After over three years of hard work and perseverance, at the age of 41, Zaibunisha Patel has fulfilled a lifelong dream of becoming a nurse, taking up a role as Staff Nurse in the Endoscopy Unit at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.
Zaib’s story is an inspirational one, finally achieving her goal after overcoming a number of obstacles in her way.
Last month, newly qualified Zaib received her badge from the Royal College of Nursing, tweeting simply: “Thank you RCN, it’s beautiful.”
Since starting out on her journey in 2021, Zaib documented her experiences as she progressed from Health Care Assistant to Staff Nurse, with one social media post saying: “I got there!” going viral, with 15,500 views, almost 400 likes and comments from healthcare professionals across the United Kingdom, including Jennifer Pearson, Head of Nursing at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital Birmingham and BAME Nurse of the Year 2022, and UK Sepsis Trust Ambassador and Spokesperson, Melissa Mead MBE.
She explained: “Even though I’m in my blues, it hasn’t quite sunk in yet! I count myself so lucky and blessed to get a job at the end of a very, very tough three-plus years of studying towards my adult nursing degree, the theory work, piles of articles, journals, books, referencing, more than 2,300 placement hours - and the tears."
Zaib admits there were moments when she thought she might not reach her goal: “After my second year, I took eight months out as my grandma passed away – I used to see her in Bolton when I was at university there on the adult nursing degree.
“I struggled after that, but I picked myself up and carried on and finished my third year, so it took me four years to get there. It was a struggle at times, you come in and put a smile on your face and get
on with your work.
“It feels like it’s a big achievement, in my second year I didn’t think I could get there, you lose hope, but I persevered. I’d gone that far and done so many placement hours, I didn’t want to throw that away.”
Nursing was something Zaib had always wanted to go into, but ‘life got in the way’, as she said: “I finished high school and did health and social care, completed the NVQ (National Vocational Qualification), and then life takes you in another direction – I did a bit of retail, and I was a teaching assistant for a number of years.
“As soon as I had my fourth child, I thought I wanted to do something for myself. It was a struggle being a student again, and then COVID-19 hit, but I knew I wanted it and could do it, and I was determined to get there.”
Get there she did, and she is enjoying being part of the Endoscopy team: “My training was in adult nursing, but I did a four-week placement here in Endoscopy and fitted in. I thought this was what I wanted to do, a job came up at the right time, and I’m a big believer in fate.
“I love it, you get a sense of belonging. This department is amazing, it’s like a family. I don’t think nursing is for everyone, but I always wanted to do it, it’s just in your blood.”
