Student Stories

I struggled with mental health issues from a young age and received a lot of specialist treatment for anorexia. I’d recover, be ok for a while, but then relapse. It was a cycle that took a long time to break. Anxiety and depression were also factors in my recovery, and they’re still something I live with.

However, I was determined that this would not be my life – that illness wouldn’t be all there was for me, you know? Getting to university was definitely a goal I set for myself and I used that goal to keep going at times.

I wanted to give back the care I received

I knew I wanted to be a nurse and I knew I wanted to specialise in paediatric care – children’s nursing. People have sometimes asked me about that – why, having spent so much time receiving treatment, I would want to make a career in healthcare? It’s a good question, but I suppose it’s that I knew I wanted to give back in some way, to return the care I’ve received myself.

Also, as well as giving me a target to aim for, getting on to my course has provided me with a focus that’s aiding my recovery, day to day. So you could say I’m getting something out of it that way. It’s helping me to stay well in order to achieve my ambition – of becoming a qualified children’s nurse.

I went to tech to get caught up on my exams, because I’d missed out so much school. I know my family were worried for me, that exam stress might mean another set-back, but I knew I was strong enough now, that I could handle it.

I always felt supported and understood

I got the grades I needed and when I applied to Queen’s, I spoke to Occupational Health, who wanted to be sure I was well enough to take on the course. I didn’t mind that. In fact, I always felt supported and understood though the process, which was reassuring and helped put me at ease. The focus was on me and my wellbeing.

I’ve enjoyed the course but when the Covid situation happened, I decided to take some time out. To be honest, I found the change to online learning wasn’t for me. I understood why the change had to be made, of course. But it doesn’t suit everyone and I struggled with it. Going from being on a ward, seeing patients and learning from experienced nurses and other staff to sitting in front of a screen was a big shift. But the university and the School of Nursing supported me and I plan to resume my course after the summer. The goal hasn’t changed. It’ll maybe just take a little longer to get there. I’m OK with that.

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