Alumni Profile

Samantha Sweet

Samantha's path to nursing wasn't a smooth one. But thanks to the support of her university tutors, and her own determination, she's finally landed on her feet.

Without knowing it, Samantha had actually had an insight into the importance of good nursing years before she ever thought about entering the profession herself.

"Quite a few years ago, my grandmother was being treated at Blackberry Hill hospital. And because I could see how well they were treating her, I already had some idea of what good nursing meant," she says.

Choosing the right path
But it was a good few years until she decided to go down that path herself. After leaving school at 16, Samantha initially worked in a supermarket, and she had the first of her four children around that time.

She then enrolled on an office skills course, mainly because admin courses were the ones that offered free childcare. But a couple of years on, she decided it wasn't the career for her - and by 2003 she'd realised that nursing was.

"I wanted to do something more important - something good for people. I felt as though I had more to give," she says.

Tough times
Samantha enrolled on the Adult Nursing BSc at UWE that year, and to begin with, she really enjoyed the course and was confident she'd made the right decision. But when she spilt from her partner a couple of years later, the pressures of being a single mum, and studying, got too much - and by 2006, she felt unable to finish her final year.

Luckily, she decided to talk to her tutors about it, and it was at this point, that Samantha says, "UWE really came into its own."

"It took me a while before I actually went and spoke to people about my personal problems," she explains. "But they were amazing. I ended up taking an extra year to complete the degree and they gave me all the support I needed."

Things are looking up
Samantha didn't wait long after finishing her studies to send off her first job application. But the position wasn't on a ward she was familiar with, and she was intending to just try and get some interview experience.

Much to her amazement however, she ended up getting the job, and she's now enjoying her first part-time nursing position.

"I was very lucky to get this job, and can't imagine leaving any time soon. With nursing, I know a lot of people give up along the way. I'm just glad I stuck with it!"

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