Over 100 Health Trust Staff celebrate becoming nurses at OU degree ceremony

It has been a difficult few years for those working in our Health Care Trusts across Northern Ireland but Friday 11^th March 2022 will be a day of celebration for over 100 of those staff as they cross the stage as registered nurses at The Open University’s Degree Ceremony in Belfast’s Waterfront Hall. 

These nurses have succeeded in the face of an incredible period of hardship.

Fergal McNerney is one graduate who has found positivity in this; “I’m very proud of what I have achieved over the past 4 years, given that when I began my training COVID wasn’t in existence. I felt that being able to adapt to this situation has supported me now within my new role and provided me with invaluable experience, all be it very difficult at the time.”

Working towards a degree is never easy. For Open University students, an average age of 29 across Northern Ireland, it is often an even tougher prospect with commitments and responsibilities that are not often associated with younger students from traditional universities. They may have families to care for or mortgages to pay and 75% of them work full or part time. Study is completed whenever they can find the free time, whether it be evenings after a long day at work or weekends. This study is undertaken around both their professional and personal lives.

The determination to succeed is nothing short of awe-inspiring.  

The Open University’s Future Nurse Programme is practise based meaning that those enrolled are training while simultaneously working in roles across the Health Trusts. This makes their commitment to study even more impressive when you consider the added complexities of a global pandemic.

Fergal personifies this.  “I was a Health Care Assistant within the Belfast trust and work for the acute care at home team. A community-based team only existence 7 years. I was in that role for 3 years but had previously worked in learning disability for 5 years. I was lucky that I now have a staff nurse role within the same team. It has been nice to repay some of the faith they have shown in me.”

“My colleagues around me are what made me go into nursing. I have experienced it from working as part of a great team with so many fantastic role models and being in a family supported by community nurses at some of the most difficult parts of my life. The care and compassion showed to me, and my family was life changing. If I can give a little back of what was given to me then I know it will make a huge difference.”

“Throughout the 4 years training I got married, moved house, became a daddy twice all while studying. The flexibility and support from the university was a massive relief. Being able to study in the times that suited me without having a rigid timetable was instrumental in me completing the course with the least stress possible.”

Others crossing the stage on Friday include Wendy Carson who was a maternity support worker in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Catherine Connell-Tierney who was a Theatre Assistant in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Craig Chambers who was a Nursing Assistant in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and Justin Payne who was an Acute Support Nurse in the Western Health and Social Care Trust. Each is now working as a registered nurse in the Trusts and has been able to study while continuing to work in these roles over the last few years.

The Department for Health now funds 185 Health Trust staff to train with The Open University each year. The Open University Future Nurse Programme currently has 650 Trust and Independent nursing home staff enrolled in study to become nurses.  With nursing shortages across the sector this is a moment of celebration for the health service.  These staff, now with multiple years’ experience working in the healthcare environment, will go on to use their skills within our hospitals and community settings across Northern Ireland as fully trained nurses.

John D’Arcy, Director of The Open University in Ireland said: “These students celebrating their graduation from their nursing degree today are an inspiration to us all.  Their dedication and passion for caring for others and balancing work, study and home life is incredible.  At The Open University we are immensely proud of our nursing programme and the benefit it brings to the health trusts by training up staff to be registered nurses without taking people out of the workforce. We hope many more people will avail of this route to become a nurse in the future.

“Of course, we are incredibly proud of all our OU graduates and everything they have achieved in these challenging times. Each has their own story to tell, many with families or caring responsibilities and many who have held down full or part time jobs while studying with us.  We celebrate your achievement with you today and wish you all the best for your careers in the future.”