Justine Grant and Jan France-Goss

Bachelor of Nursing

Graduates:
Bachelor of Nursing
Now:
Justine, Nurse at Tauranga Hospital;
Jan, Nurse at Rotorua Hospital

Justine Grant and Jan France-Goss (both pictured left on graduation day—Jan’s at the front) were the top nursing students to graduate in 2008. Last year Waiariki’s School of Nursing and Health Studies awarded these Bachelor of Nursing graduands based on their academic results.

Justine was chosen as top student of the Windermere Campus in Tauranga where Waiariki maintains a nursing campus. She is now working at Tauranga Hospital and will finish the year-long graduate training programme there in January 2009. She said she’s still learning a lot and it’s challenging at times but she has supportive co-workers and enjoys the work. “It’s really good at long last to be out in the workforce.”

Jan, who is working in the children’s unit at Rotorua Hospital, was named top student for her overall contribution while studying at Waiariki. Nursing school director Maureen Kelly said, “She was a school committee member, she came to every meeting, and was an excellent advocate on students’ behalf. She was a good student and excellent in practice.”

Maureen is proud of her students and acknowledges those who have come to Waiariki as adult learners and succeeded, despite some obstacles they may face. “It is a challenge for mature students who have families and have to do the whole balancing act, so it makes it more significant that they do a full-time programme and achieve the high standards that they do.”