Back to school

The 4th of January 2021 was a big news day for the UK. The Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that England was to commence an additional lockdown, which was ‘tough enough to control the new variant’ (UK Government, 2021). Coincidentally, this day was also a big day for me: it was my first day at university. I have been fortunate to be accepted to the Specialist Practice Qualification in District Nursing (SPQDN) course. This is a full-time course at level 7 (MSc), and blended between practice and theory.

I qualified in 2006, taking my preceptorship role on a stroke ward in an acute hospital. After 18 months, I moved on, taking with me a passion to nurse the whole person and promote independence. I joined a community nursing team, which was led by a district nurse who personified the role. She effortlessly considered the complex needs of the individual patient, the coordination of the team and the system-wide issues that affected the delivery of care to the caseload (Queen's Nursing Institute (QNI) and QNI Scotland, 2015). I had found my people and a role model.