Learning disability nursing student Tayyaba Husain has climbed mountains and landed her dream graduate job with her degree from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU).
The 22-year-old from Leicester has not only conquered the uphill struggle of a challenging degree programme, she also climbed Mount Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales, to raise money for charity.
“I’ve never done anything like that before, so it was a huge challenge for me,” she said. “It was also really hard because of the weather conditions, it was snowing with bad visibility, but I’m so pleased that I finished it.”
Tayyaba will be graduating on a high today with a BSc in Nursing with Registration (Learning Disability). She has already secured her job as a nurse on the orthopaedic and trauma ward at the Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI), a role she started shortly after qualifying.
She said: “I love my job, the team I work with are amazing, they’re all so supportive and have really helped in the transition between university and working life.
“I was so happy when I got my job at the LRI because it’s still so close to the university campus. Plus, I work in the same hospital as some of my course-mates, which is great as we get to carry on our journey together.
“One of my biggest university highlights are the friends for life I’ve made here. I’ve met so many like-minded people and supportive peers.”
Tayyaba explained how her course has set her up for working life: “It gave me communication skills which have been so valuable on the ward when it comes to speaking with patients with disabilities or dementia. I can share my skills and specialist area with the other nurses, and it’s so useful to learn from each other.”
Tayyaba knew she wanted to go into the healthcare profession from an early age. It wasn’t until she started researching the courses on offer at DMU that she discovered her niche.
“My cousin has cerebral palsy, so when I saw that I could specialise in studying Learning Disability Nursing it just sounded perfect for me,” she explained.
“Nursing has always appealed to me as a profession because you are constantly learning, there are so many different opportunities and areas you can go in to.”
RELATED NEWS
'When I was accepted to study Nursing I cried with happiness'
Find out about all our Nursing courses at a DMU Open Day
Nursing student Sam lands 'perfect role' ahead of qualifying
Tayyaba chose to study at DMU so she could stay in her hometown of Leicester and follow in the family footsteps.
She said: “Both my brother and my sister went to DMU too and loved their time here, so it made sense to keep with the family tradition! It’s been really nice as we’ve been able to share our experiences on different courses.
“They’re looking forward to coming back to campus for my graduation and seeing how things have changed.”
Reflecting on her university experience, Tayyaba added: “The three years at DMU have been a rollercoaster experience but an exciting journey.
“I miss being at university already, the three years go by so quickly. Who knows, maybe in the future I’ll come back to do my master’s!”
Posted on Wednesday 22 January 2020