‘So, why do you want to be a nurse?’

12-5-2021

Possibly the most dreaded question to be asked at your university interview … how do you answer?

For me there was no moment of divine intervention, no following the footsteps of an admired parent or relative but rather a gradual realisation that nursing would be the perfect career for me.

I have been lucky enough to have had the pleasure of meeting some healthcare professionals who have inspired me and I hope to one day equal their skill, diligence and passion.

I think my main source of inspiration to become a nurse comes from an innate desire to help people and care for them in times of need. I am also a person who thrives on being challenged and I always have new goals to achieve, so nursing suits me as few other careers offer as much diversity and learning opportunities.

During my experience volunteering at a local hospice I realised that palliative care is a wonderful area to work in, definitely not sad and depressing as many seem to think!

I have many lovely memories of people I have met and worked with at the hospice. Having this experience and insight into nursing care definitely helped me get through the nerve-wracking experience of applying to university. It’s great to have lots of things to talk about at an interview and my work experience certainly gave me plenty to share and I was able to demonstrate my true passion for the profession.

“It’s great to have lots of things to talk about at an interview”

I would encourage anybody interested in nursing to get some work experience, it’s a brilliant way to find out if nursing would suit you and can be extremely rewarding and it is looked on very favourably by admissions tutors as well as being a lot of fun, highly insightful and a great learning opportunity.

It was also very rewarding to feel that my input, no matter how small, had an effect on the lives of those I was caring for.

I am due to start my degree in adult nursing this September and I really cannot wait! I am full of beans and bursting with enthusiasm. After a year out from study I am raring to go and get stuck into the beginning of a career I know I will love.

Ashley Needham starts her degree in adult nursing this September.

‘So, why do you want to be a nurse?’

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