Joel has achieved a fantastic amount in his time at the University of Limerick. With nursing experience already under his belt, he took the opportunity to volunteer outside of his classes and achieved a Gold PVA (President Volunteering Award)! We caught up with him to reflect on his university experience, and find out what’s next in the academic pipeline!

• Name: Joel

• Home country: Nigeria

• Course studied: MSc Nursing Studies

• University: University of Limerick

• Funny story: “Prior to my arrival in Ireland, I read about Ireland and knew it was a cold country, but I didn’t know it’d be as cold as it turned out to be! When I got out of Dublin airport, I had just a t-shirt and jeans on whilst everyone was in jackets. I quickly ran back inside the airport, opened my bag and looked for a jacket!” 

By Lauren Valentine

Did you always know you wanted to study nursing?

“No, not always. I’d say it was around the time of leaving high school that I fell in love with it. I hoped to go in for medicine, but didn’t meet the grades, so I began to look for what I could do and came across nursing (basically, nursing chose me initially). I didn’t even know nurses could get a degree as I believed they only got diplomas from schools of nursing  – so I was curious! After reading about it, I became really interested in it. Additionally, my mum is  a retired nurse, and I always admired her; however, that wasn’t the primary reason for my passion. Ever since I decided to do it, I’ve not looked back. It’s been awesome!”

Why did you choose to move abroad for your Master’s?

“I did my undergrad degree in Nursing Science in Nigeria. Afterwards, I felt it was time to do something in the same field to further my knowledge, but I wanted to practice in a more advanced environment as well. I hoped to drive my education forward in a place with better resources. I started scouting and Ireland had a great reputation for studying. When an agent I was using told me so many good things about UL, I thought it might be overhyped, but upon getting here I realised it was the real deal.”

Have you had any work experience in the field? What’s it been like?

“Yes, I had 2 years’ experience working in Nigeria prior to my Master’s. To sum up the experience, I’d say the biggest challenge is not dealing with patients, but their relatives. They’re often the most worried and the pressure can make them so persistent that it’s difficult to reassure them that their loved one will get well. It’s alsotough when you’re following a patient’s care plan but they aren’t improving – it can be quite sad. However, there are joyful moments every day: you see people who came in critically ill and then after they are cared for they’re ready to go home. They’re so appreciative of what you’re doing – it gives you so much joy and satisfaction I can’t even explain.”

How would you describe your experience at the University of Limerick?

“I really really enjoyed my course. We were a small group of just over 20 students, so we got to know each other well. We could learn from those who were from different countries, such as India, Ghana, China, Canada, Mexico, Thailand and Zimbabwe, what it was like to practise as a nurse there. You learn that the aims of nursing practice are the same everywhere, but the approach can differ quite a lot from one place or culture to another.

The lecturers were SO good too. Not a single class passed where I didn’t pick up something new. Classes were highly conversational and we had some good laughs along the way! I learned loads about how things are done in Ireland, as well as general theory. When the pandemic hit, we stayed together as a class online and I always looked forward to them.”

What was your greatest achievement on your course?

“I’d have to say my dissertation. I looked into knowledge, attitudes and practice of nurses towards prevention of hospital acquired infection, which means infection from another patient or staff member. The topic interested me because, when I started, we were living through Covid-19, which helped me to choose. I was nervous about whether it would be too much or too in depth, but my supervisor was great. They helped me every step of the way: from turning my scatty ideas into an academic title, to guiding me through to the project end.”

What are your next steps in terms of your career?

“Due to my incredible experience at UL and my desire to keep climbing the ladder, I’m currently working on my proposal to do research for a PhD. If all goes well, I’ll be returning to UL by February next year! I’m keen to look into healthcare technology since the world is becoming very fast-paced and advanced. People have old-fashioned ideas about nurses too: they don’t see them as a modern part of healthcare. Therefore, I’d like to explore how effective nurses are when using technology in healthcare delivery.”

As a keen Ambassador for the University of Limerick, Joel has joined the UL Global Ambassador programme, as well as helping new students on UL’s CampusConnect app. He summarises: “My experience of UL so far has been a ‘dream meeting reality’. If you dream of studying in an awesome environment with the best education, to get the best out of your career, start thinking about UL. You won’t regret it!”