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Michael Dobson

BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult)

Nursing student Michael

Nursing is a unique role. You get to be part of the best and worst times of people’s lives.

I have two passions in life: nursing and adventure. That might sound like a strange combination, but the skills you need to be good at either are very similar.

When I qualify, I’m hoping to bring together my love of nursing and adventure. I want to work in A&E or some kind of acute setting, then eventually undertake a mission with Médecins Sans Frontières.

I’ve undertaken three global expeditions in my life. I’ve learnt that I work well in teams, under pressure, and towards a common goal. That’s the way I see nursing, small teams of specialist skilled people, all working towards one goal – improving the health of the patient.

I’ve worked in a frailty unit, a renal ward, a mental health hospital, a hospice, with district nurses in the community, and in a preoperative assessment unit. The degree at Edge Hill gives you lots of chances to experience healthcare in a range of settings.

Edge Hill has fantastic connections with hospitals around the world. I was lucky enough to take part in an eye-opening trip to a Chinese university to see how the healthcare system works over there.

It was fascinating to see the difference between a Critical Care Unit in a modern hospital and a traditional Chinese medicine hospital. In one we saw state-of-the-art intensive care beds, and in the other bottles of dried baby spiders, seahorses and lizards waiting to be ground up into remedies. It was an amazing experience.

You need your friends to pull you through when things get tough. As a nursing student there are massive ups and downs, so you have to support each other.

Nursing is a unique role. You get to be part of the best and worst times of people’s lives. But you also get to help people in the toughest of situations and try and make their day a little bit brighter. That’s a real privilege.