Courtney Alexander

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Graduation speech

Courtney Alexander - Graduation Garden Party Address

Monash Nursing and Midwifery alumna, Courtney currently works as a Clinical Support Midwife at Monash Health. Prior to this, she worked in the UK as a neonatal nurse. Whilst at Monash, Courtney was President of the Monash University Nursing and Midwifery Club and undertook a clinical placement in Sweden. At the completion of her degree, Courtney was awarded the Sir John Monash Medal for the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

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"Congratulations to you all for reaching this very important milestone. I’d like to share with you my own experience after leaving University, including a few of my own personal tips to help you navigate the first few years out of University.

Not all that long ago I was just like you. Recently graduated, starting out in an incredibly demanding and rewarding career.

I first worked with Monash Health as a registered nurse/midwife, beginning as a graduate in 2018 and gradually becoming more comfortable with the real experience of working as an actually qualified professional. Over the years I was able to gain further experience in several areas including midwifery, adult surgical and special care nursery.

Left to right: Alumna Courtney Alexander and Professor Claire Palermo

My own career was influenced by the pandemic we live in. According to my plans I was supposed to still be working as a neonatal nurse in the UK and travelling on days off. Considering this move happened in early 2020 I think we can all agree that timing isn’t necessarily my strong suit; however, I will endeavour to keep this speech short and simple.

Life throws curveballs and your cohort has faced more than their fair share!

Following this I rejoined Monash Health and was able to use what this particular curveball taught me to transition into the education team and become a Clinical Support Midwife. To me this is an incredibly rewarding position where I can use the skills I have gained from Monash University and the skills I continue to build upon every day.

I wouldn't reflect on my change of plans as a failure. Rather I would call it a rather aggressive 'fall into the right place’.

‘Starting out’ is a daunting experience. You might’ve thought the intensity of learning was all over once you had finished your course but the truth is that you never stop learning. Especially during your first years into this incredible industry that we are all so passionate about.

All of you have completed your studies in extraordinarily trying circumstances. This is a fact that we cannot shy away from. Your resilience is commendable and will serve you well in navigating the next stage of your careers. Each of you bring your own talents, knowledge and experience to the table which gifts the people we help with so much more than simply your qualification. The passion and hope you bring in addition to the most up to date clinical knowledge makes you all assets to your professions. You have so much to offer your colleagues, peers, patients and their families. Please remember that each and every one of you is an appreciated and valued addition to the industry.

Today is a day to celebrate everything you have achieved, no matter how long it took to get here. I am honoured to share a snippet of this with you.

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You all know you have done a brilliant job to be standing here today so I thought to leave you with some of my top tips for starting out.

  1. Make friends with your peers. The people you start your new roles with can end up being your biggest supporters. Whether this is emotionally, socially or even just explaining in simple terms how on earth the electronic medical records system works.
  2. Treat yourselves and others with kindness. Sure, this may be positive affirmations but in reality it's giving yourself the respect and empathy that you give to others.
  3. Own up to and learn from your mistakes. We are not perfect. The accountability you take speaks to the integrity you show as a professional, as a friend, as a person. Growth is the takeaway here. No one wants to make an error but how we handle the aftermath is crucial.
  4. Take your annual leave and days off! The rest breaks are just as important as the learning you will do in the workplace. If you don't give yourself the down time to absorb the information you won't be able to apply it later. In the wise words of a meme: “Warning: If you do not schedule time for system maintenance, your equipment will schedule it for you”.
  5. Ensure you make time for family and friends. They supported you through your degrees, they are more than qualified to support you through the beginning of your career.
  6. Have a good wind down strategy. This includes anything you use to reinforce that you have left work for the day (or night). For some, it is a shower to wash off the shift. For others it is a short meditation, baking delicious treats or a cup of tea. However you do it, keep doing it.

Thank you for letting me share a little bit of my experience with you. It certainly has been a journey and I still have so much to learn.

Congratulations again and have a wonderful evening everyone".

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