“I find immense pleasure in helping people and nursing gives me the opportunity,” says Zahra Hussein, Flinders Bachelor of Nursing (Pre Registration) student. “To help people when they need it the most, providing effective nursing care and being a part of a patient’s healing journey is the most fulfilling experience to me personally.”
Zahra chose to study nursing at Flinders due to its unique teaching methods. “It’s one of the top universities in Australia for nursing,” she says. “And Flinders have great facilities that are set up for nursing students, as well as allocating an entire library to the needs of nursing students.”
Facilities and on-campus experience
“What I enjoy most about the Flinders campus is the convenience it offers to students,” Zahra says of her time spent on campus.“From the various services and institutes that cater to students’ needs – such as the international student services, Flinders loop bus, and the student hub.”
Zahra has found the inclusivity for international students welcoming. “Students are not made to feel excluded, with the addition of prayer rooms, ablution places in toilets, and halal food,” says Zahra. “These are very valuable and highly convenient additions for me as an international Muslim student.”
Industry experience and placement opportunities
Flinders are leaders in the health education sector, and nursing students learn from award-winning lecturers in state-of-the-art facilities with team and problem-based learning. The focus of the course is to develop students into a registered nurse; one that is reflective about their practice with well-developed clinical reasoning skills and a commitment to lifelong learning. Most importantly, to Zahra, the degree is packed with industry experience and placement opportunities.
“The thing I enjoyed the most about my degree was clinical placements,” Zahra says of her internship experiences. “Clinical placements allowed me to experience practical care and as well as what to anticipate as a future registered nurse (RN).” The networking opportunities were also vital for the nursing student.
“It gave me the chance to meet numerous excellent and professional RNs and different patients – as well as unique cases which massively impacted on the theory aspect of my nursing.”
Adelaide lifestyle
“I decided to study in Adelaide because I like the relaxing kind of lifestyle it offers,” syas Zahra of her adopted home. “I enjoyed South Australia’s beautiful natural scenery.”
Zahra enjoyed the numerous and easily accessible tourist attractions, including Gorge Wildlife Park, Cleland Wildlife Park and the Big Rocking Horse in Gumeracha, among others.
“I got to mingle with the native animals unique to Australia, including holding a koala and playing with kangaroos!”
The financial aspects of Adelaide living appealed to Zahra as well. “Adelaide is extremely affordable, as opposed to somewhere like Sydney or Melbourne,” she says. “This is very convenient for me as an international student, as it takes added pressure off my financial management.”
Advice for prospective students
“Come and study at Flinders if you want to feel like you are still at home while studying overseas,” says Zahra. “Flinders consider and anticipate international students’ needs, and have put services and measures in place to ease the pressure of adjusting to academic life away from home.”
For her future, Zahra is thankful her internship experiences helped shape her career plans.
“I plan to be a scrub nurse in the near future – I was not sure what area of nursing I wanted to work in initially. My last clinical placement played a crucial role in making this decision,” Zahra says of her time at Flinders. “The uni has played a major role in helping me attain my goal and dream career by providing the needed resources and facilitating my education.
“I am thankful for all the experiences and friends I made while studying here,” she says. “I am so glad I chose Flinders University.”