Annette Kemp has dreamed of becoming a nurse since leaving school. At the age of 47 she began the Open University’s Pre-Registration Nursing degree. Now she is in her final year and the dream is becoming reality. Paula Shaw should have trained as a nurse years ago but is now on the way again and studying on an OU course. Here are two women’s stories and their steps, with the OU’s help, towards fulfilling dreams of nursing careers...
When her youngest started school Annette went to work in a local nursing home and in 1993 she saw an advert for clinical team assistants.
“I started work as a healthcare assistant (HCA) in the emergency department at the then Derbyshire Royal Infirmary,” she said.
She completed an NVQ Level 2 within 18 months and enrolled on every relevant in-house course.
“But although I loved studying I lacked confidence. I felt I was not at all academic."
When the assistant practitioner (AP) role was introduced she put herself forward for the AP course completing the OU’s Introduction to Health and Social Care (then K100) and an in-house competency course.
“K100 was hard work but I persuaded myself I could do it if I really put my mind to it. With the support of my husband, manager, family and friends I passed all the K100 assignments with decent grades and found I missed studying when the course ended,” she said.
'Don't leave it too late - just do it!'
When the opportunity came to apply for the OU’s Pre-Registration Programme she was amazed, delighted and terrified when she was accepted.
“I had wanted to become a nurse since I left school,” she said.
But it was not easy. In the first year her husband had a heart attack and in the second he had a heart bypass.
“I was juggling home, work and carer responsibilities. Wonderful support from my manager, work colleagues and the OU has seen me through some challenging times and there has always been someone to turn to for advice and guidance,” said Annette.
Annette has had clinical placements and worked alongside HCAs, APs, nurses and health teams – a fellow student is one of her daughter’s school friends who used to come to the house for tea.
Her advice to others: “Studying can be hard but it’s worthwhile. I really cannot believe how lucky I am to have the opportunity to become a registered nurse – at last I feel I am achieving my potential and that’s a great feeling. Don’t leave it too late – just do it!”
Paula Shaw, of Loughborough, Leicestershire, left school at 16 and went to college to do a BTEC National Diploma in Social Care. She went to work in a private residential home then in a social services home for older people.
With hindsight Paula realises she should have done her nurse training after the BTEC,
In 2003 and while her children were still young she did an OU Openings course to prepare for nurse training at her local university. In the meantime she started work as a relief care assistant for social services then got a full time post as a Band 2 primary healthcare assistant with the district nursing team in the community.
She attended every in-house training course she could and in 2009 got a Band 3 community support worker post. She planned to start nurse training in September 2010 at her local university but funding for secondments was withdrawn.
Course fees paid for
After that disappointment Paula said an assistant practitioner role seemed like a natural progression and she got a Band 4 AP post.
“I also started the OU course An Introduction to Health and Social Care (K101),” she said.
“I was eligible for financial support so my course fees were paid and I received a grant to cover the cost of a laptop. I was excited when a large box of learning materials was delivered.
“I have been surprised how much I enjoy studying – once I got over the fright of looking at all the assignment titles and convincing myself I would never be able to do any of them! I now realise you have to take one step at a time. There is no need to panic,” she said.
With a full-time job and four children life is hectic.
“After work I sort out the kids and with my husband’s support manage to settle down to study from 7pm, sometimes studying on my day off or at the weekend if an assignment is due, but somehow I manage to fit it all in.”
Paula said K101 helped her stand back and think about what she was doing and why. “I now see things from the patient’s perspective and am more sensitive to their needs,” she said.
K101 is part of the OU’s Certificate of Higher Education in Healthcare Practice, part of the Foundation Degree in Healthcare Practice and the first year of the Pre-Registration Nursing Programme by distance learning.
“I am now thinking about what I will study next and what pathway to pursue,” she added.
