Louise’s College Experience is Shaping Future Nursing Careers
A former student at Stoke on Trent College has spoken about how her positive college experience set her up for a career in nursing.
Louise Hulme studied the brand-new BTEC National Diploma Caring services (Nursery Nursing) at the college’s Cauldon campus in 1991, which led to studying nursing at the University of Nottingham, and a nursing career that spans over 25 years. She is now delighted to have joined the college’s alumni network Made at Stoke on Trent College, which celebrates the achievements of past students, showing the career paths available from studying at the college.
Louise commented: “I had done my GCSE’s, and didn’t do particularly well but then re-sat at my local school coupled with a couple of A Levels. I found this type of learning wasn’t really for me. I always wanted to be either a teacher or a nurse, but I was told by my school’s careers advisor that I wouldn’t be a nurse because I wasn’t clever enough, as the job was highly specialised.
“When I finished my A Levels, I came to the college to look at what was the NNEB, nursery nursing course, but I was advised by the staff that I could do this new course the BTEC in Caring (Childcare) and it would get me the equivalent of 2 A levels. Straight away I thought why not?”
College Is Part of Growing Up
Speaking about her college experience, Louise believed the freedom to start expressing yourself and form your own personality and identity are a vital part of growing up.
“The whole experience of independence was totally different from high school. I think because I’d stayed on at high school and done A Levels, I was nearly 18 when I started college and I was bit further along, with things like learning to drive. I remember sitting in Hanley Park in the summer with friends and having nights out at The Place in Hanley.
“The course was something I really enjoyed doing. I loved it, I could wear my own clothes and express more of my own style. From meeting new people and listening to new music, and your horizons start to broaden about what you like.
“I was told I would never be a nurse, but I am still a registered nurse today.”
Returning to College
Louise only recently came back to the college for the first time, having joined the Skills Advisory Panel for Health & Social Care, which helps support career pathways post-studying.
“It was recently when I came to a meeting with the Health & Social Care team. It was really surreal because the building and layout had completely changed but there were snippets I recognised. I remember the refectory fondly and Snow Hill building as well. We used to do some of our skills classes, and I learnt how to bath a baby in there, with the baths and the dolls on the tables!”
Simulated Learning Vital for Nursing Students
Louise has also spoken glowingly about the recently opened Health & Social Care Ward at the college’s Cauldon campus, saying:
“To have facilities where you have simulated learning, is absolutely amazing. Having the familiarity of a ward setting before working in one for real, is invaluable. Particularly the T Level students, who have to go on placements, it will feel less daunting. Being exposed to it in a safe environment, and being able to make mistakes, and it’s okay to make mistakes, is better than going into a ward with real people.”
A Career In Nursing
Not just isolated to nursing, Louise has worked in a High School, and now teaches Children’s Nursing at the University of Staffordshire. Speaking about her career path, Louise said:
“I’ve worked in acute medicine, always children’s, including gastroenterology, neurology and the bulk of my career (16 years) was spent at UHNM in the children’s intensive care unit. For someone who got one GCSE, initially, I was working in the area where we would handle technical aspects and mathematical ability and calculate complex drugs.”
After working in the school and seeing a need for greater mental health support, Louise worked for North Staffordshire Combined NHS Trust, with one of her crowning achievements being one of the country’s first mental health support teams that supported 34 schools or education providers across North Staffordshire, for people aged 5 to 18.
Nursing is a Unique Club
Louise has highlighted how becoming a nurse means joining a unique club that has some skills that can’t be taught and where your team always look out for each other.
“You need to have an element of resilience, and have the ability to navigate things that are difficult, whether that’s conversations – you have to take the rough with the smooth. You form bonds with the families during tough times; you never work in isolation with a child, you will always be with the extended family.
“Being empathetic and having good listening skills is really important. The technical side of the job can be learnt, but you have to have an element of natural ability in communication.
“Working as a nurse around Christmas is also a special time, as I can recall dressing up as all-sorts to help lighten the mood on the wards for families who might be having a tough time. You do everything for your team and as one team,” Louise explained.
Walking the Walk as a Nursing Lecturer
Now as a lecturer at the University of Staffordshire, Louise feels its important to have people teaching this sort of vocation who have lived and breathed nursing.
“Even though I teach in a University now, I will say I am a Nursing Lecturer, or I am a nurse who is a lecturer as I want to emphasise that I never stopped being a nurse. I think that credibility is really important for the students to see, I won’t talk the talk if I don’t walk the walk” Louise said.
“Personal experience really helps, because it makes it real. I get some of ex or current colleagues in to talk about what they do and the students just love that. There is nothing more rewarding (as a nurse) than supporting a family through difficult times and seeing how grateful they are for your care, which I try to get this across to my students.”
Find out more about becoming part of the Made at Stoke on Trent College alumni network.
