Jess Nightingale

Jess Nightingale wanted to be a nurse since she was a little girl, and after working in hospital and school settings, decided it was time to make that dream a reality.

After retaking her GCSEs, Jess enrolled at Heart of Worcestershire College on the Access to Higher Education Diploma (Health Professionals) course.

“Retaking my GCSEs gave me a lot of confidence, and so I finally applied to Heart of Worcestershire College and secured a place to study part-time.”

Jess valued the support she received at HoW. She said: “Heart of Worcestershire College was so good. I had a personal tutor there who was excellent, and I found that I actually really loved areas of study which I’d struggled with previously.”

She continued: “In my second year of study at HoW College, I had a lot going on outside college due to caring responsibilities, and I really needed the support of my tutor who offered me help over the phone and assistance with my assignments.”

She added: “There was a real mix of ages on the course, and that made it easier for me to make that transition into university.”

After qualifying at HoW College, Jess started a three-year degree in Children’s Nursing at the University of Worcester.

“I loved mixing with different people,” she said. “In some of our lectures we’d be studying alongside people from adult nursing and mental health nursing courses too, so it was interesting to learn in that way.”

Jess said: “I also really liked working in the simulation suites on campus, where we learned and practiced our clinical skills. Coming to the University felt like a really natural progression after being at HoW, because of the links that exist between the College and the University.”

She added: “I really thrived on the challenges.”

After completing her studies, Jess began her career in public health with a local NHS Trust.

Now, Jess is working towards a Master’s qualification to become a health visitor. This involves university study alongside placements within the community working with new and expecting mothers and supporting families in the crucial early years of a child’s life.

“I love the job because I get to work with families from the very beginning,” said Jess. “I work with pregnant women, and children all the way up to school age and you can see that the work we do has such an impact at the start of a child’s life.”

“The work we do improves outcomes and we work in partnership with families to ensure they have access to all of the support they need in their communities. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and in this job, I get to help build and nurture the village.”