Elena Prendergast

I attended secondary school at Piper’s Hill College in Naas Co Kildare and it was here that I discovered I had an interest in nursing. During Transition Year, I completed a career aptitude test and the results showed that my personality was best suited to working in a caring profession.

Caring for people came very naturally to me, and the human body and physiology fascinated me. After careful consideration and research into the profession and what it entailed, I decided to focus on nursing as my main career option.

I applied to Trinity College Dublin for their Adelaide and Meath general nursing course through the CAO and in September 2021 I was offered the place. 

The Covid-19 pandemic was ongoing at that time which meant my first clinical placement in Tallaght University Hospital was delayed until March 2022. In the lead up to the first clinical placement I continued to advance my theoretical knowledge of nursing. I developed my practical skills in the St James Hospital Centre for Learning and Development. The staff there taught me the very basics of nursing which helped me to develop the foundation of my nursing career.

It was during my first block of clinical placement that I realised that this was the career for me. I developed a deeper appreciation for the role and I felt very grateful that I had the opportunity to help people, some of whom are going through their worst times.

Fast forward to today and I am now a general nursing intern. I began my internship in Tallaght University Hospital in January of this year, supported by my clinical placement coordinators, staff nurses and other healthcare professionals. I continue to enjoy every day and progress my learning in an environment which hugely encourages student learning.

Last year, I was chosen as an NMBI Student Nurse Ambassador, a role I am very honoured to pursue. NMBI has recognised the significant contributions of student nurses and is actively listening to their perspectives through their annual student nurse forum.

This was a huge success for nursing students from many disciplines from around the country who gathered last November to discuss pressing matters emerging from their courses. 

A piece of advice I was given prior to beginning my internship was to enjoy the process of becoming a nurse. Try not to get to caught up in what is ahead of you and to enjoy achieving each milestone of becoming a nurse. 

In closing, I would like to thank the clinical facilitators at St James Hospital Centre for Learning Development, my nursing and midwifery lecturers at Trinity college Dublin, the clinical placement coordinators at Tallaght University Hospital and all staff that I have had encountered during the last four years. All of my colleagues have contributed in some way to my learning and development and for that I am very grateful.