According to a Rockhampton coronary care nurse, medical technology, knowledge and treatment have advanced tremendously in the past 30 years.

"The biggest change for me in nursing has been the advancement of medical science," said Patricia Croucher.

Coronary Care nurse Patricia Croucher says there have been huge changes in medical science since she began nursing about 30 years ago.Patricia first entered nursing about 30 years ago, completing the hospital-based enrolled nurse program back in 1980.

She later left hospitals for more family-friendly work hours in vocational education and training, but after relocating to Rockhampton in 2002 she began studying the Bachelor of Nursing degree through CQUniversity to update her skills and seek registration.

"I started out just doing a couple of subjects to see how I went. Someone told me that to get through uni all you need is persistence (and no social life). They were right."

Patricia completed her degree with distinction in 2007, having been awarded a number of acknowledgements throughout her study.

She firstly was awarded the Mercy Health and Aged Care Prize for the full-time student with the best academic and clinical achievement at the completion of second year courses of the Bachelor of Nursing pre-registration program.

In third year, she was awarded the CQUniversity Rockhampton Campus Trophy for achieving the highest weighted GPA in the Bachelor of Nursing program, along with the Royal College of Nursing Australia, High Achiever Award 2007 for outstanding commitment to the profession during the course of her studies.

In November of 2007 Patricia began working as a contract registered nurse at the Rockhampton Hospital, Coronary Care Unit, before commencing the Graduate Nurse program in February 2008 in the same unit. She is now a permanent employee within the unit.

"It is great just to be back. The patient care inter-relationship and basic care has not changed, however technology, medical knowledge and treatment has advanced tremendously.

"Consequently, through advancement people are living much longer than once expected, which causes its own dilemma in the provision of equitable health care in an environment of greater economic constraint."

Patricia is now working towards postgraduate studies in coronary care at CQUniversity.