Complement Ther Nurs Midwifery. 1999 Feb; 5(1): 24-6.

Burning the midnight oil.

Hobbs S.

Llandough Hospital and Community NHS Trust, Penarth, South Glamorgan, UK.

A requirement for all trained nurses is that they undertake to follow a structured programme of professional development. Unfortunately, the prospect of copious amounts of study is the stuff of which bad dreams are made and the thought of enrolling for any course, let alone one at degree level, remains a very real source of anxiety. Because of my interest in using massage therapy in the Trust where I then worked, I enrolled for a part-time course at the University of Exeter, a centre well known in nursing circles for its research into complementary medicine. The following account of my experience of combining study with a full-time job is intended to provide encouragement for anyone who may be currently in the process of considering a similar course of action.