Glynis Oshodi: "I want to be the person who encourages and restores hope in people who have lost hope"
"I want to be the person who encourages and restores hope in people who have lost hope. So many people are stigmatised because of having a mental health illness and I want to advocate that anybody can live a normal and fulfilling life with a mental health illness and learn to manage and treat it."
Quality teaching
Glynis, currently in her second year on the BSc, believes Mental Health Nursing at LSBU provides excellent preparation for working in nursing. "LSBU offer a lot of support and the quality of teaching is excellent. The laboratories where we carry out practical skills are amazing too; they look like real hospital wards and there are simulation mannequins that actually breathe, bleed and talk when we carry out assessments and practicals. This has really given me the confidence before I start placement to hone my skills before I work with real patients."
Although Glynis is determined to fashion a career in mental health nursing, she has enjoyed her experiences at LSBU as well. "My experience so far on the course has been fantastic. Being located at LSBU's Southwark campus at the heart of London means it is so easy to travel to the University and there's always a lot to do."
Greatest possible training
Placements make up half of the course for nursing students. It can be an excellent opportunity for students to see the day-to-day challenges nurses face and prepare them for life after graduation. "I have gained so much experience being able to put theory into practice. On placement, you are assigned two mentors who support you throughout your time or placement. I am currently with South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and I am really enjoying it."
She has spent placements on a forensic unit, an acute unit and a general ward. "LSBU is linked to the best and most diverse Trusts, meaning I can get the greatest possible training before becoming a qualified nurse."
After Glynis graduates, she hopes to do a Masters in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and pursue a career in mental health. She is confident of her career options, thanks to the range of placements she has undertaken and LSBU's support. "As LSBU also helps you prepare for employability before you qualify with sessions on interview techniques and how to apply for jobs. They also hold a Jobs Fair where employers from different Trusts and hospitals speak about any vacancies available and different places you can work."
Restoring hope
Mental health nursing can be one of the most complex and demanding areas of nursing due to human behaviour being so multifaceted. As many as one in three people can be affected by mental health illness within their lifetime, so the opportunities for mental health nurses can be plentiful.
It's such a fulfilling career knowing you have made a difference to someone's life; restored hope and encouraged them to smile.