied.
THE GRADUATE
Aimee Drummond, 31
* Youth health nurse at Youth One Stop Shop (Yoss) in Palmerston North
* Degree completed end of 2009
I didn't decide to go into nursing because I wanted to work with youth, but the minute I stepped through the door of Yoss [Youth One Stop Shop], I knew it was for me. I love the holistic aspect of youth health nursing.
This is my second year at Yoss. I did a third-year placement here, then I worked part-time in administration while studying, and then I was offered a registered nursing position.
Nursing here is quite different from hospital-based nursing. It can be challenging and heartbreaking to listen to some of the more complex issues young people go through.
I'm lucky I've got the rest of the team to turn to when I come up against something difficult. The whole team is great, particularly our doctor, David Ayling, who has taught me so much about assessing and managing health conditions.
Before starting my nursing degree, I was working as the Wairarapa co-ordinator for the Association of Students at Ucol. I chose to study at Ucol because I was aware of the huge support base for students and the dedication of lecturers.
I would say that about 60 per cent of the study was theoretical and 40 per cent practical. Over the three years we did nine placements, of which four were in our third year.
For our final seven-week placement, we were able to choose where we went. I went to the emergency department because I'd been there earlier and had found it an amazing learning experience. I also felt it would optimise my exposure to multiple conditions and age groups.
About 40 students from my year sat the state final registration exam and, from my knowledge, about 35 walked straight into jobs.
I was lucky Yoss took me on as a NETP [nursing entry to practice expansion programme] graduate, which provided extra support. We had to do a professional development and recognition programme and provide extensive evidence of our nursing skills and knowledge in our area of practice.
A nurse is like a detective. You are required to sort through a patient's health history and test results to make a diagnosis of what is going on for that individual, and create a plan that will hopefully assist them back to optimal health.
THE EMPLOYER
Trissel Mayor, director of Yoss
Yoss is a free health service for anyone aged 10 to 24 living in Palmerston North. This service covers everything from sore toes, skin problems, asthma, contraception and sexual health, to feeling down or anxious.
Aimee is one of three nurses here. Other staff include a clinical psychologist, counsellor, social worker and youth worker who are available to talk about stuff that's going on and help young people make changes. We also offer youth programmes that build life skills and character.
We employ people who have similar values to the values of Yoss. These include honesty, passion and enthusiasm, and a belief in young people. Yoss staff need to be able to see young people's potential and believe in them, no matter what.
A nursing qualification is essential at Yoss because it means we can offer a quality clinical service, but recruiting nurses who want to work with young people is not easy.
At Yoss, it is really important nurses practice ethically and have a high level of self-awareness. Nurses also need to be able to work with cultural diversity and be innovative. The primary-care environment, in particular, needs nurses able to work in a multi-disciplinary team and fast-changing environment.
