Hi my name is Nicki Ayres and I’m studying the Mental Health Nursing Degree with the OU via Dorset Healthcare.
I joined Dorset Healthcare in 2014, as a Mental Health Support Worker, in a dementia specific role. I had begun retraining in dementia care in 2012, whilst supporting two relatives with the condition, so, for me, it has been a really personal journey. Previously I had worked as an accountant so the change was enormous.
I didn’t want to take 3 years out of my working environment to go to university and I began to research alternatives. I had a friend who studied with the OU and really enjoyed it so I investigated what they had to offer. With the backing of a very supportive manager, and using my accountants’ head for the number crunching, I put a case to the Trusts’ forward-thinking Learning and Development Department. They literally picked up the idea and ran with it (thanks Alex).
A close colleague and I were lucky enough to get two of the placements on the first cohort and are due to qualify in 18 months time. The course is well thought out and very in-depth, covering a broad range of topics. Time is spent between practice and theory and you need to be fully committed. Make no mistake, it is very, very hard work and pushes you to the limit at times, but you acquire a wealth of knowledge.
I really want to champion dementia care specifically in the future. With an ever ageing population and diagnoses on the rise, more specially trained nurses than ever are so badly needed to make a difference to some of the most vulnerable in our society. Things are already changing for the better but more work is needed.
Mental Healthcare provision is now finally firmly on the map and I believe Dorset Healthcare’s open strategy for new learning opportunities can lead the way in demonstrating what a dynamic and proactive Trust they are.
