EIT Tairawhiti Bachelor of Nursing graduate Liz Mackenzie didn’t have to look far for inspiration.

The 2013 valedictorian says her husband Bryce and sons Damon and Thomas were what drove her to become a fully qualified nurse, and to receive the top honour at EIT Tairawhiti for the year is the icing on the cake.

“It is such a great honour,” said the 40-year-old. “I did work very hard and achieved great results, but being valedictorian is not something I even thought about. It’s a great privilege and really does just top off the last three years.”

As a school leaver she had studied to become an enrolled nurse, but says it’s huge satisfaction to now be a fully registered nurse.

“Nursing is something I have always enjoyed doing and it offers so many opportunities that can work around the rest of my life,” says the 40-year-old.

It’s an inherited love of helping people too – online casino australia her grandmother was a nurse during the war.

“It would be lovely if she was still alive and could see what I have achieved.”

Mrs Mackenzie is now working as a practice nurse at Three Rivers Medical where she has been buoyed by a very supportive team.

“The nurses here are so happy to share their knowledge and experience with me,” she says.

“I have always had primary care as a passion, so was very fortunate to get a job in that area.”

Mrs Mackenzie is also part of two new graduate programmes – one with Tairawhiti District Healthcare and the other with Midland Health Network.

It all helps with extra study and that all-important transition into becoming a registered nurse.

“My life is very busy at the moment, with extra courses and study, but it is great,” she says. “I’m pretty happy that I got my degree before my eldest son who started his university studies this year!”

She loves the variety of nursing.

“Every day I go to work and don’t know what we will be faced with. Primary care is so varied – it’s good to be helping people work through all sorts of things.”