November 2016 Alumni of the month
Patience Bamisaye
BSc Hons International Nursing Studies 2013
Tell us about yourself
My name is Patience Bamisaye. I am happily married with three lovely children.
As a registered midwife in Nigeria, I needed to take my career to a greater level. Therefore, in September 2011, I decided to come and study at Anglia Ruskin University. The top up International Nursing course awarded me a degree within a short period of time compared to what was obtainable in my country.
While studying at Anglia Ruskin University, I involved myself in so many extra curricular activities. I was a course rep, representing the BSc International Nursing students during the 2011/2012 academic year, and elected as a student rep again when I came back for my Master's degree in January 2015.
I worked with students from different cultural and language backgrounds, with different challenges during their time at ARU. My outstanding performance as a student rep resulted in my winning the Made a Difference Award for the 'Best Student Representative of the Year 2012' on the Chelmsford campus. When I graduated and went back to Nigeria, I enjoyed several promotions as a result of my degree.
Because of the fantastic experience I had during my BSc programme at ARU, it was an easy decision for me to come back again in 2015 for my Master's degree in nursing, as part of an overseas nursing program which has now awarded me a registration to practice as a nurse in the UK. This is for me, is a dream come true!
What is your fondest memory at Anglia Ruskin University?
My fondest memory was when I celebrated being an award winner at the Made a Difference Award ceremony. That was absolutely amazing.
What advice would you give to current students as they're preparing to graduate?
Graduating from ARU can be a direct path to the best jobs out there. So when you finally settle in your chosen profession, you should continue to be a good ambassador for the university because they will not stop celebrating your achievements once you're an alumnus.
What do you know now that you wish you had known whilst you were studying?
If I had known that hopes and dreams can come true, I would have enjoyed my time at the university more than I did already. ARU is the friendliest environment to study, and there are so many support services available for students. While at ARU I supported many students as an ambassador to make their student experience interesting, but I dealt with my own challenges myself, and worried about many uncertainties on my own. I wish I had accessed the available support services in the university. Life would have been a lot better.
How did your time at Anglia Ruskin help you?
The extra-curricular activities I participated in increased my readiness to accept responsibilities. They improved my time management skills and my performance improved as a direct result of coursework feedback. Serving as a course rep, a volunteer and a student ambassador gave me excellent opportunities to attend various training that developed and improved my leadership skills.
I can now analyse facts and situations and apply creative thinking to develop appropriate solutions. I have learned to plan, organise, motivate and control flexible events that suit different people with different needs.
Volunteering at City of Chelmsford Mencap while studying, made me to empathise more with people with learning disabilities, and I am happy to commit more time in the future to help people with special needs.
The Made a Difference Award has made me stand out from my friends and including this in my CV could attract more interest from employers, as every employer looks for an employee with a difference.
What did you love about your chosen course?
I loved everything about my chosen course because nursing is my calling and I am so passionate about nursing care. The part I enjoyed the most is the fact that my chosen course, MSc International Nursing, was part of an overseas nursing programme and it gave me an opportunity to be a registered nurse with a difference, not only in Nigeria but also in the United Kingdom. My dream has always been to practice nursing in a developed country like the UK in order to gain good knowledge and experience - enough to be an agent of change in Nigeria, my country. Nursing care in the UK is absolutely fantastic, and I hope to implement the knowledge I have gained and contribute to an improved health care system.
What would you tell someone thinking of studying at ARU?
Studying at Anglia Ruskin University is still the best decision any prospective student can make (I feel I am a living witness!)
After my BSc course in 2012, I feel I have enough evidence to prove it is the best university of choice for every prospective student. That's why I came back in 2015 to do my Master's degree at the same university. I appreciated the great support and enjoyed graduating with an outstanding result! All I can say is “the proof of the pudding is in the eating!"
In one word how would you describe Anglia?
Fantastic!
Who was the biggest influence on your career?
The biggest influence on my career was my beloved husband Kenneth Bamisaye. He has encouraged and supported me all through my career. He is the reason I got to this level of my career and I will forever remain grateful to him. He is absolutely amazing.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
I am so proud of the level I have reached in nursing, a Master's degree in nursing and a registered nurse, not only in Nigeria but also UK. This has always been my dream and I am so glad it came true.
What advice would you give your younger self?
You must master your time, rather than becoming a slave to the constant flow of events and demands on your time. Believe in yourself, keep moving and you will surely get there.
What drives you?
The future of my three wonderful children is my biggest drive. I hope to get to the highest level in life and lay a very good foundation for my adorable children. I love them to bits and I want the best future for them. A career in nursing is what I enjoy the most, so knowing that I am on the right track enhances my effort to keep striving.
What’s next?
If I am able to get funding, I will be more than happy to pursue a PhD programme at Anglia Ruskin University, which will enable me to explore and research the implementation of the National Early Warning Scoring (NEWS) system in Nigeria. This is an assessment tool used in the UK to help track or identify on time, any sign of deterioration in patients (DH, 2010; RCP, 2012), therefore preventing avoidable mortality in health care. NEWS is an effective tool I have learned to use and I would love my home country to benefit from this assessment tool.
