From student to mentor: ED Nurse Serena shares her postgraduate journey

A bumper crop of regional WA nurses are upskilling in 2025 as more staff take advantage of our postgraduate nursing opportunities.

More than 50 nurses have enrolled in WA Country Health Service-supported postgraduate pathways this year, as we continue to support staff throughout their professional development journey.

Among the cohort are 24 nurses completing their Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing as part of our partnership with Curtin University. Of these, 22 are specialising in Emergency and two in Intensive Care.

They’re being mentored by Serena Robinson, a Registered Nurse who completed the course in 2023 and now works in the Emergency Department at Busselton Health Campus.

“I decided to complete the postgraduate certificate in Emergency Nursing because I wanted to become a more competent and valuable member of the ED team,” Serena said.

“My competence and confidence in my nursing practice has increased significantly.

“I love the in-depth understanding I now have regarding the pathophysiology of different patient presentations, the interventions and diagnostics required for these presentations, and the pharmacology of the treatments we provide.

“Having this level of knowledge and skill improves patient care and job satisfaction, and I feel it’s an important initiative that should be encouraged.”

Obtaining the qualification was not without its challenges but Serena said it was “absolutely worth it”.

“For anyone considering completing a postgraduate I would definitely recommend it - the reward far outweighs the effort,” she said.

After 10 years in country health, Serena said she’s keen to share her knowledge, skills and experience while consolidating her own expertise.

“I believe the right support can alleviate some of the pressure experienced during the postgraduate year,” Serena said.

“Mentoring postgraduate students involves working in resus with each student for eight hours per fortnight to enhance their clinical skills and support their learning experience by working alongside them to complete their clinical portfolios.”

Serena is a great example of ‘growing our own’, building a workforce of highly skilled and specialist nurses from within.

It’s an approach that means more than 560,000 patients across regional and remote WA are getting the very best care available.