Hello, my name is Chloe! I am really excited to share with you the beginning of a new series of blog posts about my new journey as a student nurse at the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedic Practice at Robert Gordon University.

My journey to becoming a student nurse

Nursing has always been in my mind’s eye from a young age having been brought up by two amazing nursing professionals.  However, when I left school I felt I was too young and it was too soon to take on such a significant responsibility. So, I decided to go on and study HNC/HND Hospitality Management at Dundee and Angus College.

On successful completion of my HNC and HND I progressed onto the BA (Hons) International Hospitality Management course in 3^rd year within the School of Creative and Cultural Business at RGU. I then later decided to study a Master’s Degree in Digital Marketing. I can only imagine what you are thinking right now: “wow, that is a bit different from nursing” – you are right it is a bit, however a lot of the I skills developed throughout my previous education are very transferable in the nursing profession and I am already appreciating the benefits of the education and experiences I encountered prior to this day.

I’m now at a point in my life where I feel much more mature and ready to take on the amazing opportunity and challenge of training to become a nurse! I say challenge, because it is inevitable that this journey will come with some challenges- albeit amazing learning experiences. I cannot wait to start my journey! I’m just blessed with the thought that I will have the opportunity to make a difference to people. This is the primary reason why I chose to study nursing!

It will be great to be back at Robert Gordon University as it is such a welcoming university. RGU achieved second in the UK for overall student satisfaction according to the National Student Survey (2020) and have a gold TEF rating for the quality of undergraduate teaching and learning. Not to mention the recent award – Scottish University of the Year (The Times & Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021).

I am so honoured to be one of the first among the 2020 intake in Scotland to embark on the brand NEW Dual Honours programme. I will work towards achieving the Dual Honours Nursing registration in Adult and Children and Young People. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (this is the professional nursing body) developed new standards of education for the future nurse. So, this is a brand-new contemporary course within nursing in Scotland! What excites me about this course is it’s innovative nature. I will have various opportunities to gain experience in working within adult and pediatric nursing which will prepare me to provide person centred and family centred care which is a means of working across the lifespan.

My first week

Before I started I got a wonderful surprise from my parents who gifted me a box of resources that will support me through the next 4 years of my nursing training! The box was filled with stationery items, lunch boxes for when I am on placement, the cutest mini dictionary for nurses and my favourite part, the sweet fob watches!

I ordered my uniform for starting placement next year and I received my welcome pack from the RCN (Royal College of Nursing) which included an ace RCN badge which I will wear with pride.

My first week was filled with completing the welcome and introduction section of CampusMoodle (RGU’s online learning platform). There were a few documents I needed to familiarise myself with such as the student hand book, the nurses code of professional practice and the NMCs guidance on using social media responsibly. I also had the opportunity to meet my personal tutor and class via a live online session.

Freshers Week was a little different this year due to Covid-19. In normal circumstances Freshers would be held on campus and there would be the opportunity to physically meet people from your class, however this year RGU Union held the events online. Although I had expected this to bring more of a challenge to meet new people, I feel as though everyone has made a huge effort by posting on the Freshers Facebook page and adding each other to What’s app and Facebook message chat groups! Thanks to social media and Microsoft teams I hosted a “Get to Know Each Other” Nursing quiz which gave my class the opportunity to get to know one another. 

I am really looking forward to starting my journey as a student nurse and sharing my experiences. Here’s to the next 4 years at RGU!

Chloe

You might also be interested in:

A Week in the Life of a Student Midwife

Student to Community Health worker: RGU Experience