A brieft history of me and nursing and how I have come to where I am today.

Basically, nursing and medicine is kind of in the blood:

• My maternal grand-farther was a doctor.
• My maternal aunts and uncles were all doctors, surgeons or nurses.
• My paternal aunt was a nurse.
• My mother was a nurse also.
• My sister (#4) is a nurse, my other sister (#1) was a student nurse and has always regretted withdrawing, my other sister (#3) is considering going into nursing at nearly 50 years old and finally my other sister (#2) is a dentist. So basically, yes, I am from a large family (I am the youngest of 6) and yes, the health care profession is running through our veins.

However, growing up I never really wanted to do nursing. I considered it from time to time but never considered it as a real possibility. My mother always told me 'never go into nursing, it's changed too much, it's all paper work and management these days' so that never helped the situation. At a young age I remember my stomach churning as my mother and sister #4 spoke about blood, guts, poop and a whole lot more as we sat down for dinner.

At school I was not overly clever or bright. I have always struggled particularly with spelling. I am not lying or exaggerating when I say that I could not spell 'hello' at age 11 in year 7 of secondary school. In hindsight I am probably somewhere on the dyslexic scale but unfortunately have never been tested. However, in secondary school I slowly progressed and I realised with hard work I will be able to make something out of my GCSE's all of which I got C or above apart from French where I got a miserable E.

I went to college to study A-levels and I loved it. It was a chance to push myself and see what I could achieve. Not able to take biology as I did not have the B in GCSE required, I stuck with other subjects that interested me: Sociology, Business Studies, Philosophy and Classical Civilisation. I did ok in my A-levels and I did a hell of a lot better than I thought I could achieve 5 years before where I gained a BBCc  respectively. I went on to study Sociology and Educational Studies at the University of York, with a view to go in to teaching afterwards. I quickly realised the degree was not for me, I lost interest, stupidly missed a lot of lectures and just did not achieve the way I should have. My determination to see something through meant I graduated with a 2:2, sadly missing out on a 2:1. On the plus side, I had a great social life to take my mind off my degree. If only I could go back to the 19 year old me and tell myself to just sort it out! But I am not one for regrets, so I definitely feel I have learnt from my time at university. I must admit, York and the University of York were fantastic places to live and study and it is a shame I did not utilise my opportunities.

To be honest, until now, I have always been too immature for nursing. The idea of 'wiping someone's bum' put me off. And then I got a job as a carer, and before I started I dreaded the 'bum wiping'. From day 1, when I first gave personal care, something clicked and I realised it did not bother me one iota. So what, I thought, it is something we all need to have done, whether we are 1 or 99 years old or someone in between. It was as this point I realised straight away that if this was my loved one, I would want to ensure they are kept clean, comfortable and given the care they need in a dignified manner- it really is not too much to ask. It was from here that I finally had the maturity to work in the real world.

I loved working in care. I worked mainly with people with learning difficulties. I worked in a care home with elderly adults with a range of learning disabilities, physical disabilities and mental health disorders. I then went on to support a young lady in her own home with a range of complex needs. I loved this job. It gave me a chance to develop and build on my skills and knowledge. A list of which are below:

• Electronic Communication Aids
• Makaton
• PEG feeds
• Overseeing and administrating physiotherapy for muscles and to clear mucus from chest
• Using cough assist and suction machines
• Giving medication
• Applying dressings for bedsores
• Working with a range of health professionals; GP, Physiotherapists, community nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists, speech and language therapists, just to name a few.

I moved from York to Leeds to live with my partner so I was still traveling and this was exhausting after shifts that started at 7.30am one morning and I finished 9.00pm the next day. During this time I was working a few different jobs, I've worked in cafes, in a college as learning assistances and I finished care to work a 9-5 job in an office. It was this job that made me realise I need to work in care, it is where my heart is and what I want to be doing for the rest of my life. Nursing will allow me to do this, while also constantly developing and updating my skills to become the best nurse I can possibly come.

When I started care, I had a view to go into speech and language therapy. I do think I would enjoy this but it is not as flexible as nursing. With nursing I love the idea that there are so many branches where you can develop your own niche.

So despite never seeing myself as a nurse when I was younger, now I can not see myself doing any other job.

