My daunting first steps

The idea that I have started university is a strange and overwhelming one. I had hoped for so long that this would be where I would see my career going—however, this journey has not always been easy. Prior to starting this new course at Edge Hill, I worked full time in the social care sector. Although I appear to be a very confident person, returning to education as a mature adult learner raised fears within me. However, overall I'm very excited to have taken these steps. I initially applied for adult nursing but when offered the opportunity to explore this new integrated role of nurse paramedic, I could instantly see my future in this field. This course is a combination of nursing and paramedic practice with the options to register with both professional councils.

Starting university has not been what I imagined due to COVID-19. The university has put in place restrictions to protect students such as reduced classroom sizes, online inductions and lessons, reduced classroom-based lessons and the introduction of blending learning—which is not my strongest point because technology and I have our battles, although by the end of term one, I feel an increased confidence in this area. When induction started, we met our lecturers and the founders of the course who covered its areas of study in detail and the health sectors we would be covering. Nurses and paramedics share a skill set of up to 95%: this number was overwhelming and I could not imagine the skills between nurses and paramedics being the same. As nursing and paramedic students, we are being trained to the high standards of both fields, and the remaining 5% will also be covered but this shared skill set is so beneficial, particularly during placement experience.