Gemma’s Chester Made Story: Starting from scratch to achieve my ambition of becoming a nurse

Starting from the Bottom

When I think back to my time at Chester, what stands out the most is how far I have come and everything I have been through to finally get to where I am today. My journey definitely hasn’t been easy, but I wouldn’t change it.

I really did start from the bottom. Before I could even think about university, I went back and completed my Maths and English, then my Pre-Access course followed by my Access course. Each step got me closer to where I wanted to be and eventually gave me the opportunity to start university. I then went on to complete four years at Chester. When I look back at where I started compared to where I am now, I honestly can’t believe how far I’ve come.

Overcoming Setbacks and Self-Doubt

Just before starting university, while I was still in college, I had an accident and broke my kneecap. It really knocked my confidence and made me question all the choices I had made. I remember thinking, am I actually going to be able to physically do this? Nursing can be demanding and I worried about whether my knee would cope with long shifts and placements. But after working so hard just to get to university, I wasn’t going to let it stop me. I pushed myself and carried on.

I have also done all of this while being a parent. Trying to juggle being a mum alongside university, placements, assignments and everyday life has been really hard at times. There were days when I didn’t know how I was going to manage everything, but I kept going because I knew what I wanted to achieve and I wanted to make myself and my family proud.

Finding My Path in Nursing

When I started my MNurs Adult and Mental Health Nursing degree, I always thought I would end up working in theatres or recovery because that was where I thought my passion was. I then got the opportunity to do my fourth year in Mental Health Nursing. I wasn’t sure at first, but I thought I had nothing to lose and being dual qualified would give me more opportunities.

I remember starting my first mental health placement feeling completely out of my comfort zone and so nervous. But within a few weeks, something just clicked. I realised how much I loved mental health nursing and that this was actually where my passion was. I also realised how valuable my adult nursing knowledge could be within mental health, especially when recognising when someone was becoming physically unwell.

A Proud Moment

One of my proudest memories from my time at Chester was going from being so nervous on that first mental health placement to then going for an interview for a mental health nursing job and actually being offered the job. That moment meant so much to me because it felt like everything I had worked so hard for had finally paid off. I had found the area of nursing I genuinely loved and was going to start my career in it.

Becoming the Nurse I Am Today

Chester has helped shape me into the person and nurse I am today. There have been tears, stress, times when I doubted myself and times when I questioned whether I could carry on, but I did.

From going back to do my Maths and English, completing my Pre-Access and Access courses, breaking my kneecap just before starting university, being a parent while studying, and then completing four years at Chester, I can finally say I am a qualified Adult and Mental Health Nurse and am starting a career in an area I genuinely love.

If you had told me when I first went back to do my Maths and English that one day I would be dual qualified and working as a mental health nurse, I honestly wouldn’t have believed you. It’s been a long journey to get here, but I couldn’t be prouder of how far I’ve come.

Advice for Current and Future Students

My biggest advice would be to never give up on yourself, even when you feel like you cannot do it.  There were so many times throughout my journey when I questioned myself and wondered if I was good enough or if I could carry on.

Don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s. I started by going back and doing my Maths and English, then Pre-Access and Access before I even got to university.

Take every opportunity you are given, step outside your comfort zone and don’t be scared if your plans change along the way. I started thinking I would work in adult nursing and ended up finding my passion in mental health.

Just keep going, because one day you will look back and realise how far you have come.

What Being a Chester Graduate Means To Me

Being a Chester graduate means so much more to me than just having a degree. It represents all the hard work, tears, determination and times I wanted to give up but didn’t.

Being able to say I am a Chester graduate and a qualified Adult and Mental Health Nurse makes me so proud. Chester gave me the opportunity to change my life, find something I genuinely love and prove to myself that I could do it. For me, graduating is not just about where I finished, it is about remembering where I started and who I am doing this for; not just for myself but for my biggest supporter in life, my beautiful daughter Isla-rose.