For as long as she can remember, Jan-Marie Buckeridge yearned to be a nurse.

She parked the dream to indulge her travel bug and to focus on raising a young family until, with a signpost birthday spurring her on, she finally enrolled for nursing studies at EIT Hawke’s Bay.

Now working as a theatre nurse at Hawke’s Bay Hospital, Jan-Marie has more to look forward to than being conferred with her Bachelor of Nursing degree at EIT’s upcoming graduation ceremony.

As one of two valedictorians, she has a special role to play at the March 27 event being staged in Napier, delivering a speech on behalf of fellow students – “about the highs and lows of our journey together, and to thank our lecturers for passing on their experiences and wisdom.”

Jan-Marie’s journey started comparatively late in life.        

Leaving school in sixth form – “it was not my time for learning!” – she worked for many years at a Hastings supermarket while sharing childcare duties with husband Trevor.  The couple’s children, Sam and Shontelle, got top priority.

The idea of a nursing career remained strong, however.  Obtaining application forms from the School of Nursing at EIT, she then threw them out, judging the timing to be not right.

Being with her beloved nana for the last few days of her life confirmed the long-held feeling that she wanted to care for people and to make a difference.

Jan-Marie made a deal with herself.  She would apply for the EIT programme before turning 40 or abandon the whole idea and get on with her life. 

A concern that she would be the oldest student on campus eased when she learned that the average age of a working registered nurse at that time was 42.

Although she and Trevor expected the family finances would take a hit, he encouraged her to study, assuring her that everything would work out in the end.

Jan-Marie completed the nursing foundation course and carried on to the Bachelor of Nursing programme, and somehow, she says, the bills got paid.

“I treated my nursing study as if it was a full-time job, and pretended that my student loan was a car I was paying off.”

With so many people supporting her, Jan-Marie was anxious not to fail, feeling too much time, money and effort were at stake.

Taking it one hurdle at a time, she found mature study very rewarding, her marks for assignments and exams confirming that she could succeed in her goals.

“The lecturers at EIT inspired, motivated, supported and empowered me throughout my degree study, and the facilities provided the students with everything we needed.”

Jan-Marie is looking forward to graduating and will share the occasion with family and friends who provided the support she found vital in achieving success.

And while she has attained her goal, she has no plans to stop studying. 

“Nursing practice is forever changing,” she says, “and so there is a need and a necessity to be up with the latest in study and research.”