Alexander Ude Personal Statement of Purpose

Over the years I have tried to suppress the instinct of becoming a Mental Health
Nurse after studying BA in Business Management and Masters of Business
Administration (MBA) in Edinburgh Napier University without any sense of fulfilment
but recently I have come to understand that my callings cycle around nursing
profession following my experience as a Health Care Assistance (HCA) and Support
worker over the years coupled with my association with my elder brother who is
Medical Doctor.

Currently, mental health is a serious issue in the United Kingdom (UK) following
several comprehensive findings that One in Four people in UK will experience
mental health problem, it is a major global disease, it constitute a serious burden in
UK; 28% of burden as compared to 16% of heart diseases and cancer. It is
estimated that the cost of mental health issues in Uk are 70-100 billion British
pounds per year, accounting for 4.5% of GDP (Mental Health Foundation, 2017).
Despite this, a lot of criticism shows that people with mental health are at potential
risk following the overwhelming presentation in Accident and Emergency with little or
no attention because of lack of specialist services and low number of mental health
nurse.

My association with seasoned Nurses and health professionals in hospital as a HCA

and Support worker has really influenced and activated my dream of furthering my
education of becoming a Mental Nurse in other to enable me touch the life of
vulnerable people in our society. I worked alongside with other health professionals
and became interested in the nursing profession. I have worked with people of
different ages with mental, physical and learning disorders in variety of settings and I
appreciated the positive impact of nurses on people. Mental health nursing is very
demanding and challenging as evidenced in the hospital especially in accident and
emergency, however, the rewards of bringing hope and smile to vulnerable people
supersede and can be very amazing, this is why I immensely wish to be train in this
field to help people who depend on us.

My post graduate course has given me the opportunity to develop exciting

knowledge in the management of human. Working as a HCA and Support worker
has made me understand that nursing is much more than a profession.
Understanding this develops qualities such as excellent communication, dedication,
patient, reassuring, confidence and being able to be sensitive over health issues
despite the severity especially in children. Moreover, one has to be reliable,
trustworthy, compassionate, interactive, motivated, hardworking and ambitious. In
all, I believe I posses this qualities and will develop further skills, knowledge and
abilities over my 3 years of study, whilst working under supervision. Mental health
nursing requires effective communication to be able to communicate with patient,
their parents, relative, guardians and other multidisciplinary health professionals
involved in the management of patient.

It is crystal that mental health is not a glamorous job because of the long hours of
work including public holidays, however, as long as I make a positive impact in the
life of people, I will appreciate to work all day without complaining.

In conclusion, mental health is a pressing issue in UK following the overwhelming

prevalence as seen in accident and emergency with vulnerable people at high risk
following poor attention due to low number of Mental Health Nurse. I believe am in
for this course following my experience as a support worker and Health care
assistance with sound post graduate degree from Edinburgh Napier University
knowing that nothing is impossible with determination, am confident of embracing
this challenge. I am a very approachable energetic self motivated person and can
cope in variety of challenging situations. I cannot continue to delay my dream.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to express myself.