Francisca Antolis

Francisca, an international student completes her nursing degree with us in 2022. A long way from home, Francesca was drawn to study at Monash as a result of the school’s global standing, the breadth and diversity offered by the nursing course, the balance of theoretical and practical components, the amount of hands-on experience offered by the quantity of placement hours and the opportunities for future study and career development.

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Francisca has also been an active member of the student community during her time at Monash serving on the committee of the Monash University Nursing Club (MUNC), and after experiencing the benefits of the Peer Mentor program, going on to provide support for first year nursing and midwifery students as a Peer Mentor herself.

And somehow, Francisca has also found the time to work part-time as a Registered Undergraduate Student of Nursing (RUSON) in Victorian hospitals and casually as a PASS leader for some first-year nursing units. The Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) deliver free, weekly, voluntary classes that target first-year students to support them in the transition to the academic aspects of university life.

As Francisca works towards completing her studies, her thoughts are obviously turning towards her future career, and she states, “I will start my graduate nursing program (GNP) in 2023 and hope to be a theatre nurse in the future… I am also interested in pursuing a career in research… I realise how important research and continuous study is, especially in the nursing and health care industry.”

And what’s the one piece of advice Francisca would give to anybody thing of studying nursing and midwifery at Monash, with the goal of a career in healthcare – “Do remember that there is no hurt in trying and it is better to take your courage and try rather than take no action!”