Inspirational nurse Savanna tells students to never give up on dreams

Inspirational nurse Savanna tells students to never give up on dreams

21 August 2024

INSPIRATIONAL cancer nurse Savanna Connell from Killyleagh is encouraging A-Level students who may not have achieved the grades they were hoping for to keep going.

Savanna didn’t initially get the grades she needed and agrees that if students have an idea of where they want to be and what they want to do to keep going and they will get there.

Based at the Ulster Hospital’s Macmillan Cancer Unit Nurse, Savanna’s words of encouragement come after students across the district received their AS and A-Level results.

And for those pupils who did not receive the results they hoped for or needed, Savanna explained how her path to nursing was, initially, not a straight forward one.

She moved to Northern Ireland from England when she was 18 and settled in Killyleagh, but didn’t go straight to College, securing a job in a care home at that time. 

From there, she commenced employment with the South Eastern Trust as an auxiliary nurse and while in this post was offered an opportunity to do an Open University course to nursing.

After accepting it, she got so much support from her colleagues.

“The course was over four years and when you weren’t on placement you continued to work on your base ward,” Savanna explained.

“I had study time and once I qualified I was given the choice of where I wanted to go and where I wanted to be based. I automatically picked the Macmillan Unit and have been here a year now and absolutely love it.”

In addition to the academic qualifications needed for a career in nursing, Savanna said the role also requires certain qualities “that simply cannot be taught”.

She continued: “I have always believed that to be a nurse you need compassion, kindness and patience. As nurses, we do this role because we really care about people and we love our job. 

“The support around a career in nursing is fantastic and your mentors will support and guide you on your journey.”

Savanna’s advice to students who don’t get the grades they are expecting or want, is that there is always another choice, another option.

“Don’t give up on your dream,” she said.

While Savanna’s path to her nursing career wasn’t always easy, the 29 year-old said “it has made me the nurse I am today.”

She added: “I think that everything that has happened to me was the way it was meant to be.

“I didn’t go to university straight out of school. I started from the bottom and worked my way up and it was hard and, looking back, I’m so glad I opted for the Open University course.”

“At the time, four years seemed like such a long time, but it passed quickly and I qualified and I got the job that I wanted.”