Acting Deputy Manager, Residential Care Home, Sanctuary CareIt is one of the top performing schools in London in my field. I also loved its location as it is so easy to get to the centre of London which has so many opportunities for students.
I wanted to develop my expertise in the field of nursing. I was particularly interested in learning more about the managerial and leadership aspects of my profession.
I really enjoyed the modules on leadership and management, writing my dissertation and learning more about nursing informatics which covers things like advancements and breakthroughs in the field of nursing and new drugs, etc.
I have a lot of good memories from my time at Middlesex. Two of my fondest memories though would be being elected as the Student Union's postgraduate and research officer for two consecutive years and being a member of the NUS as this allowed me to travel to seminars, conferences and workshops and represent my Campus in places like Birmingham, Newcastle and Yorkshire, as well as meet students from other universities. I even had one of my motions at one NUS conference approved which was a proud moment for me! The motion that won approval was linked to work placements.
My best piece of advice would be to get involved with as many sorts of activities, both at Middlesex and outside of the university, as you can. Things like involvement with NUS are great as you get to meet new people from different universities and this sort of thing can help grow your confidence and self esteem.
I am currently working as acting deputy manager in a residential care home and the skills I learnt during my course have equipped me for this role and enabled me to do the job.
When I was in high school I wanted to be a lawyer or a journalist but my mother got sick and the amazing care she got made me realise that I really wanted to enter the nursing profession and help others. There are so many areas of nursing in which you can specialise so I think it is one of the best professions you can go into.
The main pro is you get to touch so many people's lives – those you care for but also their families and friends. The main con is it is quite stressful and the hours are long.
I actually got a part time job as a learning support adviser a week after I started studying at Middlesex which was great. Through my involvement with St John's Ambulance while at university, I was also lucky enough to be selected and trained to provide medical assistance with St John's ambulance at both the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics which was an incredible experience.
Working as a first aider at the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics as this was really a once in a lifetime opportunity.
I always try and make the most of what I have learnt and experienced previously and apply this to the future so I will continue to adopt this approach. One of my aspirations for the future is to become a forensic nurse. I think this looks really interesting and I love programmes like CSI!
Focus on what you are doing, be dedicated and make sure you have the determination to see things through to completion. Everybody starts at the bottom of their chosen profession so you need to have the determination to work your way up.
