Emma Heath
She said: “When I was younger, I always took an interest in nursing. I worked in the care sector, and that background in healthcare has really helped me with my studies.”
“The main reason for me choosing to do my degree in Dudley was my family commitments,” she added. “I’ve got a young daughter, and if there’s ever an emergency, I can get over to her.”
Emma grew up in the area and knows it well. For her, being able to carry out her studies and placements so close to home has made a big difference to her.
“It takes me no more than 10 minutes to get to the campus from home, and all of my placements are local as well. If I had gone to another university, my placements could have been anywhere up to an hour away from home, but here I get to do my placements where I live. It has been ideal for me,” she said.
Now well into her second year, Emma said she is finding the workload challenging in a positive way and that there’s always plenty of support.
“I love how personal it is at Dudley. You know your tutors on an individual level, and they know all about you and your life situation, so it feels very personal.”
Emma is working hard towards her goals.
“I’m very determined… I really want this,” she said. “We’re in lectures twice a week, so you get more time to do your work. We also got our plan of what we’d be doing right at the beginning of the year, so nothing has felt rushed.”
Being on placements has been a great experience for Emma; and a familiar one too.
She said: “Because I have experience of working in care, I felt really able to communicate with the patients, and I had an understanding of many different health conditions, as well as knowing how nurses work.”
Now, Emma is continuing to build her knowledge and experiences, but the world of nursing is broad, and she is determined to see more of it before deciding on a career path.
“At first, I liked the idea of being a health visitor, but I’ve really enjoyed the safeguarding side of nursing, seeing different patients and helping them when they leave the hospital. I think doing my final few placements will really help me decide what I want to do in the future.”