Advice for mature students wanting to study a nursing degree at university in the U.K (qualifications and money matters)

There is no playing it down, going back into education after a break is daunting. I graduated in 2009 so it has been 5 years since I last studied. It will be 6 years once I finally start my nursing degree.

The beauty of nursing is that universities really do value life experiences whatever your age. Many mature students will probably have some experience working in care or have experience looking after or caring for loved ones. Never under estimate this experience when applying.

I have worked in a college over the last year and I have spoken to a large amount of students regarding suitable courses, so hopefully I can give people an insight into a few of the different routes into nursing. The amount of people enquiring about going back into education to become a nurse is over whelming and goes to show just how competitive nursing is at the moment. Do not let it put you off, just make it your motivation to stand out for other applicants.

First things are first. Contact universities you would be interested in studying at. At the end of the day, entrance onto courses is ultimately down to universities. Each university has different entry requirements, so I cannot stress this enough. Find out and research if you have the academic qualifications and experience needed for the course. If you do not currently meet the entry requirements, ask them for advice. What courses or work experience would support your application in order for it to be considered?
If you meet the entry requirements, fantastic! You can start considering which universities you would like to apply to and you can start thinking about your UCAS application. If not, carry on reading.

Qualifications
What qualifications would you need to get into university?

• When I have researched universities, literally all of them ask for English and Maths GCSE at grade C or above. If you do not already have this, contact your local college. Usually English and Maths GCSE courses are free, but you would need to contact each college directly to find out. Most universities want GCSE Science at grade C or above too, but this is more down to each individual university.
• A-levels are usually the most common route into university. Common entry requirements for Nursing degrees seem to range from around ABB-BCC. Some ask for a science related A-levels. Some will accepted health or social science related A-levels. Some universities will accept any A-levels, in any subject. If you do not already have A-levels, A-levels may not be the most accessible route into nursing for mature students. Usually A-levels are just offered full time and would usually run over 5days a week. Some colleges do offer A-levels part-time, so that may be an option. It may take a while to study part-time but it would be down to personal circumstances.
• Access to Higher Education courses are aimed at mature students aged 19 years or older. They come under different titles, but typical titles for nursing related Access courses are Nursing, Health Science or Health Professions. Entry requirement vary, but at my local college, the entry requirement is English and Maths at level 1 (which is equivalent to GCSE below grade C). These are usually 1 year courses that run full-time but is likely to run over about 2.5-3.5 days per week. Most universities accept the Access to He course, but double check!
• For those who already have done a degree, you can gain access onto courses usually with a 2:2/2:1 classified degree or higher. Science or health related degrees seem to be preferred, but I think they will consider anyone with a degree and experience.
• Some universities request recent academic study. Now, this can be fairly ambiguous, but can seem to range from 3-5 years. Some universities will be flexible with this and some will not. If you do need to gain a recent qualification, you could consider any of the Level 3 qualifications I mentioned above. Alternatively, some universities have advised me to do a Open University module to demonstrate recent study.
• You could also consider doing a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care. I think most universities would accept this qualification, but again would be a full-time course and would last two years long so those precious years will start to trickle away.
• Again, contact universities regarding entry requirements. If you do not meet the requirements, some universities offer a foundation course to help you gain access onto their course. Two in my local area is Leeds and York. This really goes to show, universities really want to help you succeed.

Money
But these courses cost so much I hear you cry. Usually these courses can cost anything up to £4000 region, maybe even more. Please do not despair as you have options. Bear in mind financial assistance can change from year to year and personal circumstances so contact your local college for up to date information and information relevant for their institution.
23 years or under- if you are under 24 years or under then the course may be free if you do not already have a full level 3 qualification. If you do already have a level 3 qualification, you will probably have to day.
24 years or older- if you are over 24 years old there is good news and bad news. Unfortunately there is no funding for people aged 24 or older doing a level 3 qualification. Do not run in the other direct as there is a government loan available. Click here for more information about the 24+ loan.
Contact local colleges to see what other financial assistance is available while you study. The information given is accurate to the best of my knowledge, but do not quote me.

I really hope this helps some of you as I understand that education, particularly as a mature student can be a minefield. Graduation as a nurse may seem like a long way off but we all need to start somewhere.