Clinton trades in the tools for scrubs with Diploma of Nursing
By Greg Chapman
Clinton Carter has gone from building homes to building trust as a Registered Nurse at Bundaberg Hospital – a calling he’s answered thanks to CQUniversity’s Diploma of Nursing.
The 47-year-old was a trade-qualified carpenter for almost 15 years, working in the sugar milling industry and in pneumatic sales and repairs at his father’s business – before he decided to pursue nursing.
“Why the change to nursing? Well, I was in a slump at the time, not working and there were a lot of jobs in the paper for nurses,” he said.
After initially not being able to find information, he saw a television news interview with CQU Bundaberg’s Diploma of Nursing teacher, Joy Matthews.
“I saw a news article on TV featuring the lovely Joy Matthews stating that CQU were doing Diploma in Nursing courses,” he said.
“I asked a few people, including some nurses, for their opinion as I had very little health literacy knowledge of hospitals or health. I wasn’t sure about the ‘male nurse’ fit, plus I was not a fan of starting study in a whole new field at my age.”
But Clinton soon discovered his fears were misplaced when after calling the campus and speaking to Joy, she invited him on a tour of the Bundaberg facilities.
“I had a walk around, and Joy answered multiple questions – she has excellent communication skills – one being speaking ‘layman’. She was very down to earth, and she totally sold nursing to me.”
After taking a leap out of his comfort zone, Clinton took on the Diploma of Nursing and quickly found his stride.
By the end of his Diploma of Nursing, Clinton was working two jobs, including as an Assistant-In-Nursing (AIN).
He then completed his Bachelor of Nursing where he became a Registered Nurse (RN) in an aged care facility – while he was an Enrolled Nurse (EN) at Bundaberg Hospital.
Later, he was offered an RN graduate position in rural Childers, which he accepted – ultimately leaving the aged care facility.
Clinton says he was “talked into” doing the Bachelor of Nursing by some of the female students in his Diploma course.
“We then all ended up enrolling in the Bachelor of Nursing at CQU at the same time. I ended up achieving a GPA of 6.5,” he said.
“Currently I'm working as a Registered Nurse (RN), with the hospital under the emergent cover: permanent pool,” he said.
“This role provides the opportunity to work in most areas of the hospital. The training I received at CQU provided a good 'baseline' for the knowledge and practical skills to transition into an actual nursing career.”
Now his days in the construction industry are far behind him.
“Personally, I love the positive interactions with the patients and fellow staff– and I mean all staff: whether they're a cleaner, wardie, kitchenhand, allied health or doctor,” he said.
“There are so many areas in nursing you could try, whether it's in aged care, with a GP or a hospital, or even research. And even if it doesn't turn out to be the job for you, it could open your eyes to new possibilities – but you won’t know until you give it a go.”
