The halls of QEII were teeming with enthusiasm on 18 July as more than 60 nursing grad candidates from across SEQ universities gathered to explore their career options at the annual Nursing Graduate Open Day.
From Emergency to Endoscopy, nursing reps from all corners of the hospital shared their expertise, advice, and interactive stalls showcasing QEII’s diverse specialties ahead of August applications.
Resident therapy dogs Bert and Finley were also onsite, offering an abundance of calming cuddles to grads and staff as they made the rounds.
Grad candidate Aarsha (pictured right) felt right at home after a successful practical placement had secured her preference for QEII.
“I’m excited to apply here. The Open Day gives me lots of ideas and opportunities,” she said.
“I love cardiac nursing and general medicine, so I'll probably apply for one of those specialties. I did some rotations at QEII and it was really nice. It’s amazing to work here, so I hope to work here as a nurse, too.”
Soon-to-be-grad Jess (left) was eager to get a taste for QEII nursing life as she weighs up her options at the growing campus.
“I’ve been thinking about Palliative Care, Periop or Stroke ward nursing, so I'm just exploring my options and seeing what’s on offer,” she said.
“I’m really looking forward to finally starting work and building on my skills and knowledge from uni.”
With expertise across Periop, Endoscopy and CSD, passionate Nurse Educator Kathy Lewis was among the many experienced staff on hand offering a word of advice and guidance to the future graduates.
“I absolutely love my job, particularly when I'm working with grads,” she said.
“My best advice is to get a position anywhere within nursing. We have lots of transferrable skills, and once you start, you’ll find you’re going to continue to develop and be able to move between different specialties,” she said.
With the QEII Hospital Expansion well underway to deliver a brand-new Clinical Services building and 112 new beds by late 2027, Event Coordinator and QEII A/Nurse Educator Wendy Pinder says the Graduate Support Team are focused on building a strong and diverse nursing workforce.
“Staff at QEII put a great deal of effort into their displays for this year's Open Day. There was a great deal of genuine interest for graduate programs in all areas of our hospital and we look forward to seeing some familiar faces during recruitment,” she said.
Special thanks to all staff, special guests and sponsor partner QSuper for supporting another successful Open Day at QEII, and a warm welcome to all students who attended the event from far and wide.