Aaron Choi, South Korea, 22 October, 2024
Why did you choose nursing at QUT?
I chose nursing as my career as I was influenced by my mum, who was a nurse in Korea. I was always interested in supporting others, especially those who are vulnerable. I want to become an ICU nurse. I chose QUT as it had a good reputation for its Bachelor of Nursing course. I strongly recommend QUT to others as it has a very high standard of academic integrity and support system.
Can you describe what your classes are like?
In my experience, the Bachelor of Nursing course has quite an intensive course structure. As a full-time international student, you need to do three to four units (subjects) each semester, and each unit has their own lectures, tutorials, practicals, assignments and exams. Lectures, tutorials, on-campus practice classes, and off-campus placements all provide valuable learning opportunities.
Lectures and prescribed reading materials are very important in terms of learning the basics and underlying theories. With the theories and basics you learnt during lectures, you then consolidate your knowledge in tutorial classes by going through different types of tasks, quizzes and discussions together with your tutor and classmates in a small group. There are about 20 students in each class, with sub-groups of two to four students to work on each task.
With the knowledge you gained and consolidated through lectures and tutorials, you then learn some real-world practice in on-campus practical classes. The tutor (clinical facilitator) will show you how to perform the skill of the session (preparing intravenous antibiotics, for example), and then you can practice the skill on the fake patient (a mannequin). All these theoretical and practical learnings will be used when you are on off-campus placements in real-world healthcare environments.
What was your favourite part of the course?
My favourite part of the course was learning about human body – anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology – and practising appropriate interaction with people as a professional healthcare provider. Personally, I felt off-campus nursing placements were the most effective and practical learning opportunities for a future nurse. The Diploma in Health Science (Nursing) and the Bachelor of Nursing have prepared me well to become a Registered Nurse.
Can you tell us more about your clinical placement experiences?
I have undertaken off-campus clinical placements in aged care facilities and several general, medical and surgical ward placements at Greenslopes Private Hospital in Brisbane. At the hospital, I have been doing shifts in the Palliative Care Ward, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Coronary Care Unit (CCU) and Operating Theatres.
I was able to obtain deeper understanding of lives of people in different situations while on placement, which I found to be the most valuable part of the experience. It was pleasantly surprising for me to learn how much my course has allowed me to grow and be reshaped into a more competent, independent and mature person.
I learnt a lot from working with nurses and clients from different backgrounds. Also, positive and constructive feedback from clinical facilitators helped me hugely to self-reflect on my skills, knowledge, and teamwork as a future Registered Nurse (RN). I was supported on placement by QUT with extensive interaction with the university and the teaching team. Clinical placements enable and facilitate the ultimate consolidation of the skills and knowledge learnt in the university, and consequently becoming a competent Australian nurse.
Previously, you studied the Diploma in Health Science (Nursing) at QUT College. How did the diploma help you transition to bachelor-level study?
The Diploma in Health Science (Nursing) provided a highly supportive environment in terms of improving the use of the English language.
It’s important to study English and build confidence in spoken and written English before starting your course in Australia. It is not only about obtaining band 7 in IELTS or PTE. You must have inner confidence in using English.
As most of the students were from non-English speaking backgrounds, teachers (tutors and lecturers) at QUT College tended to use easy sentences in classes to help them better understand what was taught or instructed. They were also very patient in listening to the students when they struggled to express their thoughts in English, and the teachers spoke slowly and clearly with enough repetition. Moreover, at the College, there were always sessions for those who struggled with spoken and written English, providing them with sufficient support so that international students could build confidence in using English.
Secondly, the diploma provided their students with sufficient materials, instructions, and information on the assignment items and exams so that students could undertake their assessments without stress.
Lastly, it is easier to make friends in the diploma as you study eight units with the same students. The friends you made in the diploma course can be best friends throughout your nursing course – you can rely on each other and help each other, which was my case.
What’s your life outside uni like?
I chose to study in Brisbane as I felt this city was beautiful in terms of its weather, people, infrastructure, and general atmosphere. What I like best about the city is its clear sky and chilled people.
While studying nursing at QUT, I was also a private music teacher (teaching drums, piano, guitar and music theory), an English teacher for Korean people in Brisbane, a drummer in a rock band, a tenor in two choirs, a piano teacher at two music schools, an Assistant in Nursing (AIN) at aged care facilities and nursing agencies, and a disability support worker for two clients. I didn't do all these things at the same time, but most of the time I was doing at least four to five different roles simultaneously. I made some money for living and met a lot of wonderful people thanks to all those different roles I took; however, I did not know the importance of managing my stress and energy level, making it very difficult for me to have a smooth process in my nursing course. I want to strongly emphasise the importance of being focused on course progression as an international student and learning to manage your workload.
What support did you use at QUT?
I have used all different kinds of support services provided by QUT, including academic, medical, general, financial, and administration. For example, I used QUT Medical Centre for years to treat my medical condition. I also received the Work Integrated Learning Bursary which significantly helped me manage my financial burden during nursing placement. The teaching teams and the Work Integrated Learning team are awesome and do their best to ensure students are on the right track.
Study our Bachelor of Nursing like Aaron
