Hometown: St Austell
Course: FdA Nursing Associate, BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing
Next Steps: Haematology Nurse at Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske
Rebecca has become one of the first Registered Nurses to qualify at the University Centre Truro and Penwith.
Rebecca initially enrolled on the FdA Nursing Associate degree after leaving the Navy: “I was in the Navy for 21 years. I left the Navy in April 2020 and started at Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske in healthcare right as Covid hit. I applied for the FdA Nursing Associate Course and began that in September 2020; I haven’t stopped studying since!”
Beginning her degree at the start of the global pandemic meant Rebecca found many of the new measures put in place in hospitals and healthcare settings the norm: “In class, they were talking about what they used to do pre-covid and I had no idea what used to be done before Covid – it was all masks, gloves- to me that was normal.”
Now the restrictions have been lifted and Rebecca is now about to begin her career after securing a graduate role in Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske, where she also completed placement during her degree. Rebecca has been offered a role on Lowen Ward, as a Haematology Nurse.
Rebecca was initially nervous to enrol due to the academic side of the course but has found she is capable of so much more than she initially thought: “I’m 42 and I did alright at school, but I had to re-do my GCSE Maths in the Navy, specifically for Nursing. I’ve done better than I thought I would – I’ve surprised myself.”
She also praised the facilities available at the University Centre, especially the new multi-million-pound STEM and Health Skills Centre in Bodmin.
“It’s brilliant, and Bodmin especially – because I live in St Austell, it’s been convenient to go to Bodmin. The Simulation Suite is fantastic up there. It’s good to be able to learn in a Simulation Suite before you do it with real patients; a lot of it is as realistic as it can be.”
“The equipment is brilliant, and the tutors are amazing here; they’ve been so helpful, I can’t praise them enough.”
Rebecca found it easy to find placements during her course, thanks to the University Centre’s strong links with local employers: “Because of the small class size and there only being two of us we’ve known well in advance where we’re going for placement, it gives you time to look at the area.”
The varied placements Rebecca has been offered during her degree range from acute, critical care, mental health and learning disabilities, allowing her to explore many areas of nursing before deciding on her ‘niche’.
Her advice for anyone looking to get into nursing is: “Just go for it – the more you sit and think about things the more you can talk yourself out of it!
“You’ve got to take the plunge.”
