Anne-Marie York-Sharpe

• Year of study: Third year
• Length of course: Three years

Your University Journey

Why did you decide to study at the University of Northampton?

I decided to study at the University of Northampton because of its beautiful views, excellent resources and fantastic location. It’s close to my hometown too.

What are your career goals/aspirations?

When I have completed my studies, I aspire to be a registered nurse on an Elective/Trauma Orthopaedic ward and see where my career takes me. There are so many opportunities in nursing, which is why I chose Adult Nursing for my degree course.

How do you think your studies will help your career or personal development when you graduate?

Adult Nursing has helped me gain the knowledge and skills needed for my career as a nurse. It has also provided me with several learning opportunities through placements and assisting with clinical skills at the University.

Which, if any, skills and knowledge/understanding gained on your degree do you feel will be most useful in your future career?

Communication and clinical skills are the most useful skills to have for nursing. Having knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology is also required, which the course has given me, supporting my future career as a nurse.

Your Placement

Have you completed a placement? If yes, please detail where this was, the role and an outline of your duties.

As a student nurse, I’ve completed several placements within NHS Trust Hospitals on acute medical and surgical ward departments, as well as Community, Infection Prevention and Brain and Stroke Rehabilitation. My role as a student nurse has always been to seek every learning opportunity possible on these placements, to enable me to gain knowledge and understanding and to practice my clinical and non-clinical skills.

Please describe how your placement benefitted you.

Having opportunities to attend multiple placements has helped me gain knowledge and experience from within different departments. For example, one of my placements was working on a cardiology ward, where I practiced ECG’s and learned about cardiac medication. This has benefitted me since I didn’t feel confident with the subject, but the knowledge I now have has allowed my confidence to increase. I also had the opportunity to see an angiogram, where I practiced my knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology by observing the procedure.

What employability skills did you develop during your placement?

Leadership and communication skills have been the main two skills that I’ve developed within my placements. As a student nurse, you have opportunities to lead and manage care at the end of the second year and all of the third year, which helps build confidence and develop leadership and communication skills.

How do you think the placements will help you with gaining employment after graduating?

Placements have helped me gain employment by providing me with experience, knowledge and skills to support my career as a nurse. I’ve had recruitment offers on several placements and have accepted one offer because I enjoyed the experience of working on the ward area and worked alongside an amazing team, who I can’t wait to work with again as a nurse.

Do you have any tips on applying for or getting the most benefit from your placement?

Ask lots of questions, especially if you feel unsure and always have a pocket-sized notepad and pen at the ready to make any notes. If your placement provides you with a student pack, use them as they will help you with your learning (student packs give you information about the clinical area and some of them give you questions). If you don’t have a student pack, research and ask about your placement area, so you can read and prepare your knowledge for the placement. Take every learning opportunity you can because it might benefit your career in the future.

What advice would you give a student about to begin a placement?

When you receive your placement details, always give them a call and request a visit before you start. Find out who your assessor and supervisor are and link them to your pebble pad. Print off proficiencies so you can keep track of what you’ve already achieved and what you will need to achieve. On the night before your placement, pack your bag with water, lunch, snacks, spare pens, highlighters and note pad, as well as pocket cards which have been handy.

Your advice

In one sentence, what advice would you give to undergraduates interested in this career path or anything you wish you had known earlier?

If you have any feelings of quitting or giving up, always speak to your peers, friends, family and the University. Never give up on your dreams.

In ten words or less how would you summarise your UON experience?

I never thought I would ever attend university because I felt that I wasn’t clever enough. UON has proved me wrong by providing fantastic support and learning opportunities, and helping me grow into a healthcare professional. Thank you, UON.