My name's Richard, I'm a Child Nursing student at the University of Birmingham. I chose to study Nursing because when I was in college, I wanted to pick a profession that was academically challenging but also clinically challenging. I just didn't want to be stuck in a classroom all the time! I thought nursing would be a really good profession for me as I wanted to make a difference in society and impact people’s lives. My mum also trained as a nurse in India, so she was an inspiration. Nursing as a profession is also really transferable. You can pretty much work anywhere in the world and not just as part of hospitals or the NHS, but within other medical fields such as first aid or nursing research.
I chose child nursing because I liked holistically working with families rather than an individual. Children in particular, will remember you because they will be going through, probably some of the worst days of their life, so the experience they get with you is going to be memorable. It’s all about how can you make the best time out of it. How can you make it into a somewhat positive experience to make it a bit easier on them and their family. Making a big difference to people's lives is rewarding and something I have enjoyed being part of!
For me, placement has been my favourite part of University so far. You will never be sent to the same placement provider twice so each time, you get to experience somewhere different so when it comes to you qualifying, you have a vast range of experiences to draw upon. It is a great opportunity to see what you like and what you don't like as during first year, you get to experience placements across all three strands of nursing as well. Most of the placements will be in Birmingham and the surrounding areas and for Child Nursing, you will likely spend some time at Birmingham Children's Hospital. I've also worked at City Hospital which is under a different trust as the University wants you to experience what it is like in different trusts to see how they operate. Every placement is always different, you don't get the same thing twice which is what I like.
One of my best memories on placement was when I was taking part in my Neurosurgery placement and there was an opportunity for me to watch a brain surgery. I got scrubbed up and I was standing right next to the surgeons! It was a child brain tumour removal and not something you see all the time but was such an invaluable experience to see first-hand. When these sorts of opportunities come around, you just have to take them!
“Even though the course is intense, we do get breaks over summer and times to relax and do our own thing. I think it's really important to manage your time well, and if you do, then you can still have a normal university life.”
I play a lot of sports and have just joined the MedSoc football team, alongside playing Badminton and Squash outside of university in my spare time. I also like going to like local events such as the Birmingham Rep as well as exploring the town centre with friends. I also do some other jobs on the side of my degree, including being a university Student Ambassador and a nursing mentor for year 12 students who want to get into nursing. I also work as a Match-Day Medical Responder for local football clubs including, Aston Villa, West Brom and Birmingham City. Not only do I get to work match-days, but at Villa Park this summer, they also had concerts so I got to work when Pink and Bruce Springsteen were performing which was a great experience.
My top tip for anyone who wants to study Nursing would be to really research the course, career and what nursing is. Chat to people at Open Days, ask any questions you have and read articles, such as the Nursing Times, to get a realistic view of what you are going to be doing. During the course, there will be hard times but by understanding what you are jumping into, your time at University will go a lot smoother. Prepare for the unknown and dive into any opportunities you are given!