Studying nursing as a mature student

Final year mature Adult Nursing student Kerri Jones explains her career journey and why it’s never too late to study at university.

I am a 37-year-old mature student nurse and I’m about to start my third year of a BSc Adult Nursing degree. I’ve always wanted to be a nurse since I was a little girl. My stepmum always says she remembers me running around her lounge when I was about six years old shouting, ‘I am going to be Florence Nightingale!’

It’s never too late

What I would say to anybody thinking of applying to study Nursing is that it’s never too late and, although it’s not an easy course, it’s one of the most rewarding things you’ll do.

I come from a family of carers, my mum who was a single mum of two, worked in care for over 30 years and my nan also worked in care. I used to sometimes go with my nan and mum to see the residents and seeing the difference they made to people's lives made me want to make that difference once I grew up.

I started working as a care assistant

I feel that the reason I’m a good carer and a good nurse is down to my childhood. I helped my mum to run the house after school and worked a part time job from 14 as a dining room assistant in a nursing home. I loved the job and interacting with the patients. I started college at 16 to do health and social care, while I completed college I started working as a care assistant in a nursing home to help my mum financially with the household bills. As much as I wanted to study nursing and go to university it was not an option at the time.

I continued to work in care for the next 21 years in numerous different roles and different companies, I have worked as a senior care assistant up to a care coordinator as I thought making my way up in management was a way to work as well as progress my career. As I got older there were other things that came up in life that seemed more important than going to university. My mum had a stroke and required my help and when I was 26, I fostered a three-year-old who is now my 15-year-old son.

My desire to be a nurse never went away

However, the desire never went away and now my son is now in his teens, it’s given me the opportunity to complete my training and follow my dreams.

When I applied for university, being a mature student, I didn’t think I would get an interview let alone a place! For me, there was only one university I wanted to attend and that was LJMU. When I got the email with my interview date, I was panicking reading up on what was required and what I may get asked. However, I needn’t have worried, they were lovely and the interview went really well. I got a conditional offer place, went back to college on a night course to complete level 2 key skills and after three attempts I finally passed my maths exam and confirmed my place.

My mum was so proud

My mum was so proud that I had been accepted onto the course. Unfortunately, I lost her in January 2021 but I’m so glad I was able to let her know I had been accepted before she passed.

Once I started university, it’s fair to say that I did struggle initially with the aspect of completing assignments and having to reference, with having been out of education for 21 years. The thought of starting all over again terrified me and I just had to take each day as it came.

However, with structure, support from the university through the library services and my tutors and some help from my husband around logistics, I managed to make it all work.

One of the most rewarding jobs

Nursing is not an easy degree, but it is one of the most rewarding jobs to do. Despite being experienced in the care sector, I have gained so much more experience from my nurse training than I ever thought possible.

My course even included a placement overseas in Africa which has had an amazing influence on my both myself and my son, broadening our horizons and seeing how hard life can be for people in other countries who are not as fortunate as we are.

So much more than I imagined

In summary, the course has given me so much more than I imagined. Not just a career that I know I will love and excel at, but friends for life, a broader outlook and a sense of self belief – and all of that at 37, it just shows it’s never too late!

Thinking about studying Nursing?

Find out more about studying Nursing or Allied Health courses or search all LJMU courses here.