College News

Former QE student talks life as a midwife

Staff and students at QE are always delighted to catch up with former students and hear about the fascinating careers they’ve gone on to pursue since leaving College. Nicole Sunter, who studied Health and Social Care, Business and IT at QE is currently enrolled on a Midwifery course at Northumbria University and wanted to share her experiences of both her time at College and in higher education. She comments: ‘I really enjoyed my time at QE. The teachers were key in enabling me to perform to the best of my ability and my Progress Tutor was incredibly helpful with my UCAS application and personal statement. The Careers department were also very supportive and without them, I don’t think I would be in my current position and have done so well’.

Nicole’s Midwifery course provides a mixture of lectures, clinical skill practical lessons and placements allowing her to fully develop her skills. She continues: ‘I have been working on a postnatal ward and delivery suite throughout the pandemic and since starting my degree I have delivered six beautiful babies, each one being an amazing, memorable experience. This year has brought many challenges but it has also helped us to become more resilient as a profession’.

Nicole’s advice for current QE students is: ‘Do your best and try to stay motivated, but don’t forget to take breaks and reward yourself for your achievements’. When asked about advice for students wanting to study Midwifery, Nicole explains: ‘Be yourself in interviews and try to obtain as much work experience as you can. It’s a difficult course to get onto but don’t let this put you off applying. Ensure to research the NHS’s six Cs and read guidance by both the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as this underpins the whole degree’.

If you are a former student and have a story to share, we would love to hear from you. If you could email qe@qeliz.ac.uk with your details, a member of staff will be in touch.