Who am I and what is my blog is about?
Hi there, my Name is Andy Rogers (Andrew when I’m in
trouble!) and I am a third-year Mental Health Nursing student. This is my first
attempt at writing a blog, which will offer an insight into my journey into nursing
and how I’ve overcome the hurdles that having dyslexia can bring. My aim is to
offer support to other student nurses; hopefully this will become a place where
we can share our experience, offering support and advice to each other
regarding experiences and strategies we can employ to overcome the hurdles that
studying entails.
Brief history of me and
my dyslexia
My nursing adventure began 7 years ago when the family
business, a greengrocer’s, florist and plant sellers, that I and my father owned,
was forced into bankruptcy due to a struggling financial climate. I lost everything, was unemployed for six
months and for a while, I thought I was a failure. Phil, an amazing young man
who occasionally worked for me, had learning disabilities and it was he who
inspired me to seek work within the care environment.
On my 50th birthday and, after a lot of
persuasion, I went to Birmingham Metropolitan College to enrol on an Access to Higher
Education course specifically for Nursing. I was advised, due to no recent
study, that I had to complete functional skills courses for English and Maths
first. I studied these on my days off from work and it was here that I was diagnosed
with dyslexia. I remember crying after having my assessment, it felt like a millstone
had been lifted from around my neck. Being diagnosed with dyslexia was a
pivotal moment in my life, for the first-time things made sense.
And so, my adventure into nursing began, as a result of
passing my English and Maths I was able to enrol on a Foundation Degree in Health
and Social Care at Solihull College via Oxford Brooks University. Two years
later, with the right support, I completed this too! This led to applying to
the University of Wolverhampton study Mental Health Nursing. Two years on and I
am entering my final year of my nursing degree. 30 years ago, never in my
wildest dreams, could I have ever envisaged I would be at university studying
to be nurse. For me, I really can say life began at 50.
Whenever I encounter someone with dyslexia, I attempt to
offer encouragement and sign post them to further support whether they are a
student, colleague or patient. With support, I am in the process of setting up a
dyslexia support group, like my blog, my aspirations for the group are to help
nursing students so they do not feel alone, as I once did. Eventually, I hope
to go on to help Nurses in practice manage the stresses and anxiety’s that come
with having dyslexia. I am currently setting up the various platforms that the
group will utilise to get the message out there. Eventually, I hope to create a
community, where people with dyslexia will be able to talk and share their
difficulties and the various strategies that they utilise in their everyday
lives to combat it.
Hi ho hi ho its off to
placement I go
I start my first placement of my final year on Monday. I
am as excited as I am nervous. As I often struggle to find the right words, I
have my trusty notebook. Printed inside are alternative words that are in suitable
professional language. I also plan to keep a diary/journal with me so that I
can plan for my weekly blog update.
Are you struggling with your dyslexia? Please find below some
links for support. Feel free to reach out and contact me too.
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