Amber Hartley
Amber Hartley is now working as a Practice Nurse after completing her degree in Adult Nursing at the University of Worcester
“I still cannot believe that I achieved a First Class Honours,” said the 29-year-old. “Studying and working as a student nurse throughout the pandemic was definitely challenging. I was thrilled when I received my grades because then I knew that all the hard work had paid off!”
And for Amber, training to be a nurse during the worst pandemic for one hundred years certainly presented challenges.
“I was given the choice to defer, however I chose to continue my course while working on the frontline, full-time, at my local hospital,” she said. “I was worried about coming home from work and potentially bringing the coronavirus back to my husband. Despite this, my husband was very supportive of my choice and encouraged me to carry on.”
“Trying to complete my assignments on time was challenging as I was exhausted from placement. Luckily, I had the support of my family, tutors and peers.”
Since completing her degree Amber has taken up a role working as a Practice Nurse in Weston-Super-Mare, and she is very much enjoying the opportunity to learn and grow in her new role. But it was nearly all very different. Having struggled at school, Amber was unsure about continuing with her education, and it took a long time for her to feel comfortable about applying to Worcester.
“I started university later in life due to having low self-confidence when it came to education,” she said. “I discovered that I was dyslexic a year before I started university and realised that maybe my academic struggles had been caused by my dyslexia.”
“Learning how to learn with dyslexia was an additional challenge for me, as well as studying through a pandemic, but I was able to overcome the challenges with the help of the University of Worcester staff. They were excellent at supporting and encouraging me throughout the three years. They directed me to a study skills tutor and I received extra time for my exams. The help I received did not only aid my studies, it also gave me the tools to manage my dyslexia after my course. Receiving a First Class degree was a great life accomplishment and I believe anyone can succeed if they put their mind to it.”
“It is also important to ask for help if you are struggling,” Amber added.
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