The University of Canberra Nursing Society held its inaugural ball last Saturday, June 8, at the Ainslie Football Club.

The student nurses raised just under $6000 for Clare Holland House in Canberra.

Event coordinator Jess Kerrigan said more than 200 people attended the ball and there were talks to ensure it became an annual happening.

The students wanted to support the palliative care services at Clare Holland House.

"Because we're a nursing society, we wanted to make sure whatever we did was meaningful," Jess said.

"Palliative care sometimes gets overlooked [in fundraising] because it's like, 'Let's put it over there. We don't want to talk about death'. But palliative care is so incredibly important."

Clare Holland House manager Amanda Keogh asked the students to suggest where their fundraising should go. They elected patient comfort, such as new mattresses; education and research.

Ms Keogh said it meant a lot to Clare Holland House to have the next generation of nurses supporting its work.

"We know Clare Holland House is close to the heart of so many Canberrans," she said.

"We are ever appreciative of the community's support. Canberra is a very caring community," she said.