Nursing – a Profession I Want to Thrive in

Leaving yourself in the hands of someone unknown, when at your most vulnerable, is scary. My aim as a future nurse is to inspire unity through care and nurture a person-centred bond.

I am currently studying an access course in Nursing and Healthcare. Nursing has been a profession that I have always been drawn to but I believed I was unable to pursue it as I did not have the necessary qualifications. The Access course gives me the opportunity to gain the academic knowledge that I was missing, and allow me a path to study Adult Nursing. Gaining strong foundations in skills like essay writing and time-management will aid me greatly at university. I am looking forward to starting my independent research project in which I want to explore chronic fatigue syndrome and its different treatments. For nearly two years I suffered with post-viral fatigue as a result of glandular fever and a double bout of tonsillitis. I consequently have an interest in illnesses that do not have an exact method of testing as they can often be difficult to diagnose and ergo very difficult to live with, both physically and mentally.

Modules within the degree course, for example The Principles of Nursing, will equip me with valuable skills such as identifying the essential care needs of a wide variety of ages. This is vital for an adult nurse as the transition from children’s care services to adult care can be from the age of sixteen. It is crucial to understand and be responsive to the needs of both a teenage patient, elderly patient and everyone in-between. I also look forward to exploring the nurse’s role in the promotion of health to the public. I believe that moving forward, it will play a vital role in the education of our ageing population. It is important to me to gain experience in both the public and private healthcare sectors. With this in mind, I volunteer at a private care home that specialises in the care of residents with late, onset dementia. In addition to this, I have been selected to be the first volunteer in a pilot scheme at my local hospital’s Accident and Emergency department. During these two placements, I have acquired key interpersonal skills by collaborating with a variety of healthcare professionals. At the care home, I communicate concise but friendly instructions to the residents in order to guide them to places like the dining room, bathroom, or just back to their lounge room chair. Being trusted to feed and aid non-verbal, bed bound residents gives me confidence in my initiative and my ability as a care giver. Through gentle encouragement, I ensure a safe environment for the resident to eat in. In contrast, my role at the hospital is to request the completion of valued feedback forms by patients and families. In order to respect individual people and their backgrounds, I approach them in a compassionate and considerate manner. I care about understanding people’s situations and appreciate that they may be reluctant or dismissive of the feedback form. Staying level-headed is an important skill for a nurse as when people are sick, in pain or distressed, they could potentially act in an unpredictable manner.

Outside of my access course, I take evening classes in Level 1 British Sign Language. I am committed to the challenge of learning a new language from scratch and hope it could be a beneficial asset in my nursing career. Everyone deserves to be heard and understood, especially if they need medical attention. Also, I teach children at a theatre school as part of a small team. Working with my colleagues encourages creativity and productivity but as an individual, I am able to exercise my leadership skills and aid the growth of confidence in my students. A career in nursing is not without its challenges. However, I feel I have the courage and a genuine care for people which I hope will enable me to move forward as a student nurse and thrive in this profession.