Grace Nisbet

What are you doing at the moment?

I am currently in my third year of my degree studying Adult Nursing at the University of Manchester. Due to the pandemic, I have been given the choice to opt into the temporary register and complete the final six months of my degree, purely as a clinical placement. I will no longer be a student and will now be called an ‘Aspirant Nurse’ and will work as a band 4.

What is your day to day life as a nurse like and has this been affected by COVID 19?

For my final placement as an Aspirant Nurse, I have been placed on an Emergency Surgical Trauma Ward at the Manchester Royal Infirmary. My job role will be to work as a nurse but with direct and indirect support.

What is the best / worst part of your job?

The best part of being a nurse is knowing that I am doing something good, after every single shift I go home knowing that you have made a difference to someone’s life. The worst part however is the long hours, although I will have get used to 12 hour shifts, they are very draining and demanding.

What advice would you give to Health and Social Care Students at Newman College? 

Some words of wisdom from me would be to ALWAYS believe in yourself! It is often hard to envisage your future or the career that you will pursue but, hard work and determination does pay off. If you do not get to where you wanted to on the first attempt, do not give up or let people pull you down because you are capable. Finally, try not to stress or over think. Although education can sometimes feel like the most important thing in the world, you must remember to enjoy life!

What will you be doing next?

I have been accepted onto a Masters Degree in ‘Humanitarianism and Conflict Response’. The course focuses on responding to crisis in both conflict-zones and natural disasters. This qualification will enable me to apply to various humanitarian jobs in non-governmental organisations such as The Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders/Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF). Working as a humanitarian, I hope to respond to emergency situations, helping those affected by natural and man-made disasters, such as earthquakes and war. My job role may include working with developing countries to set up long term, sustainable solutions to their problems.