Alongside raising three young children – including Zac – she completed A Level Human Biology, and realised community nursing was her passion. So that’s what she pursued in 2005 when she qualified, and jumped at the chance to do a District Nurse degree apprenticeship when it came around 15 years later.  

District nursing is a postgraduate qualification, validated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, and enables those in the role to take on more responsibility such as non-medical prescribing and advanced clinical practice. 

Based in the community rather than a hospital setting, the University relaunched the programme as a degree apprenticeship in 2020 following a demand for the role across the South West.  Andrea said: 

“The course was amazing. It was very different, because you have all your apprenticeship standards to meet alongside the educational modules side of the course. There are off the job hours you must complete and there is an option to do a placement in the last year.”