Nursing – an inspiring vocation
Career as nurse totally worthwhile by ROBYN YOUSEF
Sanchia Watts is so happy as a nurse, she really wants to inspire school leavers to consider this career option. “I just love this work and find it very rewarding,” the 26-year-old says. She graduated from Whitireia Community Polytechnic in Porirua, Wellington, last June and is now working at Auckland Hospital. Already she has plans to do voluntary work abroad and has her sights set on Africa – possibly, war-torn Sudan. “That’s one of the big advantages about nursing – you can work all over the world,” she explains. Sanchia grew up in Dunedin, attending Sawyers Bay Primary, Dunedin North Intermediate and Otago Girls’ High School. During her school years, she enjoyed a real cross-section of subjects including the sciences (particularly biology and chemistry) and also the arts. She started a university course in social psychology, but decided a year in she wanted to do something more “hands on”. Nursing seemed the perfect option, as was Whitireia Polytechnic for her three-year course. Her mother had just passed away and she needed the support given
to her by her Wellington family and also by being in a “small tertiary atmosphere.” “I graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing Māori degree, choosing this because I am part-Māori. I also want to work with indigenous people overseas and thought I should familiarise myself with my own culture first,” Sanchia explains. Currently working on a respiratory ward, Sanchia gets great satisfaction out of helping her patients, and especially, seeing them progress and recover. “It is exhausting work, but just so worthwhile”. She also enjoys the team work and camaraderie with other staff members on her ward – they always find time for laughter, as well. Sanchia wholeheartedly recommends nursing as a wonderful career option for school leavers. She advises secondary school students planning a nursing career to concentrate on their science subjects – particularly biology and chemistry – in preparation for nursing studies. further information on studying O For nursing at Whitireia Polytechnic, visit www.whitireia.ac.nz
NURSING
4 S ANCHIA WATTS:
Gets great satisfaction out of helping her patients, and especially, seeing them progress and recover.
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