The vital signs that Sarah Alexander has a bright future have been noticed by many people.

Sarah goes to a country school with just 260 secondary students, but she's been able to indulge her passion for nursing and study at university - while she does her HSC at school.

Her love of nursing started at an early age. "I've always wanted to help people when they are sick," says the confident Year 12 student.

And it all fell into place as she chose her career pathway in high school. Sarah was doing a health service assistant course at TAFE when she was offered the chance to start a Bachelor of Nursing degree at Charles Sturt University. By the time she finishes the HSC she will have knocked over two subjects of a university nursing degree.

"Every Wednesday we spend the afternoon at Charles Sturt uni getting practical hands-on experience working with the university's nursing teachers," she says.

As well as going to uni, Sarah gets to see how a busy hospital operates during practical elements of her course taught at Orange Base Hospital.

"We look at the indicators of a patient's vital signs, such as temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure. We get to go to all the different wards in the hospital, too, and see the different [medical] specialties," she says.

"The course is a great way to see what university is really like and to see what nursing is like in a real hospital."

"What we learn at TAFE and practise at uni we get to do for real at Orange Hospital, which is amazing."

Next year Sarah will transfer to the Bachelor of Nursing full-time. Her success and aptitude for nursing has already impressed her uni lecturer, Susan Bragg.

"I saw a confident young woman stand up and address the [hospital] Director of Nursing and speak about her experiences," Susan says.

"When Sarah speaks about her nursing, she just shines."

And her lecturer had the joy of telling Sarah at her school that she had earned a distinction in her first uni subject.

"I felt very proud. I was really happy with myself and the work I'd done," Sarah says.

And as for the future, well it might include babies - and lots of them. "I've always had a very strong interest in specialising in being a midwife," Sarah says.

"One day I want to travel ... the world is always going to need nurses and midwives!"