Lizette Gerryts is a Graduate Registered Nurse on ward 5FN at Peninsula Health.
Q: Why did you decide to complete your graduate year at Peninsula Health?
A: I’ve grown up on the Mornington Peninsula and when I decided to pursue nursing back in high school, I saw myself working at Frankston Hospital giving back to my community. Since that time, the decision to start my nursing career at Peninsula Health has evolved to consider things such as support, specialties, career growth and the right environment to be nurtured into the nurse I want myself to be. I did all my placements at Peninsula Health and it felt like the natural progression to work here as a nurse. Most of all it felt like Peninsula Health was the right fit for me at the right time.
Q: What has been a highlight of your graduate year?
A: My graduate year has just begun so I am in the stage of adjusting from being a student to a nurse. I found the initial change of being a nurse confronting, but my highlight so far was on my third shift by myself without another nurse by my side watching what I was doing. I was administering medications at the time and I remember thinking to myself “wow, you are doing this”. It was the moment of realisation that I am a nurse, I am taking care of patients and that I am capable of doing so. I think making the transition from student to nurse can be a difficult time for new nurses because for me there was self-doubt and major feelings of imposter syndrome but in this moment, it clicked, I am a registered nurse.
Q: Can you describe a typical day in your role at Peninsula Health?
A: I cannot describe a typical day because no shift has been the same. At this stage, I am being exposed to so many things that I didn’t know. Every day I learn new things whether it is big or small.
Q: How have you found the education and support from Peninsula Health as a graduate?
A: For me it has been very exciting because there is so much I am yet to know, but there is also a really reassuring aspect of not knowing because there is staff around me or resources available that I can turn to. I would say I am a curious person so I can have lots of questions but there is so much knowledge around me so I can feed my curiosity. The staff on my ward are so knowledgeable, I still feel amazed by how much they know and how willing they are to share that knowledge. I feel comfort in knowing that I am working within a team who are willing and able to answer my questions but who are also there to lend a helping hand. To answer the question, I have really enjoyed both the education and support.
Q: Where do you hope your nursing career will take you in the future?
A: This is a really hard one to answer because I have just commenced my nursing career, there is no way that I have been exposed to all areas of nursing yet. Currently I am so fascinated by how the body functions and learning so much. I am excited by the experience and to learn what I love. If I am dreaming, I could see myself either in management or being an expert in an area such as a clinical nurse consultant or a nurse practitioner. I have a very strong feeling that I will return to university to further my knowledge.
Q: Finally, what piece of advice would you give to final year nursing students who will soon enter the nursing profession?
A: Have faith in yourself. Have faith in your knowledge, your ability and in the people around you and trust the process. Get excited!!! You are so close and yes it truly is a case of some days are hard but other days it is so worth it. Lastly just remember comparison is the thief of joy. This is your journey, and you get to guide it.
For more information on our Graduate Nurse Program go to our Graduate Programs page.