Kerrianne McGahey was only two days out of her nursing degree when she had a medical situation of her very own to contend with.
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One broken foot later, Mrs McGahey had already learnt the her first big lesson post-degree: “Broken bones don’t hurt at all … well at least for the first five minutes.”
With crutches in hand, Mrs McGahey took it all her in stride at her graduation from the University of Wollongong Batemans Bay campus on Thursday afternoon.
The new graduate said the experience was “surreal” as her lecturer, Katherine Riley, pinned her electric blue robe in place before the ceremony.
Mrs McGahey was proud to be part of the first cohort of nurses to graduate from the Bay campus.
She said caring for her two children, one with cerebral palsy and the other with hydrocephalus, set her on the path to becoming a nurse.
“I have children with medical conditions and nursing has always interested me,” Mrs McGahey said.
“I had spent a lot of time in hospitals.”
Now, we have a whole generation of kids growing up with somewhere to go and do things they’re passionate about.
- Kerrianne McGahey
The 43-year-old said she enjoyed the advantages of studying at a regional campus and likened her peers to a “little family”.
“When I grew up here, everybody had to leave to go somewhere else to study,” she said.
“Now, we have a whole generation of kids growing up with somewhere to go and do things they’re passionate about.”
Fellow graduate, Kylie James, echoed these sentiments.
After earning her Diploma of Early Childhood a few years ago, Ms James said a Masters of Teaching was a natural step in her career progression.
“I’ve got three kids and I worked in early childhood for five years,” she said.
“As my kids grew up and went to primary school, I followed them on that journey and decided to start university.”
The 34-year-old mother of three said the communal campus environment was a major enticement.
“Studying at a regional campus had so many advantages,” Ms James said.
“I don’t know if I would have done it in the city.”