"When I was a little girl, it was something I always wanted to do," she said.

"I'm originally from the Philippines ... I've been an accountant for eight years.

"I had a chance to migrate to Australia and arrived in 2012. That year I said to myself 'this is my opportunity' to study nursing.

"Australia is the land of opportunity, so that's how I got started."

Mrs Manansala lives in Griffith and gained her first qualification as an assistant in nursing.

She has since been working in aged care for many years and is about to complete her enrolled nursing course through Griffith TAFE.

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Undertaking her final work placement as part of the course requirements at Carramar has been something Mrs Manansala has been enjoying.

She said the nursing industry was a lot of hard work, but was pleased her career dream was starting to come true.

Her ultimate goal is to go on and complete a Bachelor of Nursing degree at university to become a registered nurse.

"That's definitely something I want to do ... I want to be able to experience all of the aspects of nursing," Mrs Manansala said.

"Working in an emergency department I think would be very interesting and a great place to learn."

As with any career, nursing comes with its ups and downs, which Mrs Manansala has been experiencing first hand.

She said there were many pressures involved with the job, but it was something she takes in her stride.

"My favourite part really is just caring for people," Mrs Manansala said.

"I like talking to the residents (at Carramar) and just taking care of them."

While Mrs Manansala has had an unusual path to becoming a nurse, she said it's been rewarding and would like to see more young people consider the profession as a career.

"I think we definitely need more young people," she said.

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