Trish Bowen

Trish Bowen decided to do the Diploma in Nursing via the OU as it allowed her to work and study at the same time. She praises her tutors and the learning materials and says that having the diploma has not only helped her to progress in her career (Trish is now a fully-qualified staff nurse at a hospice in Leeds) but it has also increased her self-confidence. Trish would recommend OU study to anyone thinking of becoming a student, saying that ‘it will be well worth it in the end’.

"I chose to do my nursing diploma with the OU as it meant I could continue to earn and study at the same time. The hospice where I work was very happy for me to do this. Before embarking on my OU studies, I already had NVQs at Levels 2 and 3, and was a trained NVQ assessor. I also had a GCSE in Maths, which I’d done through learndirect. My diploma was funded via the Yorkshire and Humberside Development Fund (YDF), a scheme which enables people to study any OU course relevant to their professional development.

Becoming an OU student was relatively straightforward; I was able to select and register for my modules online. My tutors were really good, as were the learning materials. The tutors were contactable by email and were very prompt to respond to queries. As I was the only student working at a hospice (my fellow students worked together at a hospital), I did sometimes find the experience a little isolating, and I would have liked there to have been more study days. A student forum was set up on Facebook, but as the diploma course was still in its early days there was some uncertainty as to how to access it. A number of students did keep in contact by email, though, and this seemed to work better.

I’ve definitely seen the benefits of having the diploma. Not only have I progressed in my chosen career (I’m now a fully-qualified staff nurse) but it’s given my self-confidence a big boost. For the time being I’m happy to carry on working at the hospice, but I’ll continue to climb the career ladder.

The main challenge I faced while studying was getting to grips with the computer! I was familiar with the basics, but sometimes had to grapple with more complex issues. However, what kept me going was the thought of that end qualification and knowing that I’d be able to progress career-wise.

I studied in some unusual places – including on a boat on the Norfolk Broads! That’s the beauty of OU study – everything’s online, so you can access your modules and carry on with your research; there’s no need to carry bulky books around with you.

To anyone thinking about studying with the OU I’d say ‘absolutely go for it’. It might take a bit longer if you’re working at the same time, but it will be well worth it in the end. The highlight for me was passing the diploma, especially as I’d failed one of the exams and had had to re-sit it."