Whanganui woman Jessica Low transitions from policing to nursing

Student nurses Jessica Low (left) and Jenn Dalen. Photo / Supplied

A Whanganui mother and former police officer has had a new lease on life, tipping her career on its head to study a new graduate nursing degree.

Jessica Low has this week begun her first nursing placement at Te Oranganui, kicking off what she hopes to be a lifelong career in nursing after studying a master of Clinical Practice degree at Massey University.

It's a new journey for Low. After leaving high school, she completed a year of study towards a bachelor of nursing, before jumping ship to travel overseas. On her return, she joined the New Zealand Police, working on the frontline in family harm, investigations and assisting in coronial inquiries.

After the birth of her daughter in 2017, Low spent two years as a stay-at-home mum, before moving to Whanganui in March last year, beginning a new role in restorative justice facilitation.

Low said she has always wanted to work in people-focused roles.

"I've always had people as my focus and restorative justice was a good fit with my policing background. But I started thinking long-term about what I might do and nursing had always been in the back of my mind. I've always been interested in health and wellbeing."

Low said she tossed up between studying postgraduate psychology or nursing, before "looking to the universe" for advice on what path she should pursue. It was then that she came across a university nursing course in another city, which swayed her thinking.

"I thought 'wow that would be amazing if I lived there', and then saw  Massey advertised a similar thing and I thought that might work extra-mural, as I've studied via distance before and it's flexible.

"So I thought 'I would like to do that', but we can't afford it. Then the scholarship came up and I got it and here we are."

Although the programme is full on, Low said she is really enjoying it and believes it will be a pathway to be able to help people that is aligned more with her interests.

"I'm finding it has a lot of transferable skills, such as my love for being able to communicate with people.

"I enjoy getting to the bottom of things and being curious and advocating for people where I can."