The end of a course is always a time for congratulations and celebrations. It is a time to reflect and appreciate what has been achieved and for farewelling students about to start their new career. The farewell speech below was given to students completing the Diploma of Nursing at Victoria University Polytechnic, by their nurse educator, Meena Sequeira.
I am honoured to be here today to recognise your accomplishments over the last two years.
The first acknowledgement I wish to make is to your families and friends for their sacrifices during your endless hours of study, labs and clinical placements. As I look out at you today, I wonder to myself how many dinners were missed, how many games not attended, how many hours did you spend studying for yet another exam? Thank you to your family members and friends for their support.
I am very proud to acknowledge all students sitting here in this auditorium today as I see you as a different breed of students from the past. As students of today, many of you are juggling children, mortgages, rent payments, spouses, ill family members who need care, bills, loans, debts, and last but not least, full- or part-time jobs.
You would be hard pressed to find any student in this room who can honestly claim they have had a normal and healthy sleep cycle throughout these past two years. I can safely diagnose the entire cohort with fatigue, anxiety, and stress overload. This is nothing short of heroic, and I stand in awe of your dedication and hard work.
Having been there myself, completing two different nursing programs overseas and here, I understand how much concentration and dedication it takes to forge ahead, even when the studying is laborious and the exams seem to never stop coming.
The fact that you are all completing that hard journey today, ready to be licensed professionals, is an amazing feat deserving high praise and recognition. Today you can feel proud that you have been tested and succeeded, in proving that you have what it takes to contribute to the field of health.
Speaking of being a nurse, many of you may realize you’re really a nurse when everyone you know starts coming to you with details of every ache, pain and symptom they experience, fully expecting you to give them a definitive diagnosis. You may also find yourself washing your hands for a full minute in public restrooms and turning off the taps with your elbows. On the bright side, whenever anyone asks you for a pen, you’ll probably have three in your pocket! But it’s most worrying when you start checking out people’s veins for IV access or venepuncture sites whilst standing in line at the grocery store. Just try not to be too obvious.
Despite the sarcasm and jokes, being a nurse is a noble and honourable profession. It demands that every single day you not only care for your patients, you must care for their family members as well. You’ll be a daily caregiver with healing hands and sometimes a protector for those who are unable to protect themselves. You must be prepared to make sound medical health decisions and recommendations. Your profession simply means that you will have to care about people. You have to be able to listen to their fears and concerns; to communicate with them and for them, and for their family members; and support them when tough decisions need to be made.
I know that you’ve chosen nursing because you know you can make a difference in people’s lives. I would like to say to you, thank you. It takes a very special person to be a nurse and to care for others. On behalf of Victoria University Polytechnic, thank you for making such a tremendous commitment to such an honourable profession. We wish you all the best in everything you do in the future.
Today isn’t just about your accomplishment of passing tests. It’s also about where you’re heading. You will soon be registered and a full member of the nursing profession. Find your voice, be a change agent at the bedside and don’t lose the passion you’ve had for the last two years for learning. Don’t settle for being comfortable. Remember that when you know better, you do better.
It was a true honour and pleasure to be your teacher for the past two years, watching the light bulbs go on in your heads as we discussed the finer points of fluid balance or management of an unconscious patient. You are a bright, kind, considerate, funny, and only moderately argumentative group, and I will miss you all very much. Thank you for your patience during my teaching when I was not so computer or YouTube savvy, and thank you for making the experience so heart-warming and enjoyable.
My blessings to each of you today and always.
Meena Sequeira