Meet the Swinburne student nurses helping to keep our community safe

Swinburne’s student nurses are stepping up to help keep our community safe by completing their placement at Swinburne’s new COVID-19 vaccination hub, offering these students a different type of placement experience.

Once-in-a-lifetime placement experience

Third-year Bachelor of Nursing student Dilky Thanthiriwatta has been helping at the hub with temperature checks, checking people in as well as conducting post-vaccination monitoring. 

Dilky (left) with her mentor at the vaccination hub. Dilky completed COVID-19 vaccination training modules prior to starting at the clinic.

‘Working at the clinic has been an enjoyable experience and I am so grateful to the staff members for the opportunity to make up my placement hours here,’ says Dilky. ‘I have learnt a lot during my time here and I’m glad to be part of Swinburne’s COVID-19 vaccination team.’ 

Third year Bachelor of Nursing student, Navdeep Kaur has been helping conduct temperature checks at the vaccination hub.

‘Being part of the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination effort is truly an honour,’ says Associate Director of Wellbeing at Swinburne, Glenda Langford.

Ms Langford has been at the helm of running the clinic and training clinic staff to administer the vaccines.

‘This is something that even the most senior of nurses don’t generally experience, so it is a very special milestone for our student nurses to be working at the clinic and to have this experience,’ says Ms Langford.

Supporting students and staff to get vaccinated faster

Many Swinburne students, staff and their immediate family members have been making use of the new vaccination hub to get their jabs faster.

Digital learning designer at Swinburne’s Croydon campus, Caitlin Cleghorn spent weeks trying to book in her second dose before getting it at Swinburne’s COVID-19 vaccination hub. 

Staff member Caitlin Cleghorn was pleased to be able to get her jab at Swinburne’s COVID-19 vaccination hub.

‘I was hoping to move up my second dose vaccination appointment as the only one I could get through the government website was two months after my first dose,’ says Ms Cleghorn. ‘I jumped on it straight away when I heard that Swinburne’s COVID-19 vaccination hub was opening. Getting my shot at a beautiful community centre surrounded by parklands and friendly staff was certainly refreshing!’

About Swinburne’s COVID-19 vaccination hub

Following a successful six-week run and the high rate of vaccination among our Swinburne community, the vaccination hub will wrap up on Thursday 28 October. Appointments for the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines are available for all Swinburne students, staff and their immediate family members until this date.

More information, including how to make a booking, is available on the COVID-19 hub.