What our students say
Armin Luthi, 47, mental health nursing graduate - on the wide range of career development opportunities available to him
“I trained as a nurse as a mature student. I already had a psychology degree and a postgraduate diploma in counselling, but found that job opportunities were limited with these qualifications alone. I chose mental health nursing as I wanted to develop my interests in psychological approaches to treatment.
“Obviously I had concerns about returning to full-time education at my age, but these were quickly alleviated. The emphasis is on the development of a professional identity, and so personal maturity is automatically assumed from the start.
“The placements gave me the opportunity to think about how I wanted my nursing career to develop. I'd thought that I wanted to work in adult mental health, but as it turned out I became an addictions specialist instead. This career choice came about purely as a result of me having an addictions placement. I was also able to start networking in this field, and so I organised my first job before I had even finished training. Since then I've never looked back. I found I was able to rapidly move along my chosen career pathway with little difficulty and lots of support.
“While I've remained primarily interested in addictions nursing, I've also developed skills in liaison psychiatry, forensic personality disorder and dual diagnosis. I've pursued my interests in psychotherapy and completed qualifications in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectic Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and group psychotherapy. CBT is now my main therapeutic approach, and I'm in the process of being formally registered as a psychotherapist. There have also been numerous opportunities for me to undertake research and deliver training, the latter to such a degree that I've recently taken up a post as a senior lecturer in nursing.
“The other aspect of nursing that has stood out for me is the fantastic people I've worked with. The chance to stand alongside my clients as they courageously navigate through their personal life journeys is breathtaking. It's fantastic to be part of a team of dedicated mental health professionals, often working exceedingly hard in all kinds of circumstances. I know to an outsider the work can appear stressful and overwhelming, but I've found that if anything, I'm calmer and more resourceful than I was prior to training. I think the skills and knowledge I gained as a nurse have come to influence my whole life in a very positive way. ”
Adult nursing
- Rose McGuire, graduate
- Claire Smitheram, graduate
- Sophie Wismer, first year student
- Cassia Lim, third year student (video)
Children's nursing
- Jodian Barrett, third year student
- Jodian Barrett, third year student (video)
- Beverley Haffenden, second year student (video)
