CQUniversity alumnus Nick Nijkamp is now a Registered Anaesthesia Nurse in the Intensive Care Unit with the Bundaberg Hospital and Health Service. Nick recently shared his study experiences and industry expertise with dozens of new Nursing students at the Bachelor of Nursing Orientation Day.
Are you a CQUni Alumni? If so, what did you graduate in?
Yes, I graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Nursing. Now I am completing post graduate studies.
What was a recent highlight in your life?
There have been two major highlights in my life recently. The first was buying my first home at 20. And, the second was getting a permanent full-time position at work.
If you had no responsibilities, where would you be right now?
I would probably be at home, building my dream veggie garden.
What do you love most about your role?
I love advocating for my patients who can’t advocate for themselves. My job as an anaesthesia nurse means that I get to comfort people before their surgeries, and make them feel better. And, I love looking after critically ill people.
Who has made an impact on your life? Why?
The people that I work with have had a massive impact on my life. They taught me to be confident in my self, and to always be myself. They inspire me to be better everyday.
What is a motto or phrase that you live by?
“To be nobody but yourself – in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else – means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting” by E.E. Cummings.
