Meet our nursing and midwifery undergraduate students: Lauren Miller (pictured above) and Yuan Mallegrom.
Lauren Miller
Lauren Miller is an Enhanced Maternal Child Health Nurse in the Aboriginal Engagement Team at Hume City Council.
“It’s a role which I feel very privileged to have as a Taungurung woman,” she says.
Miller is enrolled in the Master of Nursing Science degree at our Bundoora campus. “I chose to undertake this degree at La Trobe because it gives me the opportunity to expand my knowledge in maternal and child health nursing,” she says.
Miller is researching the benefits of an outreach maternal child health program to engage Aboriginal families, acknowledging the importance of parents and a child’s early years in laying the foundation for health and wellbeing throughout the lifespan.
“I am enjoying getting back into academic learning and research, while continuing to develop my nursing practice,” says Miller.
Yuan Mallegrom
Yuan Mallegrom is enrolled in our Graduate Diploma in Child, Family and Community Nursing degree.
“I was working as a nurse midwife in a public hospital when I became interested in providing high-quality, family-centred healthcare in the community,” explains Mallegrom. “I chose this course so I could follow my passion for maternal and child health.”
“The La Trobe learning environment has been amazing for me, and teaching staff are approachable and supportive,” adds Mallegrom. “The flexibility of studying online has made work-life balance possible, and the placements provided valuable experience.”
Upon graduation, Mallegrom will be a qualified Maternal and Child Health Nurse.
“I am looking forward to caring for young children, understanding their developmental needs, and educating and assisting caregivers to support the child to reach their full potential,” says Mallegrom.
Franchesca Evangelista
Franchesca Evangelista, a second-year student in our Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Midwifery degree, chose the dual degree for the diverse career opportunities.
“I have had the opportunity to undertake double the placements,” she explains. “They have enabled me to experience different specialities, observe procedures and practice skills in diverse settings, which will ultimately improve the patient care I can provide as a registered nurse or midwife.”
In one placement, Evangelista completed Continuity of Care Experiences, which involves following a woman's pregnancy journey antenatally, during labour and birth, and finally postnatally. “By working with women and their families in these settings, I’ve learned the importance of providing holistic care, which I’ve taken to my nursing placements,” says Evangelista.
“The clinical and professional skills I’ve gained from studying the degree are flexible and transferable, and I’m confident they will lead me to a high-demand career anywhere in the world,” she adds.
“Nurses and midwives practice in hospitals, mental health, general practice clinics, education and management. Studying the dual degree will give me more career options: when I graduate, I can practice in woman-centred care as a registered midwife, person-centred care as a nurse, or both.”
Learn more about the School of Nursing and Midwifery on our website and LinkedIn.
