University celebrates students on International Nurses Day

Fri 10 May, 2024
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This Sunday (12 May) marks International Nurses Day, a celebration of the incredible work carried out by nurses across the world and an opportunity to demonstrate the difference that they make to lives every day.

Celebrated each year on the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth, the theme of this year’s International Nurses Day is ‘The Economic Power of Care’, demonstrating how strategic investment in nursing can bring considerable economic and societal benefits.

The University of Bedfordshire boasts an impressive portfolio for Nursing courses, with study options including:

Taught within the School of Nursing & Health Education, Nursing and Midwifery courses at Bedfordshire lead to professional registration and are approved in partnership with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. There are also opportunities for work placement experiences for students through close partnerships with local practice partners across the region.

To mark International Nurses Day, the University of Bedfordshire is shining a spotlight on three Nursing students who have shared their experiences of studying and the career opportunities available through their course. Click on the names below to find out more.


Tell us about yourself

My name is Emmanuel Fatokun. I am 28 years old and in my second year of the Adult Nursing course at the University of Bedfordshire.

Why did you want to study this course at the University of Bedfordshire?

I chose to study Adult Nursing because of my passion for helping and caring for people and I chose the University of Bedfordshire for its reputation in nursing education and the opportunities it offers for practical experience.

What does International Nurses Day mean to you?

International Nurses Day is a celebration of the dedication and invaluable contributions of nurses all over the world, emphasising and reminding us of our responsibility and the importance of our role in healthcare.

What do you hope to do in your career after graduating?

After graduating, I hope to work in a hospital setting, gaining experience in different units and eventually specialising in a specific area of nursing.

Tell us about your experience studying Nursing at the University of Bedfordshire – how have you found the course, academics, and support you have received?

Studying nursing at the University of Bedfordshire has been challenging but rewarding. The course content is comprehensive, and the support from both my Faculty and peers has been excellent.

What advice would you give to anyone considering studying Nursing?

My advice for anyone considering nursing is to be prepared for hard work and emotional challenges, but also to embrace the opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives. Although the placements and coursework can feel long and stressful, they present an amazing opportunity to gain insightful knowledge and make significant impact on the lives of patients and even colleagues.


Tell us about yourself

My name is Katie Stredder, I’m 22 years old and in my final year studying MSc Adult Nursing.

Why did you want to study this course at the University of Bedfordshire?

I wanted to study adult nursing at the University of Bedfordshire because it is close to home and is where I completed my undergraduate in Health and Social Care. In 2021, I began working at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital as a healthcare assistant as well as volunteering when I was 17-18 years old. I wanted to progress in my job at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital, as working so closely to band 5-7 nursing staff made me realise that the nursing route is a perfect fit for me!

What does International Nurses Day mean to you?

International Nurses Day makes me feel honoured for being in healthcare and getting recognised for all the hard work and skill nurses put into their careers for our patients. Celebrating a day dedicated to nurses, makes us feel special! And I can’t wait to be qualified joining thousands and thousands of nurses around the world.

What do you hope to do in your career after graduating?

Once I qualify as a registered adult nurse, my dream is to get as much experience as I can and work my way up to a band 6 sister. I have the dream of specialising in the critical care outreach team. I’m a very hands-on extroverted person, who loves getting stuck in saving lives (previously having the dream of being a paramedic). I further hope to get experience in Australia as a nurse too, a couple of years after I qualify.

Tell us about your experience studying Nursing at the University of Bedfordshire – how have you found the course, academics, and support you have received?

Studying Nursing at Bedfordshire is great, the course is organised and efficient with amazing, experienced lecturers. Having registered nurses as lecturers is a big help as they can share their experiences and nursing knowledge with us. In our first year, we had the opportunity to use the new immersion suite, which is good practice for our OSCEs in August. Overall, the support is amazing with efficient communication with the academics. I’m the course rep of my cohort, and relaying information is easy with our trusty WhatsApp group chat!

What advice would you give to anyone considering studying Nursing?

If you’re thinking about studying nursing, just go for it! It brings me so much joy being able to leave a room putting smiles on my patients’ faces, as you can be with them in some of their hardest days. There are so many amazing opportunities in nursing as well as many routes, it’s not all just bedside hospital nursing. Having experience in healthcare definitely does help but it’s also a career you can learn from scratch at any age.


Tell us about yourself

My name is Kimberly, I’m 31 years old and in my first year studying Adult Nursing at the University of Bedfordshire.

Why did you want to study this course at the University of Bedfordshire?

I researched for a while before deciding to study at the University of Bedfordshire. Beside from quality education, renowned tutors and good facilities, one of the main reasons for my choice was diversity. I’m an African and I’m a long way from my home country of Nigeria. Whilst a quality nursing education has been a dream for me, I wanted to be able to study in a diverse environment and after the virtual and onsite open day at the University of Bedfordshire, I realised in no time that it was where I wanted to study.

What does International Nurses Day mean to you?

International Nurses Day is an important day for everyone to appreciate nurses globally. It is a prestigious profession and achieving it is definitely no easy feat. So far, on my journey to becoming a nurse, every lecture day, every placement practice I have undertaken has increased my respect for nurses. I think it is very important, it’s a day of reflection, a day to give nurses accolades and a day for nurses to give themselves an applause, a day where we are reminded to be proud of the work we do and to remind us how much we are appreciated.

What do you hope to do in your career after graduating?

Following my graduation, I intend to dive right into practice and gain adequate experience across the board, especially clinically. Afterwards I intend to study to become an independent prescriber and subsequently I hope to become an advanced nursing practitioner.

Tell us about your experience studying Nursing at the University of Bedfordshire – how have you found the course, academics, and support you have received?

My experience studying Nursing at the University of Bedfordshire has been all I expected and more. I have found the course very engaging, the guidance from all levels, admin, and international support for students, visa support, as well as academic support including face to face sessions and online help. My personal favourite is the personal academic tutor, where one person serves as your go-to buddy for all student related issues – this is always very helpful, they serve as your personal guardian angel and show you around in every way needed, ranging from navigating student websites and also providing support where needed with your academics, as well as support throughout your placement. Needless to say the support and experience so far has been wonderful.

What advice would you give to anyone considering studying Nursing?

My advice for anyone considering studying Nursing is to make up their mind and roll up their sleeves and be ready to give it their all, while ensuring they make very good use of the support provided by the University because I find that this reduces half your stress. The beautiful part is that every experience along the way whilst studying teaches you and develops you and it’s all worth it in the end.

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