USQ alumna named Graduate Nurse of the Year

Toowoomba local and USQ alumna Kate Carroll has been named the 2008 Queensland Graduate Nurse of the Year.

Currently working in the orthopaedic unit at the Toowoomba Base Hospital, Kate was also a finalist for the Australian Graduate Nurse of the Year award and attended a Gala Dinner in Melbourne's Crown Casino on Thursday, 15 May 2008. Held during International Nursing Week, the Australian Nursing Awards celebrate achievements in nursing.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Nursing from USQ in 2007 Kate has since completed three placements around the Toowoomba area. The first placement was at the Gatton Hospital as a rural placement, the second was in orthopaedics in the Toowoomba Hospital and the third placement was at the Toowoomba Mental Health Unit.

Kate said a life-long interest in caring for people led to her choice of career. 'I've always been interested in nursing and the human body and helping people so it seemed like the perfect career.'
Kate plans to start her Graduate Certificate in Orthopaedic Nursing in July and hopes to eventually complete a Masters in Mental Health Nursing.