{"id":18710,"date":"2024-05-06T12:44:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-06T04:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/friends\/?p=18710"},"modified":"2025-07-17T13:29:00","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T05:29:00","slug":"finding-the-path-to-fulfilment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/friends\/finding-the-path-to-fulfilment\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding the path to fulfilment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Acting clinical nurse Khai Kamarudin.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author | Carmelle Wilkinson<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Khai Kamarudin was growing up, there was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to be a nurse \u2013 just like his mum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, as time went on, he found himself on a completely different path \u2013 one which included a short stint as a light fabrication engineer and a police officer on the front line in Singapore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a nurse,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy mum had a wonderful nursing career and when I was eight her profession took us from Singapore to the UK and then to Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was excited at the prospect that a career in nursing could open doors and offer so many wonderful opportunities and experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Khai said his mum wasn\u2019t completely sold on the idea of her son following in her footsteps and tried to talk him out of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI always wanted to be a nurse, but my mum had her reservations. As the main breadwinner for our family, it couldn\u2019t have been easy on her,” he said.
<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“She worked long hours and I know it was incredibly stressful at times, but I was lucky I still saw mum quite a lot and she always made dad and us kids her highest priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen it came time for me to choose a career path, mum suggested I do something in mining, given we lived in WA now, and because I respect my mum and trust her advice, I agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t sit my ATAR and instead went through Australia\u2019s Vocational Education and Training (VET) and got a certificate in light fabrication.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Khai landed his first job at an engineering factory in Willetton, and despite financial security and being surrounded by a great group of work mates, there was still an itch that needed to be scratched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI just knew something wasn\u2019t right. I wasn\u2019t deeply fulfilled, and I started to feel like a cog in a machine,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Â鶹ֱ²¥ a year later, Khai was called back to his native country of Singapore to undertake two years of compulsory national service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dependant on a person\u2019s medical history, aptitude test results, educational background and operational needs, young men were placed in either Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Civil Defence Force or Singapore Police Force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI got into the police force and worked for more than a year on the front line,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was a huge culture shock, as I hadn\u2019t lived in Singapore since I was eight and I didn\u2019t really know my extended relatives that well, aside from speaking a few times over Facebook.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a fresh faced 18-year-old in the police force, Khai said he found the experience both challenging and enriching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Khai (centre) as a guard of honour during his time on the Singapore Police Force.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs tough as it was, I\u2019m so grateful for that experience, because I truly believe it helped me develop and grow into the person I am today,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Khai returned to Perth, he decided to waste no time in pursuing his true passion \u2013 nursing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut of course, when you get back to reality, and you return to your same job, that confidence slowly chips away. And I still had that nagging sound of my mum\u2019s voice in my head telling me not to do it,\u2019\u2019 he laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI also wasn\u2019t taught about alternative pathways to university, so I assumed because I didn\u2019t sit my ATAR test, I could never study nursing anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut thankfully a good friend of mine explained it was possible and introduced me to UniReady<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After passing with flying colours, Khai got into Curtin\u2019s nursing program<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for telling his Mum\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe was ok with it. I think at that point she respected me as an adult and was like, oh well what can I do?\u201d haha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t be led by someone\u2019s else\u2019s experience, even if that person was my mum, I really needed to experience nursing for myself.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Graduating in 2021, Khai was promoted to Acting Clinical Nurse at Fiona Stanley Hospital in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Khai<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Khai at his graduation with his parents Hamidah Buang and Kamarudin Yusof.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Khai<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Khai\u2019s family have always been his biggest support team.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor me, I always wanted a role where I could develop a rapport with my patients as well as provide them with a high level of care and service,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the spinal ward, patients are usually there for an extended period of time, so it\u2019s wonderful seeing their progress and knowing I had some part to play in that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Khai said helping patients overcome the mental and physical trauma of a spinal injury was something he didn\u2019t take lightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe people we see on the ward have life-changing spinal injuries, whether that\u2019s due to trauma, disease or a neurological disorder,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Khai said it was important to squash the stigma that nurses only provided bedside care and gave medications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is so much more to nursing. Some days providing a listening ear and giving a patient space to open up is equally as important as administering their treatment. The healing journey isn\u2019t just physical,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Khai said becoming an acting clinical nurse had enabled him to further his studies and really push himself beyond his wildest expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, there are challenges that arise, especially from managing and coordinating your peers and staff, but I\u2019ve learnt to overcome that,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve also been fortunate to receive some great advice from my mum, who worked as a nurse manager for many years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what has been her best advice?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHer advice is when people seek help with any issues or problems, you need to find a way to build their confidence and guide them on how to best manage the issues, so that you work collaboratively to resolve any problems instead of solving the issues for them,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking back on his career journey, Khai said it was important to trust your gut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Khai<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Khai has a strong interest in helping others.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf there is something you really want to do, my advice is go for it. You\u2019ll regret it if you don\u2019t,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd I know this sounds super cheesy, but honestly just follow your heart, it will lead you to fulfilment and where you truly want to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for anyone contemplating a nursing degree at Curtin\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI absolutely loved Curtin, and I would one hundred per cent recommend the nursing course,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe only thing I will say is, make sure you have a strong passion and interest in helping others. Because some days the job can feel thankless and there will be challenges that arise, but for those who really want to serve and make a difference \u2013 it\u2019s incredibly rewarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are also endless opportunities within the profession too. Your nursing degree can take you anywhere. You can start as an ED nurse, be promoted to a clinical nurse, and one day an educator.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Khai\u2019s long term goal is to become a nurse practitioner who specialises in spinal rehabilitation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author | Carmelle Wilkinson<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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