Grace Evans recently spoke to our Alumni Team about studying Access to H.E (Healthcare Pathway) at Lincoln College and how her qualification gave her the stepping stone she needed to get where she is today.
Grace is currently an Acute Care Nursing Assistant for the NHS- Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust.
“I always knew I was passionate about enhancing the lives of others from a very young age,” said Grace. “Becoming a nurse was my calling in life. “Before doing my course at Lincoln College I was a 24-year-old with mediocre grades and felt that there was no way I’d ever have a successful career. I found the Access to Higher Education (Healthcare Pathway) course gave me all the transferrable skills I needed to enter employment and opened up a world of opportunities I never previously knew existed.
“The knowledge I gained at Lincoln College provided me with the essential skills to become successful in practice and gave me the stepping stones to open up a world of opportunities, as well as ensuring I have the specific qualifications to progress and be professional. The course enabled me to build my self-esteem and become open minded regarding the opinions of others, particularly via the discussion-based lessons.
“I have become a successful Acute Care Nursing Assistant within the mental health sector in a secure unit,” said Grace. “I work within a large multidisciplinary team to ensure all patients get the best care possible. The pressure of meeting deadlines while at Lincoln College enabled me to deal with situations of extreme pressure with a calm demeanour and reinforced my sheer determination to rehabilitate those within my care.
“The highlight of my career is being able to offer reassurance to people in their darkest hours and offer an environment of stability and security. Also, my recent promotion within my role is something which I am thankful to my college tutors for, as they enabled me to fine tune my skills within study, such as reporting and documenting information appropriately.
“The greatest challenge I’ve faced so far within my career is dealing with highly emotionally challenging situations – within college I was taught to respect others and keep the personal experiences of others which were expressed in discussions and debates within lessons confidential.
Grace also spoke about her future career plans.
“I hope to become a dual nurse specialising in both adult nursing and mental health to ensure my ability to deal with both physical and mental health issues successfully,” she said. “In 5 years’ time I see myself working successfully within a team of professionals being a fully qualified nurse in the emergency trauma department, and heading towards a Master’s degree in Emergency Care.
“My advice to others would be to be open-minded and study hard as it will all work out in the end. Use the support of your tutors and utilise the library facilities and all the staff. Remain professional and don’t be afraid to ask questions to further your knowledge – honestly your tutors are human too!”
