When I was young the last thought I had on my mind was to contemplate being a nurse one day. My childhood dreams were far fetched ones considering my education, but I wanted to be a commercial pilot. I used to spend all my childhood holidays when I could watching aircraft take off and land at various airports I lived near. Of course when I became a young adult the chance of flying for a career were way out of my reach in terms of finance. I did however spend some money on flying lessons just before I was 21 back in 1981 and achieved 14 hours of student flight time with an instructor. The cost of flying was expensive as I was paying around $60 (dollars per hour) which was a lot for me back in those days. So flying wasn’t for me although I still do have a passion for it.

Me at 10 years of age

Doing a pre-flight inspection check at Cessnock Airport. (PA-28 ETI)

Cockpit layout of the Piper PA-28 (VH-ETI)

In terms of becoming a nurse that took a process of events throughout my life to get to that stage. I guess when I was working in hotel/motel maintenance I started looking further a field in what I could do with my life as I felt in-complete and not satisfied in what I was achieving. I started applying for a number of different employment positions while I was working in hotel/motel maintenance and attended some interviews but just missed out in gaining the position. I kept looking around being somewhat dismayed at not getting anywhere and came across an advertisement from an aged care facility in 2002 requiring experienced Assistant in Nursing (AINs) nurses.  I had no experience so I applied knowing full well that I wouldn’t get the job. Six weeks must have passed and I had forgotten all about the nursing application I sent in till I received a message on my phone machine asking if I would consider ringing up to make a time for an interview. I phoned them up and attended the interview and was approved, and asked when could I start.

That was the start of my nursing life back in April 2002 and since then I have been working in a number of health facilities around the Canberra (ACT) and Queanbeayan (NSW) regions. I also became a nursing student at the University of Canberra studying the Bachelor of Nursing to which I have passed all the theory aspects of the degree except for a final clinical placement I still need to finish off which will be done during 2014 at some stage.

That’s a brief summary of how I ventured into nursing.

Pete.