Healthcare courses in London
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Read how London's healthcare students are improving the lives of people and communities throughout the world.
Imagine beginning each day knowing what you do at work will improve or even save somebody's life. This is the inspiration at the heart of training to become a healthcare professional.
In London, students are evaluating the latest healthcare theories while also learning cutting-edge, hands-on skills. Students from all disciplines return home to pursue a career that is challenging and rewarding, confident they are qualified to meet the demands of complicated and frenetic work environments.
Healthcare is embedded in London's history. Established in 1860, the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery at King's College London (KCL) began life as the world's first professional school of nursing.
Set-up by Florence Nightingale, a pioneering nurse who played a central role in founding the modern nursing profession, it is now a leader in its field.
Hui-Ching Li, a qualified nurse from Taiwan chose to study at the Florence Nightingale School to build on her eight years of clinical experience.
She enjoys being a nurse, interacting and helping the people she treats. “I always remember patients' smiles and I like to share in their happiness and sadness. Both are part of the nature of life. Can you find another job like nursing so attractive? Definitely not,” she says of her chosen career.
Working towards her PhD at the School, Hui-Ching specialises in palliative care nursing for terminally ill patients. “The reputation of the Florence Nightingale School led me to study in London, a multicultural city where I am always meeting people from new countries. It's like you can see the whole world from one city.”
Working on her PhD, Hui-Ching receives a wealth of support from the School. “My thinking is made clearer and more lucid by regular interaction with my supervisors. There are many seminars and conferences, which offer me opportunities to extend my knowledge and debate first hand with leading scholars.”
KCL also offers a Master's in Clinical Nursing for International Students, specifically designed for international healthcare practitioners to build on their existing skills and experience.
Students acquire the advanced skills to deliver, manage, develop and research healthcare practice within an international setting.
Based at St Thomas' Hospital, the School has links with a range of well-known NHS trusts and has a reputation for producing world leaders in nursing.
This article continues in insight magazine (p20).
Posted: Tuesday 9 February 2010