14 Feb Angel’s nursing career in good hands

Angel White has always known she wanted to spend her days caring for people and three weeks into her nursing career she said she couldn’t be happier.

The 24-year-old from Warrnambool has just begun her 12-month stint as Timboon and District Healthcare Service’s (TDHS) graduate nurse.

“The team here has been very welcoming – it’s a small hospital and it’s like a family so I’m very lucky,” she said.

“You can go straight into nursing after your degree, but I wanted to do a grad year and I looked around for opportunities to do one and found Timboon.

“I think doing a grad year helps guide you into your career and it certainly provides a safety net…I wanted that support.

“I looked at a few other opportunities but when I looked into Timboon and its values I really liked the idea of doing my year here.”

Ms White completed her VCE at Mortlake P12 College before taking a gap year and polishing steel for her father’s business.

“I just wanted to have a bit of a break from study and earn some money before heading to university in Ballarat in 2015 to start my degree,” she said.

“While I was at school I completed my hairdresser training through TAFE, but I didn’t love hairdressing and knew nursing was what I wanted to do.

“I moved back to Terang in 2016 and continued to study part time for a couple of years and then last year I went back to uni full time to finish my degree.”

Ms White said she was delighted to be accepted as TDHS’s 2020 graduate nurse and had been welcomed warmly into the team.

“They’ve gone through everything, made sure I’m comfortable and even in a few weeks I’ve experienced so much,” she said.

“I can take the initiative when appropriate and when I need support it’s right there.

“My favorite part so far is building relationships with our clients. Our aged care residents enjoy routine, so I’m working hard to get that down pat and make sure our care is really personal.”