Connin Pinto is a Bachelor of Nursing student at Curtin University.

1. What inspired you to choose a career in nursing?

I was inspired to do nursing by my mum, who is a nurse. Seeing her passion and dedication towards the job had a massive impact on me growing up and drove me to choose nursing as a profession. She always told me about the different pathways and roles within nursing, which I thought was nice, having variety in the job.

2. Can you share a moment from your clinical placements that confirmed nursing was the right path?

The moment I knew I chose the right profession was during my mental health rotation. I was hearing all these different stories about mental health nursing, and I wasn’t really sure what to expect, especially because it was a new environment to me.

However, as a student I was encouraged by my buddy nurses to go and spend time with the patients, doing activities or just having a conversation with them. There was a patient I had built good rapport with, and we would do activities like colouring or playing board games together. I remember how happy they were to do a simple activity like colouring a picture in with me. This was a simple act but meant the world to the patient which was very rewarding and humbling. From this encounter, I became more aware of the lasting impact nurses can have on the lives of their patients.

3. How do you manage stress and find balance between your studies, work and personal life?

I feel quite fortunate and humbled that I have a great group of friends at university who I am able to seek support or guidance from when university gets tough. Sometimes, it is as simple as going and sharing a meal together after class where we can switch off from university and just have a good laugh together.

Outside of university I always try to stay busy whether it is with work, playing sport or hanging out with mates. I always try and keep certain days of the week for completing study at home, and ensure I keep these days purely for completing studies in order to stay on top of my university work.

4. What’s your top study tip?

My top study tip would be to create a calendar at the start of semester and put all your assignments and tests on it to help plan out your semester. My mate at university first introduced me to this in my second year and I found it so helpful with a visual picture of all my university assignments mapped out for the semester. The calendar ensured I was on track with my studies and giving myself enough time to complete university work.

5. Which specialty are you most interested in?

I have always been interested in working as a theatre nurse. I loved the idea that you’re working in a team to achieve a common goal. I also love the idea that simple surgical procedures can make a massive impact on the life of our patients, and I would love to be a part of that. I also think it is interesting seeing the variety of procedures and specialities you are exposed to as a nurse, which ensures no two days are the same.

6. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone just starting their nursing journey?

Always keep learning. I believe I am so fortunate to be in a profession like nursing where we are encouraged to partake in different education opportunities to ultimately provide better care for our patients. I have been on placement and have attended education sessions with clinical nurses and even doctors because it is always good to keep learning and then sharing this knowledge with others. At the start of your nursing journey, you may feel overwhelmed as you’re still learning everything, however, just remember nurses around you are also learning new skills everyday so don’t feel like you’re behind.

7. If you weren’t pursuing nursing, what other career might you have chosen?

I would have chosen paramedicine. I always saw being a paramedic as a very interesting and rewarding job, which at times can be in high pressure situations. I know nursing and paramedicine are very similar in their lines of work, which is nice. If I was not working in healthcare at all, I always wanted to be a pilot when I was growing up.