#ChooseNursing – make a difference one patient at a time

She discovered a love for helping others, providing a high standard of person-centred care, and advocating for patients and their families – Mairi Claire Davidson, a newly qualified Staff Nurse at St. Brendan’s Hospital in Barra, shares her experience of training through the Open University.

“In 2020, I was fortunate to secure a place on the four-year BSc Adult Nursing course with the Open University (OU).  I undertook the degree with support from my employer (NHS Western Isles – St Brendan’s Hospital) continuing to work in my clinical role alongside studying. 

The OU pathway for nursing enabled me to study the course whilst continuing to raise my two young children on the island.  Although it was challenging, juggling tutorials and assignment deadlines alongside working full-time, it was always rewarding and the OU tutors I was supported by were fantastic.  Lots of study was undertaken in my own time (often late at night when my children were in bed), but I enjoyed the flexibility of being able to complete university work when it suited me.   I also attended placements off-island which enabled me to gain invaluable skills and knowledge through the different practice settings I attended.  Balancing family life was difficult whilst studying long distance and travelling away for placements, but I am extremely lucky to have such a supportive family unit, without them I’d have never achieved what I’ve achieved.

It wasn’t my intention leaving school to undertake a career in nursing, (in fact, I’d actually have run in the opposite direction if anyone had said to me leaving school, I’d become a nurse). But sometimes life leads you down a different path for a reason.  It was through my work as a care assistant with the local council and joining the bank as a Healthcare Assistant (HCA) in the hospital that exposed a whole different side to my personality that I never really knew I had!  I found a real love for helping others, providing a high standard of person-centred care and being an advocate for patients and their families, and this is what I really love the most about nursing. I can’t believe my training has finished and I’m extremely excited about starting out my lifelong learning career as a nurse on the Isle of Barra.

Nursing is a really special vocation, and I feel privileged that I have been trusted to undertake my training with the support of my employer. I can’t thank my amazing colleagues at St Brendan’s Hospital enough for being there for me throughout and I will be forever grateful to the OU and NHS Western Isles for providing me with the opportunity to train as a registered nurse.  My advice to anyone thinking about starting their training with the OU would be not to delay it, grab the opportunity with both hands and go for it.  It is a brilliant pathway with so much flexibility and the four years fly in!”

If you are thinking about a becoming a nurse and want to find out more, you can visit https://www.wihb.scot.nhs.uk/our-services/nurse-led-services/studying-recruitment/.