Written by Helen Le
Allen is an international student from Hong Kong completing a Bachelor of Nursing degree here in Australia. Allen is excitedly applying for New Graduate RN positions and we certainly keep our fingers and toes crossed for him! Throughout Allen’s study, he wisely chose to join Healthcare HQ as an Assistant in Nursing (AIN) to gain more work experience than what clinical placements were giving him. This allowed Allen to not only broaden his knowledge and skillset, but also gave him a tremendous amount of confidence working within the Australian Healthcare system – both the hospital and aged care environments.
Allen’s first degree was a Bachelor of Science degree, specifically Biology, and after 6-7 years working within pharmaceutical sales, decided to delve into nursing due to his passion for healthcare. When asked about one of the most memorable moments in his nursing career, Allen states:
“I have looked after patients of whom have had terminal illness. Throughout the first few interactions, we quickly built up a close relationship. I really felt as though the patient and their family members were truly appreciative of my nursing care and I could feel that they were genuinely saying thank you from the bottom of their hearts… these are the moments where I know that all I have done was absolutely worth it and that I had made a difference”
Being an international student, Allen faced many challenges, such as competing with other students for Nursing New Graduate Programs, having English as his second language and adapting to the Australian culture.
Allen’s experience as an AIN with Healthcare HQ has been invaluable. He stated that agency work has allowed him to not only delve into a vast variety of healthcare facilities but also paved the way for him to improve his communication skills and nursing skill set.
Allen mentioned that what he gained from working with Healthcare HQ was a great deal more than just the working experience.
“I realised that Angela really does care for her staff. She listened to me and acknowledged my opinions, my feedback and even my personal matters. What’s more, she always followed up and provided advice and pointers along the way.””I know of no other agency who are as attentive and genuine as Healthcare HQ and I sincerely appreciate it. I am truly lucky to have been working with Angela and her team.”
When asked what advice he would have for international students in nursing, Allen said that he strongly encourages them to seek and take any opportunity they can to work as an AIN to gain more clinical experience within the healthcare industry.
“What you learn in university is just the tip of the iceberg in the process of becoming a good nurse.”
Working with Healthcare HQ, Allen expressed that the engagement gave him opportunities to work in differing workplaces and fields which in turn helped him to identify his own interests as well as his strengths and weaknesses. The experience also gave Allen the chance to develop and improve his clinical and communication skills and allowed him to explore and understand the Australian working culture as well as understanding different workplace policies and procedures.
In view of his upcoming graduation, Allen aspires to secure a New Graduate Position within a regional area. Being a city boy and having lived among the hustle and bustle for his entire life, he yearns to slow down and experience regional life while focusing on pursuing his passion as a nurse.
“The general talk around town is that one learns a lot more in regional areas due to the greater autonomy and responsibility of the nurses not to mention the exposure to a much greater range of situations being presented. From what I understand, there has been a lack of nurses in regional areas and there may be a steep learning curve however I feel that this allows me more opportunity to learn and grow toward becoming a competent nurse.”
Allen is gentle, calm natured, would always goes the extra mile and puts the needs of the patient first without any hesitation. Being a genuine, prompt and responsible person, it comes as no surprise that Healthcare HQ clients continuously requested Allen for bookings and nothing makes us more proud.
Healthcare HQ is, and has always been delighted in having Allen represent the company so professionally and we are thrilled to have been involved in his journey of personal growth and career development.
