Rachel Lampkin
Rachel has learned how fulfilling postgraduate study can be after coming back to it over 25 years later.
“I trained over 30 years ago in hospital-based Nurse training, so I was never an undergraduate at university. Since moving to New Zealand about 20 years ago, I've been working at Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau in the Emergency Department.
“I felt like I was at a bit of a mid-life roadblock in my career. After 25 years, I hadn’t done any further study, and I needed to invest in myself and my Nursing career. I chose to study at the University of Auckland because, firstly, I live in Auckland, but many of my colleagues have studied here also. The School of Nursing at Waipapa Taumata Rau, provided the courses that were unique and engaging to me, such as the Emergency Nurse Specialty and the Mental Health and Addictions papers.
One piece of advice to prospective postgraduate students is
to connect with their colleagues. Forming study groups can be a great way to
help motivate and support each other on this journey, which can sometimes feel
quite isolating.
“Because I hadn't studied for so long, I was quite nervous about undertaking an academic pathway. However, after realising that I could pick the topics that were relevant to me, I knew it was the right pathway to go down. Some years I've just done one paper a semester and then taken the next semester off, which has given me the opportunity to pause and reflect upon the topics I really want to do next and ensure they are applicable, both in a clinical environment and teaching.
“Postgraduate study has enabled me to develop a higher level of knowledge and understanding, not only improving my clinical and teaching practice, resulting in better outcomes for my patients, staff and students, but has also shown me that anything is possible, a reflection of my self-actualisation, as the Master of Nursing has been a huge personal achievement.”