Skills and qualities

Working hard, being patient, because I am not very patient at all. Learning to be patient. Sometimes, wait, there is nothing you can do, but again work and do as much as you can. I was always hard-working so that was not a problem. Even at uni when it got quite tough with coursework and work at the same time, I kept working because I had to. Hard-working I think is the most important.

In Poland, I was a Polish teacher for refugees. I was teaching refugees for about a year and after I graduated from university I managed to get a first project to run. It was a little bit more of an ‘arty’ thing to do. I had a website to create, photographs to take – that had always been my hobby. That helped me get some little bits of work.

I’ve got a lot of friends so I think I am quite open and helpful. I am definitely open for new ideas. I always liked travelling, photography. I did a little bit of travelling as a student as well. It all fits to geology. In Glasgow, I got onto the masters course simply because I had a masters already in a quite similar field. I had to do a little bit of catching up with the engineering part of it because the course was made for civil engineering graduates and I was obviously a geologist.

I believe in hard work and I am a focused on a career in nursing. I am eager to enhance my existing skills and to develop my knowledge and understanding of nursing and healthcare.

When I thought about my past experiences I realised that working with many international organisations, in a number of different positions, helped me to develop and demonstrate strong communication and leadership skills. I was responsible for bringing about the reconciliation of various groups within a Sudanese refugee camp where I was based. These groups had been divided along ethnic lines for many years, and I was able to use my negotiation and communication skills to encourage them to talk, to listen and to eventually reach an understanding of each other, so that the communities were able to work together for their mutual benefit. My life experiences have made me understand very well the importance of good communication in working with people.

Having looked again at what I am capable of, I am hopeful for the future. I am in a new job, and studying with the OU, which leads to the Certificate in Health and Social Care and a degree if I want, or full-time study at university on the nursing degree programme.