A chance encounter leads Ghulam to nursing

A road accident shortly after arriving in Australia changed the direction of Ghulam Ghous Nawaz’s career.

Ghulam had planned to study IT, but the care he received at the scene made him reconsider what he wanted from his future.

“A nurse who happened to be passing stopped to help me, and seeing the calmness and compassion she showed when I was vulnerable stayed with me,” Ghulam said.

“That experience made me reconsider what I wanted from my career, and not long afterwards I made the decision to give nursing a chance.”

Ghulam enrolled in the Diploma of Nursing (HLT54121) at TAFE Queensland’s Southport campus to learn the fundamentals of nursing and discover whether the profession was right for him.

“I knew very little about the profession at the time, so it gave me a way to step into nursing, learn the fundamentals and find out whether I truly belonged in it,” he said.

He found his answer through TAFE Queensland’s practical training, clinical placements and the people he met during his studies.

“The hands-on learning, clinical placements and all the amazing people I had the opportunity to study alongside were what stood out most at TAFE,” he said.

After completing his diploma, Ghulam began working as an Enrolled Nurse (EN) before progressing into TAFE Queensland’s Bachelor of Nursing.

The diploma-to-degree pathway allowed him to build on his qualification and industry experience while working towards becoming a Registered Nurse (RN).

“The Diploma meant I could enter the Bachelor already working as an Enrolled Nurse,” he said.

“I wasn’t just reading about patients anymore, I could go to class, learn something and then see it play out during an actual shift.”

“That experience gave me a strong foundation and made the progression from EN to RN feel like the next chapter rather than starting all over again.”

A placement with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) introduced Ghulam to the challenges and rewards of providing healthcare in rural and remote communities.

One of his most memorable experiences involved helping care for a suspected snakebite patient in Gregory Downs, with the back of a Toyota ute serving as the treatment area.

“My RFDS placement was undoubtedly the highlight of my nursing degree, and I genuinely believe it has to be one of the best nursing jobs in the world!” he said.

“From delivering healthcare in isolated communities to flying critically unwell patients hundreds of kilometres for specialist care, every day brought something different.”

“Seeing the skill, teamwork and adaptability involved in aeromedical retrieval gave me a whole new appreciation for nursing.”

Now working as an RN in an emergency department, Ghulam hopes to continue developing the broad clinical skills needed to work in remote healthcare.

For anyone considering nursing, Ghulam recommends beginning with the Diploma of Nursing and gaining experience as an EN before progressing to registered nursing.

“By the time you graduate as an RN, you could already have at least two years of nursing experience under your belt, which gives you a real head start in clinical practice,” he said.

“If I had to start my nursing journey all over again, I’d choose TAFE in a heartbeat!”