Our incredible 2024 graduate nurse cohort stood shoulder to shoulder last week, coming together as a group for the final time to celebrate their graduation at a special ceremony.

Among the sea of pink uniforms, in her blue Emergency Department scrubs, was Sophie Thompson – the class’s Cabrini Graduate Nurse of the Year.

“Would you mind if I get a copy of that photo for my grandma? She’ll want to put it in her photo album,” Sophie Thompson discreetly asked following the flurry of photographs that followed her announcement as winner.

Sophie’s first thought when she won the significant award at the graduation ceremony last week, was of others, which comes as no surprise to those who know and work with her.

Recognised by members of the ED team for her compassion and care management, Sophie was a standout among this year’s shortlist of six exceptional graduate nurses recognised at the ceremony.

“The ED team has been impressed with how Sophie is managing her clinical assessment, escalation of care, and she’s received excellent patient feedback,” Sue Hewat from the Workforce Recruitment and Retention team said.

“Sophie hasn’t only impressed the nursing team but also doctors in the ED department regarding her management of patients, communication and her overall professionalism. Two ED physicians have gone out of their way to feed back about the way Sophie had cared for her patients, which is fantastic recognition of the way she goes about her work.”

Sophie knew pretty early on in her nursing studies that she wanted to work in an ED. She had studied nursing on the Sunshine Coast before making the move to Cabrini for her grad year, following an intake interview that “felt very comfortable, and the whole place had a really good vibe”. Her second grad year rotation was in ED.

She credits her award success to the compassionate and understanding support that she’s received throughout the year from the ED team and graduate education training team, and now, as she continues her career as a registered nurse in ED, she has some sound advice for others embarking on their grad year.

“Go into your grad year knowing it’s going to be a rollercoaster,” Sophie said. “There’s going to be ups and there’s going to be downs, but you just have to ride the rollercoaster and lean into your support system. Ask for help, whether that’s from the educators, family or friends.

“The educators here have been amazing, and I feel very supported. If I don’t know something, I’m not uncomfortable about going to someone and saying, hey, I need some help. You’re encouraged to. You can’t know everything, so it’s important to ask for help when you need it.”

The five other nominees for the Graduate Nurse of the Year Award were Madeleine Baudinette, Marnath Pel Kun, Sandhya Karki, Rubina Khatri and Ruth Paul.

“These graduates were nominated because they have consistently provided excellent person-centred care in a genuine and authentic way,” Sue said.

“They were also nominated because they have consistently displayed the Cabrini values that are drawn from Mother Cabrini’s life and reflect her heart, her spirit, her conviction and her approach.

“Congratulations to all of the nominees, and to all of our incredible 2024 graduate nurses.”

Learn more about our Graduate Nursing Program and Graduate Midwifery Program on our website, or meet members of our team at the Australian College of Nursing Expo at the Melbourne Convention Centre on 29 March to learn more.