Garry Uy

What made you want to get into nursing?

I moved here from the Philippines where I have a degree in Computer Science. I came here because my wife is a nurse and I followed her here but my degree wasn’t honoured here, so I went into healthcare and became a healthcare assistant. I loved being a health carer and taking care of the elderly. I didn’t think I would at first, with a background in Computer Science! It made me want to do more to influence the care of patients and also invest in my personal development. Even with my degree, I had to go back to college in the UK from the beginning because my qualification isn’t recognised here, so I started all over.

Why did you choose to come to Northumbria?

I live nearby and applied for both Northumbria and Teesside but the entry criteria for Northumbria was much higher, so with that alone, I knew it would be a better university. I’d already heard so much about its reputation.

What have you enjoyed most about the course?

I’ve enjoyed the course and every placement very much. I’ve wanted to work in every area where I’ve been on placement! In the middle of my training I had angina and I needed to have a coronary stent last year, so it’s been quite a hectic three years for me, but it was great to experience nursing from the patients’ perspective too.

What kind of placements did you have?

I’ve had placements in a range of areas including orthopaedic trauma and infectious diseases.

How did they help your career?

I’m now working in the Royal Victoria Infirmary operating theatres in anaesthetics and recovery. It was another of my placements that I loved!

BSc Adult Nursing