Ari’s nursing career gets a golden start

At just 20 years old, Arisra (Ari) White is already making her mark in nursing.

After enrolling in the Diploma of Nursing (HLT54121) at TAFE Queensland’s Southport campus straight out of high school, Ari has put her skills to the test and taken home gold at the recent WorldSkills Nursing competition.

“I saw it as an opportunity to gain feedback and gauge where my skill level is at,” said Ari.

“Especially because I have worked so hard over the past two years to get this Diploma, it makes me feel like all the effort I’ve put in has paid off.”

WorldSkills Australia competitions give young people an opportunity to showcase their talents, benchmark their skills against industry standards and build experience for their future careers.

Ari was encouraged to enter by her Stage 3 OSCA assessor and saw the competition as a chance to challenge herself and strengthen her resume before graduating.

Her interest in healthcare began at high school, where she developed a fascination with biology and human anatomy.

“I chose nursing because it’s a hands-on field that aligns strongly with my interests and my strengths, and because I know that I will constantly be learning and building on skills – there will always be something new,” she said.

“Nursing is a field where I can use my empathy as a strength and apply knowledge and love to help people get better and hopefully make a positive difference in their lives.”

Ari chose Southport campus because it was close to home and easy to reach by public transport.

“One of my favourite things about the campus is how easy it is to walk to the beach on my lunch break to relax and unwind,” she said.

During her diploma, Ari has enjoyed meeting other nursing students and building connections with people who share her passion.

Placement has given her the opportunity to apply her skills in mental health and general medical wards and experience the impact nursing care can have on patients.

“One of the most rewarding things about this Diploma is going on placement and watching patients get progressively better over the course of their stay,” she said.

“You can watch people become more themselves as they heal and it’s a beautiful thing to be able to experience and to be a part of.”

During the WorldSkills competition, Ari completed four modules with a strong focus on patient education.

Her tasks included educating a patient and administering asthma medication, creating falls and pressure injury prevention posters, preparing a care plan and prioritising patient care.

Ari said her TAFE Queensland teachers and WorldSkills coaches helped her build the practical skills and confidence she needed on competition day.

“The teachers have been so supportive and encouraging and giving constructive feedback which is so important,” she said.

“They made me feel like I was actually capable of being a nurse.”

Although placement prevented Ari from attending some coaching sessions, she continued preparing with study resources developed by her TAFE Queensland coaches.

“Reviewing the study resources that our TAFE coaches made for us prepared me very well for the competition and I felt confident in my knowledge.”

Ari hopes her gold medal will help her stand out when applying for competitive graduate nursing programs and secure her first role in healthcare.

After graduating, she would love to work in an operating theatre, with a particular interest in anaesthetic nursing.

“I’d love to work in the operating theatre,” she said.

“I’m excited to see where bedside nursing takes me… maybe cardiac/vascular wards or oncology?”

Ari with fellow WorldSkills Nursing competitors at Southport campus.