The Bridging Program

The day after we moved in, I was off to Hollywood Hospital. Having only 1 car, I decided to take the train to the hospital. Laura was there bright and early on my first day to hold my hand. I felt like a first grader! We took the train into Perth City and then caught a bus to the hospital. A very unfriendly bus driver gave us the incorrect information and we found ourselves running after him, down St Georges Terrace, but to no avail, he would not let us on. We caught the next bus and I probably would have been just on time, except that the bus had technical difficulties and we had to disembark and catch another bus. Devastated at having to make a bad impression with a late arrival, I raced in and was met with a very warm welcome from the course co-ordinater and class.

The next 4 weeks was so much fun, getting to know my classmates - from the Phillipines, Nepal, India, China, Holland, Germany and a fellow African, from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe as well as a few local Ozzie girls.

It took some getting used to the long hours of lectures, especially with so much else going on in my life at the same time. However, I found everyone at Hollywood to be so friendly and supportive, especialy our tutor, Jillian Thomson, who really went out of her way to make us feel at home.I can say, with some relief, that I have passed the requirements thus far and am now working in the hospital doing my clinical placement prior to attaining registration with the Nurses Board of WA.

I found the experience of travelling into town each day so interesting. The city of Perth is a lovely place, especially first thing in the morning. The buildings and architecture are stunning. It seems so clean and orderly, lacking the chaos factor of our SA cities. People abide by the law - no jay walking seen. Everyody waits patiently at the traffic lights before crossing the roads. There are plenty of suited business people, striding along in their takkies, high heels in hand - looking very serious. The buses and trains are so clean and comfortable, except the 5pm train home when you stand shoulder -to-shoulder with other commuters, trying to ignore the fact that you are so in each other's space bubbles!