Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
3 mins ago
Poppy Joule is enjoying the practical side of her Bachelor Nursing at EIT’s Tairāwhiti Campus.
Poppy Joule is loving the practical component of her Bachelor of Nursing at EIT’s Tairāwhiti Campus.
Poppy, 18, was a winner of EIT’s Year 13 Scholarship last year, having heard about it during a careers’ information evening while she was a student at Gisborne Girls’ High School.
The Year 13 Scholarship covers one year of tuition fees including any course related costs which have been approved to be included as part of the scholarship. When combined with the Government Fees Free initiative, Year 13 Scholarship recipients are studying fees-free for the first two years of their degree.
Poppy, who moved from England as a child, says that representatives from EIT suggested she apply for the scholarship, and it turned out to be the right decision. She was one of more than 90 high school students, mostly from Hawke’s Bay and Tairawhiiti, to receive EIT’s Year 13 Scholarship last year.
“It made me change my decision, because I was going to go down to study at university in Wellington. Getting two years’ free education convinced me to stay in Gisborne. I didn’t want to go because of COVID-19, and I am glad I didn’t because lots of my friends were all staying in their hall, studying online.”
It is a decision Poppy has not regretted as she is loving the Bachelor of Nursing, especially getting out in the community and doing practical training.
“I am really enjoying getting out there on placement as well as working in the lab. I really enjoyed getting experience during the week we spent on placement at a retirement village. Soon we will be going to the Gisborne Hospital as well.”
Poppy says she found the experience at the retirement village quite challenging but rewarding.
“We were learning to communicate and having real life experiences with patients, including feeding them, dressing them and moving them.
“I found it quite challenging because I’d never been in a situation where I had to deal with people who couldn’t do a lot of things themselves.”
As for the future after she finishes her three-year degree, Poppy wants to work locally for a while before traveling overseas, especially to England.
As for now, she is enjoying following her childhood dreams of becoming a nurse and helping others.
