On Saturday, 22 June 2024, the University held its annual Alumni Gala Dinner. The event saw over a hundred alumni and their guests invited back to campus to celebrate and thank them for their contributions to CCCU since graduation.

The main event of the Alumni Gala Dinner is the Alumni Awards ceremony, with this year seeing the most awards given to date. One such winner was Dellanie Nash (BSc (Hons Interprofessional Learning (Adult Nursing), 2019), in the Alumni Community Hero category. Previously recognised as Student Nurse of the Year 2019, Dellanie is a GP Practice Nurse and ambassador for Public Health Collaboration, focusing on type 2 diabetes, food addiction, and childhood obesity. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she worked seven days a week for 20 months as a frontline vaccinator. She is also a passionate advocate for neuroblastoma and child cancer awareness as part of the Solving Kids Cancer charity.

Read on to hear her story.

Tell us about your current role.

I’m a GP practice nurse in Folkestone and my roles include:

• lifestyle and weight loss advisor
• respiratory management (asthma and COPD)
• diabetes and hypertension diagnostic/management and reviews
• B12 injections
• baby/childhood immunisations
• blood tests
• blood pressure checks
• contraception pill checks
• contraception depo injections
• wound/ulcer dressings
• compression dressings
• Doppler
• ECG
• adult immunisations
• intramuscular injections (Zoladex/Prostap/Goserelin/Mental Health)
• NHS health checks
• cervical smears
• spirometry
• stitch removal
• MRSA/wound swabs
• vaginal swabs. 

What made you want to pursue a career in health?

I have always been fascinated with healthcare.

When I first arrived in the UK, I worked as a Healthcare Assistant (HCA) in a local nursing home in Hythe. Then, when I had children, I took evening classes to be a Medical Secretary and got myself a job as a clinical data administrator at a local GP surgery in Folkestone. After doing a BA in Hispanic Studies at University of Kent (2011-2014), I did an MA in Medical Humanities (2015) whilst still working at the same GP surgery. Then I did BSc Adult Nursing (2016-2019) at CCCU.

I get immense satisfaction in empowering people to take accountability and responsibility for their own metabolic health. I enjoy being able to do autonomous practice in assessing, screening, treating and educating patients of all ages, and help doctors give medical care. 

What is your favourite thing about what you do?

I love being able to educate, inspire, and motivate my patients to make sustainable lifestyle behaviour changes in order to achieve good metabolic health or reverse their long-term conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. 

If anyone reading is thinking of working in your field, what advice would you give them?

A nursing degree is the UK’s most employable type of degree, with highest numbers of qualified students getting a job within six months of finishing their course. There really are a wealth of opportunities to work in a variety of healthcare settings and to progress your career in specialist roles or into teaching, management, or research. Although I work as a general practice nurse with varied GP practice nursing roles, I am also a specialist in modern day diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.

If anyone loves learning like me, nursing is the way to go. Within a year, you are able to sign up for courses to specialise in specific areas of expertise. 

How did you come to study at CCCU when you did? Why Adult Nursing?

When I completed my MA in Medical Humanities, I really wanted to do a PhD and become a university lecturer at some point. When I failed to secure PhD funding, my friend, who at the time was a band-9 A&E nurse, encouraged me to study nursing as it would give me lots of opportunities to study and build up my qualifications portfolio. I have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, I thrive in the challenges of learning and I knew that the nursing degree would pave the way for more opportunities to learn, so I thought it would be the right thing to do for myself.

What is your fondest memory of your time at CCCU?

I will always treasure the tremendous support that I received from the lecturers and all University staff members. Six months into my first year of nurse training (April 2017 to be exact), my youngest daughter Maya, then aged 3, was diagnosed with high risk stage IV metastatic Neuroblastoma in her left adrenal gland. Maya had only less than two weeks to live had she not started chemotherapy at the time that she did.

Fast forward to finishing my nursing degree in August 2019, the University was nothing but a pillar of support throughout my studies, from essay submissions, PowerPoint presentations, group work to clinical placements. When my daughter Maya was seriously ill, I had even more desire to finish my nursing degree and the University supported me well in achieving that goal. 

How did your time at CCCU impact on your life and career post-education?

University taught me how to further develop my critical thinking skills. Throughout the last seven years of my university life, I was taught, encouraged and even challenged to analyse information at hand, to question assumptions and beliefs, and I was shown how to practically and effectively approach problems from multiple perspectives. This critical thinking enrichment guides me through my everyday working life as well as my personal life, helping me to make informed decisions and navigate complex situations with acquired knowledge, courage and confidence.

Just as well beyond the academic experience, the University provided me a platform for networking and relationship-building. Meeting people from all walks of life such as the patients I have met during my clinical placements, several lecturers and professors, University staff members, fellow students, and healthcare professionals, these social encounters open doors to a myriad of opportunities. The social connections made at the time of my studies not only paved way for mentorship and career guidance but also provided me with a sense of nursing community. These relationships, found and built during the time at the University, do extend beyond the graduation day. The networking continues to enrich my professional journey and expand my horizons in unexpected but most fulfilling ways.

What does being a CCCU Alum mean to you?

It means I will always be part of the diverse and global alumni community showcasing a wide range of talents to the world. With so many great stories to tell, being a CCCU Alum means being an integral part of a rich local and global history, and share with passion an enduring legacy within the community and beyond.

What are your goals for the future?

Within the next few months I start a diploma in FSRH – Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health, which is a nationally recognised qualification that will enable me to carry out effective contraception consultation as part of a comprehensive approach to sexual and reproductive health care.

In 2025, I endeavour to embark on another study, MSc Advanced Clinical Practice, to become an advanced clinical practitioner (ACP). This will help me develop my generalist and specialist skills and knowledge to do advanced physical assessment, and alongside my diagnostic and therapeutic skills, be able to treat, refer, or discharge a range of patients in my care.

I will also continue to bring an ambassador for Public Health Collaboration (PHC), a registered charity dedicated to improving public health and saving the NHS money at the same time through sustainable lifestyle changes.

In the meantime, it is always my aim to help out at the University during their Open Days and Open Evenings to inspire and encourage other prospective mature students to start their journey at Canterbury Christ Church University. My personal story about resilience, grit and emotional strength through my daughter Maya’s cancer journey is something I am always proud to share. Unfortunately, Maya relapsed in July 2023 after being in remission for 4 years and 10 months.

But the good news is, just recently in April 2024, after nine gruelling months of intensive chemotherapy treatment, Maya once again achieved remission and she beat cancer twice!

Where there is life, there is always hope.