Posted Wednesday 14 August 2024
A call to Kingston University's Clearing hotline has put student Titus Tagoe on the path to a career change set to see him fulfil his ambition of becoming a learning disability nurse.
The 23 year old, originally from Ghana where he was studying fine art, opted to take a completely different direction when he relocated to the United Kingdom three years ago, eager to pursue the opportunities nursing offered instead.
Determined to secure a place on a degree course to achieve his goals, Titus was soon hard at work thoroughly researching different nursing specialisms and talking to professionals in the field. Having concluded learning disability nursing was the right route for him, he turned to Clearing, picking up the phone this time last year to secure a university place.
"What attracted me to learning disability nursing is that it's a very meaningful career," he explained. "You're making an impact, not only through caring for service users, but also by raising awareness and advocating for people with learning disabilities in society."
Calling Kingston University's Clearing hotline and getting his place on its popular learning disability nursing programme had been a seamless process, he said. "Going through Clearing was quick and easy," he said. "I got in touch with the University and soon found myself exploring the various options open to me. From there on, everything was really straight forward and I was soon fortunate enough to be offered a place."
During his first year, Titus has expanded his lecture theatre learning by undertaking two community-based placements. These have given him a deeper understanding of how the role can make a real difference. "What I've enjoyed most about my placements is getting to work closely with different professionals and learn from them," he said. "It means I'm not only soaking up knowledge about my own area of nursing, I'm also gaining an understanding of everything that goes into supporting people with learning disabilities from the various specialist teams involved in their care, including mental health, physical health and emergency care and how important it is that we all work together."
Sharing advice with prospective students considering changing career direction through Clearing this year, Titus emphasised research was key. "Find out as much as possible to make an informed decision before picking up the phone," he advised potential applicants. "Speak to people in the profession to find out what it's really like and ask questions. Once you've made a decision, be brave with taking that leap."
An added bonus of enrolling at Kingston University last autumn saw Titus become part of the first cohort of students taking part in the University's Future Skills programme, now being rolled out in all subject areas across its undergraduate curriculum. He explained how the programme's Navigate module, which all first years have been completing as a core part of their degrees alongside subject-specific learning, encouraged students to complete self-diagnostic and personal development sessions to develop the skills employers most value.
"I've found Future Skills particularly beneficial when it comes to preparing for my placements," he said. "In my first year, I've learned how I can develop a range of skills including communication, empathy, and collaboration – many of which are vital for the nursing profession."
Senior lecturer in learning disabilities nursing Marina Russ advised students contemplating calling Kingston University's Clearing hotline this year to follow the example Titus had set. "Finding out as much information as possible about universities they might be interested in is key to applicants succeeding in securing one of the final few places available on courses during Clearing," she said. "It's important to research degrees that align with their passions and goals, not just opt for subject areas that others expect them to pursue."
"Persistence is important too – don't be deterred if the phone lines are busy. Keep trying and be ready to make a positive impact from the moment you get through to one of the hotline team."
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