How to become a nurse: Jaleesa’s NIKERI story

This article and embedded podcast contains themes of family violence, First-Nations child removal, mental health challenges, traditional adoption, and grief. People who have experienced themes discussed may find some of this content difficult. Similarly, those who have not been exposed to this content before, may find the information confronting and challenging. We encourage you to prioritise your wellbeing. You can pause, skip chapters and stop the episode at any time. If you or someone you know needs support, we encourage you to seek support through the services listed in the description. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that this podcast includes conversations about deceased persons. It does not include names, voices or images.

From the bustling hospitals of Melbourne to Yam Island Health Centre in the Torres Strait, nurses are at the heart of our communities. They’re there for us in our toughest times, working tirelessly to create a healthier, happier world for everyone. Like all noble professions, nursing isn’t without its tough days. But, for those like Jaleesa Basnight who put so much into their job, nursing truly gives back. 

‘The most rewarding part about each day is connecting with people in the community, knowing that you’re not alone, knowing that you are surrounded by so many love, so many support,’ she says. 

Basnight’s journey to become a nurse is dotted with its fair share of challenges and triumphs. Having completed her studies and now working in her home community on Yam Island, Basnight’s is a Story of Wonder like few others. Speaking with Dom Hennequin for the latest Stories of Wonder podcast, Basnight shares her inspiring life story and explores why she wanted to become a nurse. 

Meet Deakin alum, Jaleesa Basnight 

Jaleesa Basnight’s life has been anything but straightforward. At the age of two, she moved from Sydney to Darnley Island in the Torres Strait to be traditionally adopted – a customary adoption practice in Islander communities. After her Dad’s passing at age 10, she moved again, relocating to live with her biological mother’s sister (who she acknowledges as her mum) and two other children. It was a massive and, at times, confronting change. 

‘Transitioning into my new family, we really did have to step up at a young age,’ Basnight says. ‘At home we had to learn to clean the house, cook dinner and get ourselves organised before mum gets home. We used to complain about it but, in a way, it was such a good thing because it shaped us to be who we are now as adults.’ 

After high school, Basnight says she lived life ‘back to front’.  

‘Normally when people graduate high school, they go out, seek careers and venture into finding out what they want to do with themselves,’ she says. ‘Well, I technically did mine back to front. I had a family, I settled down at a pretty young age.’ 

Her life at this stage – 21 years old with a partner and kids – is a two-sided tale. On the one hand, there’s a powerful love for her children. On the other, there’s pain. Pain in relocating once again (this time, to her then-partner’s community outside of Cooktown), having few employment prospects and, tragically, experiencing domestic violence.  

As a testament to her strength and resilience, though, it’s from these desolate experiences that Basnight’s future began to unfold.

Jaleesa’s take: why did you want to become a nurse?  

‘There were times where I would flee,’ Basnight says. ‘There were times where, when I took off, I supported my grandmother with her hospital appointments and stuff like that.’  

Fleeing to be with her grandmother (now in Cairns), Basnight saw a huge gap in her mother’s health literacy, and it fell to her to help navigate doctor’s appointments and medication; experiences that kindled an interest in the health system and becoming a nurse. Then, when Basnight found an apartment where she and her children could flee to escape domestic violence, a friend made another big impact on her life trajectory. 

‘I met a friend who was already in the first year of nursing, and she came over for emotional support,’ Basnight says. ‘She was like, “Hey, rather than being cooped up in the house, have you ever considered studies?” And then she started talking about doing something for myself, pursuing a career, something to fall back on.’ 

With the support of her friend, the promise of positive change for her kids and her desire to improve the health of her community, Basnight took up an invitation to visit Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus for an interview. Leaving Geelong, she told herself she had no chance of being accepted into a nursing degree. 

‘I flew back to Cairns and then I received a formal email, basically saying I was being accepted into university, which was a huge thing for me, a scary thing for me,’ she says.  

In Jaleesa’s words: studying a bachelor’s degree in nursing 

A bachelor’s degree in nursing covers a breadth of topics. Students learn everything from the basics of anatomy and physiology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ health, aged care and mental health. The degree combines classroom learning and theory with clinical simulations and real-world hospital placement opportunities. Essentially, the degree takes students through everything they need to go out and become successful nurses. 

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, the National Indigenous Knowledges, Education, Research and Innovation (NIKERI) Institute expands on the core degree with culturally-tailored, on-campus intensive classes and online learning. As Basnight found, NIKERI can also help with everything from learning academic language to offering a much-needed community on the way to becoming a nurse. 

‘NIKERI became my family away from home,’ Basnight says. ‘A lot of the aunties on the grounds would give me hugs and they would be talking about their kids. And then I found there were other young mums that were there as well. So, I would merge into the young mum’s group where we would just talk about missing our children.’

How difficult is a nursing degree? 

Everyone’s experience of university is different. For some, the path to graduation is smooth and steady. For others, a nursing degree can be academically or logistically difficult; some students might be studying nursing while working, or – as in Jaleesa Basnight’s case – life might get in the way. After enrolling in 2014, Basnight didn’t graduate and become a nurse until 2023.  

‘I didn’t have the easy journey most of my peers that I started with had,’ she says. ‘You know, enduring domestic violence, there were times where I had to pull out because my partner at the time would get super insecure, super jealous, and just not supportive.’  

Basnight also lost her grandmother during her studies and developed depression and anxiety, a time she calls a ‘dark tunnel’.  

But, seeking mental health treatment and with the support of Deakin University staff like Jamie Wheelahan, Bachelor of Nursing Course Coordinator, NIKERI Institute, Basnight returned to finish her nursing degree in 2023. It was a powerfully emotional end to a long journey. 

‘I was just sitting there, and I was just bawling my eyes out,’ she says. ‘I was super grateful for every person that I met along the way and every experience along the way because not only did it shape me, but it also made me stronger.’ 

Professional nursing: what is the process of becoming a registered nurse?   

After the triumph of finishing her degree, Jaleesa Basnight has started working at Thursday Island Hospital’s Sibuwanai Primary Health Centre, one step closer to her goal of becoming a fully-fledged nurse working with her local community on Yam Island. Her day-to-day schedule is constantly changing, with a rotation of morning, afternoon and night shifts. Along with managing the job responsibilities of being a nurse, the experience has been tough at times. But, with the help of her supportive partner Oscar, life as a nurse is impactful and highly rewarding. 

For nursing graduates like Jaleesa Basnight, completing a degree is the key milestone that makes them eligible to begin the process of becoming a registered nurse. Registration is managed by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia through AHPRA, which checks that graduates meet the required standards. Once approved, new nurses can begin practising and making a difference in the community. 

Jaleesa’s advice on how to become a nurse that makes a tangible impact on communities  

Basnight may have achieved her goal of becoming a nurse, but she’s not done yet.  

‘Surrounded with such amazing nurses, I’m being encouraged to pursue a grad certificate now and specialise in something,’ she says. ‘Right now, I really want to do my grad cert in emergency and critical care.’ 

More study will keep her away from her island home a little longer, but the plan is to go back for good, ideally with the skills to keep making a positive difference to her Torres Strait Island community. Getting to this position hasn’t been easy for Basnight, and she’s navigated some serious difficulties along the way to becoming a nurse. It means that, perhaps more than anyone, it’s worth believing Jaleesa Basnight when she says that you too can make an impact. Just don’t give up.  

‘Find your light at the end of the tunnel and focus on it,’ Basnight says. ‘If you have to, use your children as a motivation. Don’t listen to the negative noise that surrounds you. Keep pushing forward.’