Jess and Sandra Ennor are sharing the same passion for nursing.

Sandra Ennor completed her nursing diploma in 1986. Nearly 25 years later, she finished her degree at EIT while working at City Medical in Napier, her “dream job” that she started in 1998.

Her daughter Jess, on the other hand, graduated as a registered nurse from EIT two years ago and is now working at the Acute Assessment Unit at the Hawke’s Bay Regional Hospital where she sees many respiratory and cardiac patients. As part of the Nurse Entry to Practice Programme (NETP) jointly offered by the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board and EIT, Jess is required to complete a postgraduate qualification. So, let’s just do it together, Sandra and Jess decided.

Last year the mother-daughter-dream-team completed their postgraduate certificates in Health Science and are now proceeding to the postgraduate diploma. “The courses are delivered online and this was initially quite challenging,” Sandra admits. “I had a couple of break downs and was very glad Jess was there to help me get around computer issues.”

“However, I feel it’s worthwhile to broaden the view of my profession. When you worked in the same area of nursing for a number of years, you get stuck in your ways and in the daily grind routine. I feel like I’m reinvigorating my passion for nursing.”

Jess says that the postgraduate qualification also helps to get an in-depth knowledge of the science behind certain diseases and to cement the knowledge that she already has.

Both Sandra and Jess say how lucky they are to be able to pursue a career in nursing. “We are so privileged to help people through times where they are most vulnerable. It often involves a lot of tissue-box-holding.”

Needless to say that working in the same field means being able to discuss issues with each other. “We often talk about what happens at work. It also helps to put life into perspective.”

After graduation Sandra and her husband will embark on a five-week-long trip to Europe – a special reward to mark her huge achievement. Jess doesn’t know yet where her nursing career might take her. “That’s the great thing about nursing, there are so many avenues this career can take you, there is so much you can learn, and there are never two days the same.”