Student Profile - Anthony Ackroyd

After leaving school Anthony had several office and sales jobs, before joining his dad in the family restaurant business which he later ran.

Although he had always had an interest in nursing and helping people, it was only after selling his business that Anthony decided to give care work a go, working as a nursing support assistant. Although he enjoyed the job and in particular the contact with people, he found that there were limited progression opportunities in his role.

At about the same time, Anthony's wife was made redundant and decided to start an Access programme to enable her to progress onto a nursing course. It was during her interview at the School of Health Studies that she mentioned her husband's interest in nursing. Shortly afterwards, Anthony also applied for a place on the Advanced Diploma in Nursing, and as he already met the academic entrance requirements, he was able to start on the course before his wife!

"It was a big decision to take, for both of us to return to studying after so long. Although it's been challenging at times, we both feel that we made the right decision taking advantage of this opportunity and provide support for each other during our studies," comments Anthony.

"In particular, I've really enjoyed the placements on the course. It's great being able to get real hands on work experience and to see how I'm helping people. My placements have enabled me to develop both my clinical and listening skills." he says.

"Prior to starting at University, I never really considered myself to be an academic person, and I must admit that learning to write essays was something that I found quite a challenge. However, the support I've received here at Bradford has been excellent and I've achieved high marks on my course so far. At the end of my second year, I decided to transfer onto the BSc (Hons) programme and will graduate next year. I'm hoping to find a job as a mental health nurse in the Bradford area when I finish."