Navigating your final year of nursing school

Your final year of Nursing is the toughest and most gruelling one you will complete, however it is also the most rewarding. All of your hard work and dedication is realised, and at the end you get to reflect on all you have achieved. Although you have come so far already, around 10 weeks of placement, numerous assignments and navigating AHPRA registrations and PMCV stand in the way. This article is here to help you navigate this stressful year by outlining two tips to assist you, including having a strong support system and being organised!

Who wrote this Guide?

Emily Stone | Royal Melbourne Hospital

My name is Emily Stone and I am currently completing my graduate year at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. I graduated from the Australian Catholic University in 2023 with a double degree in Nursing and Paramedicine. Throughout my degree I also worked as a RUSON at Sunshine Hospital. I am currently on a surgical ward specialising in Vascular and Urology, and completed my first rotation in Gen Med. I have a passion for education and helping fellow grad nurses and students. My future career goals include becoming an educator and running programmes for student and graduate nurses.

Importance of a strong support system

Third year, or fourth year if you completed a double degree, is always going to be the most challenging out of your university journey. Personally, my fourth year was filled with fear, stress, and believe me a lot of tears! I am pretty sure I cried on every single shift of my final placement and did not think I would be able to complete my degree. You’re so close to the finish line, which on your first ever day of your degree seemed so far away.

I found the best strategy for me, and many of my peers, to finally make it to that elusive last placement shift was a strong support system. Some of my peers found their work colleagues and friends to be their support system, I found mine to be my parents, sister and partner. A support system differs from each person and can be made up of many different people, including healthcare professionals such as psychologists or even personal trainers or fitness coaches. Be sure to incorporate people who help anchor you and push you to be your best self.

Without my family and partner pushing me and reminding me that I can do this, I don’t think I would have been able to complete all of my placement days. I think each of them got a call at least once from me on every placement shift, sometimes even driving me to and from my placement shifts in Ballarat when I was too exhausted.

A strong support system isn’t just important to have throughout your university degree and third year, you will also be reliant on them in your graduate year and throughout your whole nursing career.

Be organised!

Throughout your last year there are so many things to navigate like AHPRA registrations. PMCV applications, final assignments and exams, the list goes on! This means that being organised is the key to success during your final year. Having a diary or calendar is so important to ensure you don’t miss key dates for assignments, placements and applications.

Regarding PMCV applications and graduate year applications, my number one piece of advice would organise your documents early! Ensure you have read the required documentation needed and prepare them as early as possible. You will also most likely have to get them verified by a justice of the peace, who aren’t always available. If you leave it to only a few days before applications close you may miss out. There is also a likelihood you will be on placement when applications close, and you don’t want to have to stress about preparing your documents whilst also finishing your final clinical days.

Whilst on your placements throughout the whole year make sure to start collecting references for your applications early. If you connect well with an educator or ANUM, don’t be afraid to ask if they will be your application reference. If you leave these till your last placement it may be too late, so ensure you start asking early. If you work as a RUSON or at a hospital you can also ask a colleague there if they would be willing to help you. I personally had two references from my placements who were both educators and an ANUM from Western Health where I worked as a RUSON.

I would also recommend not waiting for the university to start the AHPRA registration process, as after speaking with many of my colleagues also completing their graduate year, we all came to the consensus that our experience with completing our registrations were the same and we felt as though our universities were not helpful. We all felt that without taking initiative with our applications we would not have been organised enough.

Your final year of your degree is arguably the toughest, most grueling one you’ll complete. Despite this, you are on the home stretch and are nearly a registered nurse! If you establish a strong support system and are organised throughout the year, you will be set for success. Don’t forget to reflect on all you have achieved over the last three years. You have achieved so much more than you think, and are even more prepared for your new chapter as a registered nurse.