Hannah Davis is a first year BSc Nursing / RN Adult student. She spoke to us about how she’s finding her course so far and her experiences of applying to university.

Hi Hannah! Tell us why you chose to study Adult Nursing at Salford.

I came to Salford because it was quite close to home and my qualifications matched Salford’s requirements. Working in a care home led me to want to become a nurse, and I chose adult nursing because there is a lot of variety. I have also thought about going into mental health nursing but I want to see how I get on with this first.

What’s been your favourite module so far?

I enjoy clinical skills because it’s practical, I like to be hands-on and get involved.

What has been the highlight of your time here so far?

Learning CPR was really difficult but really good. There is a myth that you’re supposed to do it to the beat of the song Staying Alive but it’s actually a lot quicker than that. It was a really good hands-on experience.

How did you find the application process for university – and do you have any tips?

Try and get help from other people as doing it on your own is quite hard. Make sure you get someone to read your personal statement and check your spelling and grammar. Go to open days to see what’s on offer, and see the accommodation.

What would you say to someone thinking about studying adult nursing?

The thing with adult nursing is it chooses you, you don’t choose it. Your heart has to be in it because it is not an easy course. You have to have a big heart and you have to be really passionate about the course.

Does the university help you with placements?

You are allocated a Trust and they give you a placement within that Trust and it will be the same Trust for the entire year. You are also able to swap if you need to as the University try to make it so it is close to where you live.

Tell us about your experiences on placement.

On my placement I saw nurses giving every patient the support and care they needed, it was a special feeling because it shows even though there are a lot of bad things in this world there is also a lot of good too.

As a student nurse I helped patients with bed pans, walking to the toilet, transferring, and meal times. It’s a rewarding warm feeling when a patient says ‘thank you’ or smiles. As my tutor says, ‘placements are precious’.  They are a great opportunity to go into surgery to see procedures being performed, to observe what is happening on the ward, and meet the patients and staff, including the cleaners, nurses and health care assistants.

You’re learning something new every day: whether it’s communication skills, working as part of a team, or learning about anatomy – it’s a real eye opener.

Any final advice for anyone thinking about studying adult nursing?

It’s no lie that nursing is hard work, but I think Adult Nurses are special people. They’re individuals willing to change their lifestyle to help others. You have to be dedicated and passionate about the idea of being a nurse. It might seem daunting to come to university and join an ‘intense’ course, but everyone is in the same boat. All the mentors you meet on placement have been student nurses before as well.

You don’t become a great nurse overnight, it takes experience and knowledge. As a student you learn the basic skills and then it is up to you to take every opportunity to improve and put your knowledge into practice on your placements.

If your dream in life is to become a nurse that helps make a difference to people’s lives, then studying Adult Nursing at Salford is where you should be.