Christopher
Johnson

Why NTU?

What inspired you to study your subject?

"I had originally undertaken a psychology course and started working in a mental health unit to gather experience. While there, I was deeply inspired by the many nurses I worked with and found the job very rewarding and meaningful. I decided to apply for the nursing degree because I wanted to do more to help the individuals in our care and wanted to follow in the footsteps of those nurses that had inspired me."

Why did you choose your course and NTU?

"The apprenticeship course offered by my company was provided through NTU. I did a little research into the university prior to attending and was happy to see that there were excellent student support facilities in place which I believed would be vital to studying a challenging degree like nursing."

What’s your experience been like of your course so far?

"The course originally began in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic so it was a tough time for both lecturers and students. I was inspired by the way that the whole cohort and the lecturing team pulled together and made the best of a bad situation. The course has been exceedingly challenging throughout the three years due to the nature of the nursing job. One of the highlights of the course in my view is how supportive and kind the lecturing and pastoral teams were during those times. They were so responsive to any help I needed and without them, I don’t believe I would have been able to finish the course. A further highlight is the many times on placement where I have been able to make a meaningful difference to a patient’s life, even as a student. The student nursing experience will give you as much as you put into it, and I have found that NTU’s offering gave me a wide range of experiences to engage meaningfully in the job I was preparing for. On the whole, the course can be challenging but it is exceedingly rewarding and the staff at NTU have been extremely supportive throughout."

Have you been involved in any projects or extra-curricular activities that have supplemented your studies run through NTU?

"I was among the individuals who founded the nursing society at the university and ended up as its president in my first year. While it was a challenge to start and maintain the society, we managed to provide socials, and additional education through professional talks and charity events that I hope helped to bring a better sense of community to the nursing cohort at the time. The experience also provided many opportunities to develop management skills alongside the course and was a worthwhile experience overall."

What does Social Sciences mean to you?

"Social sciences serve to increase our understanding of humans, primarily in order to provide better care to individuals who need it most. The knowledge developed in this field is vital to decreasing human suffering and ensuring a kinder and more supportive world."

On Placement

Have you completed any work placements on your course?

"The nursing course consists of multiple placements per year, three a year in my experience. These experiences have been exceptionally varied and provided me with a wide understanding of many different areas of mental health care. I have experienced acute inpatient care, forensic services, community care, care of the elderly and children and provision of psychological therapies during my time at NTU. This has provided me with a wide range of skills that are applicable across multiple environments and patient presentations. Personally, I found the psychological therapy provision the most useful, as it allowed me to develop in-depth knowledge of a specific mental illness that opened my eyes to the many ways this illness can be treated."

Do you have any memorable moments from your placement?

"While on placement in my second year, I was helping to prepare an injection that I was going to administer to a patient. Injection fluids often come in little glass bottles that need to be snapped open to access the liquid. There are these little stoppers that can be used to snap the bottles open but experienced staff can usually pop them open barehanded. Naturally, I was nervous and shaking a little bit, but foolishly thought I could snap the bottle open without the use of the stopper. What I ended up with was a smashed glass bottle and a large gash on my finger because I popped the lid off in the wrong direction. Needless to say, I used the stopper from then on!"

Support

What do you think of the support available from tutors and staff at NTU?

"The support is excellent from tutors and staff. They are very easily approached and have always been willing to provide help for any issues I’ve had throughout the course. While there have been bumps in the road throughout the course it always felt like I was able to work as a team with the staff to solve any issues that arose."

Outside of the Lecture Theatre

Did you find it easy to make friends and settle in at NTU?

"I came to NTU with an existing group of friends from my workplace who were on the same apprenticeship course. I found it difficult to branch out in the first year in the midst of the pandemic but this became easier as the years went on and we were able to do more things as a cohort. I found NTU very easy to settle into as a student and was provided with all the information I needed at the start of the course to know what services I could access if I needed them."

The Next Steps

What’s next for you after NTU?

"I am already working as a staff nurse in an acute mental health unit. I have also discussed and hope to return to NTU at some point to assist in teaching the nursing course to future students."

How is NTU helping you to achieve your career goals?

"NTU helped me to maintain a good working relationship with my employer throughout the course. This was a little bumpy at first since we were the first cohort of nursing apprentices but did get much better as the years progressed. We were also provided with a careers fair and many guest lecturers that highlighted the many different professional roles that can be taken on by a qualified nurse, which have inspired me to set higher aspirations for my career going forward."

Advice

What top tips would you give anyone thinking about studying your course at NTU?

1. "Make sure you access the support mechanisms in place if you need them and speak up to the NTU staff if you are struggling. They are all willing to provide support for academic or personal issues. Without that support, I think I would have struggled to complete the course.
2. Ask any questions you have prior to placement and get in contact early. This can help to offset some anxiety you may have in entering a new working environment and allows you to have a much easier time settling into the placement.
3. Get a lot of pens and some small notepads. Always comes in handy and pens have a habit of hopping out of your pocket and going missing on placements!"