Before the pandemic I was working in pensions, but having a baby during those challenging times motivated me to return to healthcare as I wasn’t getting the job satisfaction I knew I could get by helping others. Even after going back into a healthcare role, I felt I could be offering more, so I applied to do an Access to Higher Education course while working and looking after my baby. From there, I enrolled onto the BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing Practice course at the University of Sunderland.
I chose to study at Sunderland because, when I came to visit the campus, I was really impressed with the facilities and the welcoming atmosphere. I could see myself coming onto campus and completing my assignments, and I didn’t get this feeling from anywhere else. All the academic staff I spoke to were incredibly friendly, and so were the wonderful Student Ambassadors – which is now a team I’m proud to say I’m part of.
On the Adult Nursing course, I really enjoy the practical simulations as they help me feel more prepared for practice. The University offers the Patient, Carer and Public Involvement (PCPI) scheme too, which involves real people with different health conditions who dedicate their time to enhancing our training and developing our understanding from a patient’s perspective. I feel like this helps me to be the best I can be. Once I graduate, I’m hoping to get a position working in my desired department, then I’m aiming to move up the NHS bands and hopefully progress even further through more university study.
My advice to any prospective students would be to make the most of the support offered to you. The University has a wonderful support team, so if you ever feel overwhelmed or underprepared, make sure you reach out. There’ll always be someone who has felt the same way as you and the team’s always on hand to help, so use them. This is your moment and you’ve made it this far – you’ve got this!
Overall, there’ll always be some highs and lows during your studying but keep going. I hope you love the University of Sunderland as much as I do.”
Published 30 January 2024
Adam Bell
Adebola Faith Fagbohunlu
Amy Conway
Ayodeji Paul Akinberu
Emily Currah
Emma Krieger
Hannah Scrafton 
Hayley Fairweather
Jamie Young
Jingwen Li
Jonathon Swales
Kamolrat Cheangdee
Kehinde Bawa
Kieran Murray
Laura Paxton
Michel Egbuniwe
Muminat Abiola Zubair-Muhammed
Natalie Crosby
Nichola Laidler
Rachael Gallagher
Rachel Kelly
Stacy Humphrey
Tammy Pratt
Terri Jolly
Tracy Reid
Verity Cox