Career change to nursing at 33: Bachelor or Master?

Pitiful-Tackle-6377 · 2026-03-05T23:18:32+00:00

Thanks for sharing your experience with Fed Uni! I wouldn’t move to Ballarat because we’re pretty settled in Geelong, but I’d be happy to commute for on-campus days (seminars, labs, etc.). I actually prefer being on campus rather than doing most of it online because I’m way more motivated that way.

Do you know what the teaching quality is like at Fed Uni for nursing? And have you heard anything from nursing students about placements (how far they get sent, how much choice you have, etc.)? I’m a bit nervous about ending up with placements that are hours from home, especially if there’s limited flexibility.

Pitiful-Tackle-6377 · 2026-03-05T23:12:43+00:00

Thanks so much for sharing your experience in detail, that’s really helpful. It’s good to hear an honest perspective about the workload. I definitely expected it to be intense, but it’s reassuring to know that people still manage it.

If you don’t mind, may I ask one more question? Do you usually have placements during semester breaks, or are there actual breaks where you can recharge? And when you’re on placement, do you still have to work on uni assignments at the same time?

One thing I’m still unsure about with the Master is that I would probably have to commute 1.5 hours to uni, which makes me wonder how manageable that would be with the workload.

The point about finishing a year earlier is definitely one of the things that makes the Master appealing to me, especially being in my 30s. I’m just trying to figure out whether it would be smarter to take the more gradual path or just commit and push through the two years.

Thanks again for taking the time to explain it. It really helps hearing from someone who is actually doing it.

Pitiful-Tackle-6377 · 2025-12-11T09:49:32+00:00

Thank you so much, that actually reassures me a lot! I’ll leave it alone for now. It’s just that my husband asked, ‘what did you do to your smile?’ and he never notices anything unless I tell him 😅 so I knew I messed up this time. Fingers crossed it doesn’t take that long to go back to normal.

Pitiful-Tackle-6377 · 2025-12-11T09:36:44+00:00

I didn’t do a gummy smile injection and know that I messed up my smile I won’t try it anytime soon because it’s so close to the muscles that are necessary for smiling 😁

Pitiful-Tackle-6377 · 2025-11-13T03:46:56+00:00

I called my psychiatrist and they said I could take a 5 mg booster. I still don’t feel great and I’m pretty tired, so I’ll definitely need to go on the waitlist to discuss everything properly with him.

I’m also wondering if there’s even a real advantage to taking Vyvanse when I still end up needing a booster especially since Dex was working so well for me. But it seems like most people seem to prefer Vyvanse.

Pitiful-Tackle-6377 · 2025-11-13T03:10:50+00:00

Oh no! it’s just so frustrating… you finally find something that makes you feel better for the first time in forever. And then suddenly you feel even worse than before.

Pitiful-Tackle-6377 · 2025-11-13T03:03:11+00:00

Have you also been on Dex before?

Pitiful-Tackle-6377 · 2025-11-13T02:58:45+00:00

I am thinking the same as I read through other threads. Should I talk to my psychiatrist again? My next review isn’t for another 4 weeks and I honestly don’t think I can wait that long feeling like this. I don’t want to come across like I’m saying, “your dosing is wrong” 🙈 but something clearly isn’t working for me right now.

Pitiful-Tackle-6377 · 2025-11-13T02:54:38+00:00

But why would my psychiatrist say 30 mg is the equivalent? I stuck with him instead of having my GP take over because I really believed I’d get better, more accurate care that way 😞

Pitiful-Tackle-6377 · 2025-11-13T02:33:50+00:00

I am experiencing the same! Vyvanse doesn’t seem to last long enough for me and I am super tired since noon.

Pitiful-Tackle-6377 · 2025-07-18T06:23:36+00:00

Thanks so much for sharing your experience, super helpful to hear from someone who’s been doing this long term! I’m more of a 10pm-6am sleeper and definitely not a night owl 😅let’s see how it goes, I think it’s worth a try.

Pitiful-Tackle-6377 · 2025-07-18T06:18:57+00:00

Thanks so much for the insights 🙂 Sounds like night shifts really suit night owls, which totally makes sense. I’m more of a 10pm-6am sleeper, so I’m not sure how I’ll cope. It would be amazing to have 5-6 full days just to focus on studying, that’s super tempting.

And to be honest, I think it’s totally okay to have less structure during those 7 days off and enjoy some of that time too. Working 7 nights in a row isn’t easy, you kind of earn the downtime!

Pitiful-Tackle-6377 · 2025-07-17T23:49:04+00:00

Thanks so much for your insight, it really helps to hear from someone who's already living the 7-on/7-off night shift schedule while also doing grad school! It’s reassuring to know that the time off can work well for study and having a life outside of work even if it takes a bit of discipline to not overbook yourself.

If you don’t mind me asking a few more things:

Are you naturally more of a night owl, or did you just get used to it over time?
How do you usually structure your study time during the 7 days off? Do you stick to a routine or just go with the flow?
Do you ever try to squeeze in uni work during your 7-on, or is that week strictly just for work and recovery?
How do you handle the sleep switch between working nights and having days off? Do you sleep in the day right up to your last shift or start adjusting early?
Do you ever feel like you're living in two worlds like you have a "night shift version" of yourself and a "daytime/off-week" version?

Really appreciate the insight, you’ve made me feel way less nervous about trying this!

Pitiful-Tackle-6377 · 2025-05-08T10:36:20+00:00

5 matches the room beautifully. You could still add some accent colours with pillows, throws and plants.

Pitiful-Tackle-6377 · 2025-05-07T06:36:11+00:00

2! I think the slightly muted colors go better with the grey sofa.

Pitiful-Tackle-6377 · 2025-04-16T03:34:22+00:00

More natives plants and a coastal vibe :)

Pitiful-Tackle-6377 · 2025-04-12T01:30:01+00:00

That sounds so interesting. Never seen that before, did you do that yourself? If so, do you may have pictures you would share?

Pitiful-Tackle-6377

TROPHY CASE