Becoming a nurse — my unexpected journey
For GCSE results day this year, we’re sharing a blog from Staff Nurse Jessica Sterry, who works at Bartholomew’s Hospital. She reflects on how she began her unexpected career journey as a nurse, and where this has led her to be now.
I never knew I wanted to become a nurse, it just kind of happened. I completed my degree in Marine and Freshwater Biology in Wales and then, following the passing of my nan, I felt a sense of deep disappointment that I wasn’t able to help her more. I mentioned to my dad on the phone that I was really glad to have followed my childhood dream of doing Marine Biology, but as a career, I felt like I should have been a nurse. He told me that he thought I’d make a great nurse, and we naturally left the topic there.
The next day my dad called saying he’d found a postgraduate route into nursing — I had no idea that it was even possible! I thought choices were made and had to be kept to. By the time I’d found this out it was nearing summer, applications to all but one university had shut and the application deadline was fast approaching.
From then on everything was a whirlwind. We contacted the course director, squashed multiple days of tests into one weekend, and liaised with my family in London to send me copies amounts of various documents, including my previous qualifications.
When I started the course I met students who had completed such a variety of degrees.
I assumed you had to have a science background and that my degree was an odd route into nursing, but that was not the case.
I had colleagues from backgrounds in literary studies, healthcare, business, philosophy, zoology and more! We all had to complete the same interviews and tests and we had a booklet that evidenced our link with nursing, including how we had previously worked with people and how our past modules could be applied to nursing.
From my first degree, I was used to writing essays, analysing statistics, writing reports, and I had a good understanding of biology and chemistry. It was beneficial having this knowledge but by no means essential — as with any university course, the teaching is only about 25% of the programme and the rest you have to put in yourself. We found that any degree could be useful; biology can help with grasping the human anatomy and physiology, English helps with communication and academic writing and business provides an understanding of the socio-economic world we live in and its relation to the NHS. Even philosophy helped my peers with critical thinking and understanding different cultural viewpoints.
Throughout my entire journey, I didn’t think about it. I just did it. I’m a big believer in the idea that everything happens for a reason, so when the call came from within, for me to pursue this career, I had to do it.
I supposed I would find out the reason later. So many mentors asked me why I switched, and for a long time, I couldn’t tell them because I didn’t know myself.
After completing my postgraduate diploma, I secured a job on a cardiothoracic ward followed by outpatients. Then the pandemic hit.
During the first wave, I volunteered to work in the intensive therapy unit (ITU). I had a couple of days of training with ITU nurses and I was then off on my own. It was challenging but more rewarding than I could say. It’s true that helping others helps you. Three months quickly turned into one year and I became one of the longest-standing redeployed nurses in ITU. The first wave was hard for everyone — six hours before a break in full PPE during a heatwave.
I am now involved in education with outpatients, teaching students about different specialties in the hospital and clinical skills, as well as running clinics such as the pre-assessment swab centre, and I also do the odd bank shift in ITU.
Nursing is such a varied profession. Love being practical? You should work on the wards. Prefer more of an administration and organisational role? There are options for that too. Love passing on knowledge but not so keen on shift work? Jump into education.
The bottom line is: anyone can be a nurse — you just need the passion and determination to become one. For a long time I didn’t know that I wanted to go into nursing, but I am so glad I did.
Feeling inspired by Jess Sterry’s story? Read more about the different career routes you can take to become a nurse on the NHS health careers website.
Jessica Sterry, Staff Nurse at Bartholomew’s Hospital in the Outpatients Department and Pre-assessment Swab Centre, Barts Health NHS Trust.
