3 December, 2020

A Cootamundra mum who made a mid-life career switch from banking to nursing has thanked TAFE NSW for helping her find her “calling”.

Annette Kellysaid the job security on offer and a yearning to enter a caring profession prompted her to enrol in a Diploma of Nursing at TAFE NSW Cootamundra in 2018.

Over the past five years, almost 17 per cent of Australian jobs created were in healthcare and yet the nation is predicted to have an estimated shortfall of 120,000 nurses by 2030, according to the Department of Jobs and Small Business.

While working as a personal banker for ANZ, Ms Kelly was thrust into the role as palliative care nurse for her brother-in-law, an experience that convinced her that nursing was for her.

“Everyone kept telling me I should be a nurse and I’d had this itch for 10 or 15 years,” she said.

“As my 40th birthday approached, I just decided to give it a go.

“I was worried about job security in the bank and I thought I’d do something about it and go to TAFE NSW to re-train and do something I really wanted to do.”

Ms Kelly, 43, said despite being the oldest student in her class, her time at TAFE NSW was a “wonderful experience”.

“I loved TAFE NSW and the interaction with classmates and teachers was so different to school,” she said.

“The teachers were there for us whenever we needed them, even outside class time. TAFE NSW gave me the practical skills to be in a career I love.”

After a short stint as an assistant in nursing at Southern Cross Care, Ms Kelly secured a job as an enrolled nurse at Harden Hospital in April 2020.

“It’s great to be able to help people and put into practice what I leaned at TAFE NSW,” she said.

TAFE NSW Head Teacher of Nursing Cheryl Bradshaw said nursing was a growth industry that offered great employment prospects and job satisfaction.

“You get to interact with so many different walks of life and you can make a real difference to them, often when they’re at their worst moment,” she said.

“If you go to any hospital in the Riverina, you’ll find TAFE NSW graduates providing comfort to patients.”

The Diploma of Nursing is an 18-month course, with students gaining hands-on experience during clinical placements at local hospitals. The Diploma has two intakes annually at TAFE NSW Cootamundra.

To find out more about studying nursing at TAFE NSW, phone 13 16 01 or visit www.tafensw.edu.au.

Media contact: Daniel Johns, TAFE NSW Media and Communications – Business Partner, 6938 1441, mobile 0477 722 428.