Scholarship supports nurse in training

TAFE Queensland Scholarship recipient Jasmine Baker has persevered through trying times to keep her study goals on track. “I have three children and two of them have disabilities and complex medical needs, in fact my daughter got very sick recently and I nearly lost her,” Jasmine said.

The ordeal was bittersweet, reaffirming Jasmine's desire to pursue a life caring for others. “It was emotional to do my nursing placement at the same hospital where my kids have spent considerable time,” Jasmine said. “But I believe that my personal experiences and TAFE Queensland training will allow me to provide people with the care, comfort and reassurance that I have received from nurses.”

The TAFE Queensland Scholarship Program provides each recipient with up to $5,000 to help cover the costs of studying. Jasmine said she was floored when she found out that she was receiving a TAFE Queensland Scholarship.

“I was so excited because I knew that it was going to help me out in so many ways,” Jasmine said. “My car had just broken down. The scholarship meant that I was able to afford to get my car fixed so I could still get to and from campus, and the money also covered the costs of text books.”

Jasmine said TAFE Queensland provides students with a supportive learning environment. “I completed a Certificate III in Health Services Assistance in 2018, before deciding to enrol in the Diploma of Nursing,” Jasmine said. “I hadn’t studied in close to a decade and I was scared to go back to school. But I thoroughly enjoyed my certificate studies and gaining that qualification gave me the confidence to pursue more training."

“My nursing teachers have been incredibly supportive and informative. I love how they bring their personal experiences of being a nurse into the classroom; they’re so inspiring.” “When I finish my diploma I’m hoping to use my TAFE Queensland training as a stepping stone and gain credit towards a registered nursing degree at university.”

There is high demand for qualified enrolled nurses in Australia, with 14,000 job openings predicted by 2023. Jasmine said she enjoys how her TAFE Queensland studies blend theory and practical lab training with real-life hospital placements.

“We simulate a lot of scenarios in the training lab, which sets us up with the building blocks to undertake live training in a hospital,” Jasmine said. “Placement can be really nerve wracking, but I just put my training into action and by the end of it I feel like part of the team and really competent.”

Jasmine's advice for other people thinking about applying for a TAFE Queensland Scholarship is simple. “Apply it for it because you could get it and be so much better off,” Jasmine said.

The TAFE Queensland Scholarship Program first launched in 2015 and has since awarded over $1 million in scholarships, helping more than 250 Queenslanders pursue their careers goals.