Summary
Central Queensland Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs Service has celebrated the success of four graduate registered nurses in completing their Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing course, run in partnership with CQUniversity.
Caitlin, Dilpreet, Gaby and Rupan were presented with their certificates and congratulated by Kobie Hatch, Nursing Director, MHAOD Advisor from the Office of the Chief Nurse Officer.
Kobie said she felt privileged to attend the event to celebrate nurses who have increased their knowledge and skills through extra mental health education.
CQMHAODS Nursing Director, Joy Jung, thanked all the education staff for providing great support to these graduate nurses over the past year.
“It has been an absolute pleasure watching you grow over the past 12 months,” she told the graduates.
Caitlin received two certificates– she completed two extra modules to attain her Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Nursing through CQUniversity, as well as one which acknowledges her completion of the requirements for the two units of study provided by the CQMHAODS Education Team.
While it was hard work, it will convert to four subjects towards her Diploma, and she has already enrolled in her Masters in Mental Health Nursing.
“It was a big year, completing online modules alongside the normal nursing program,” Caitlin said. “The clinical supervision we get as part of the program really helps and made a huge difference.”
She’s very passionate about mental health nursing.
“To be honest I didn’t know what mental health nurses did when I started my degree, but I fell in love with the profession and found a home in mental health,” she said.
Caitlin started as an Assistant In Nursing in 2022 and worked most of her shifts in mental health.
“It’s a relationship you build with our consumers. I like to be able to break down the stigma, it’s just nice to be able to work with them.”
Dilpreet finds mental health nursing rewarding and has always had an interest in psychology and what people are thinking. She works in the Mental Health Adult Inpatient Unit.
She found the graduate program very helpful in the transition to working as a registered nurse.
Rupan became interested in mental health nursing when he did a rotation during his nursing studies.
He was grateful for the support of Clinical Educator Matthew and Nurse Educator Robyn who helped him broaden his horizon into mental health nursing.
Gaby was always interested in working in mental health.
“When I started my degree, I knew it’s where I wanted to be.”
The partnership program was a great support in the early stage of her career.
All of the nurses are now applying their new knowledge and skills in their registered nurse roles in the Adult Mental Health Inpatient Unit and are watching construction of the new expanded unit with great interest.
Applications are now open for Queensland Health’s 2026 Registered Nursing and Midwifery Graduate Program. Learn more, and apply here.