Margaret had several professional nursing qualifications and was determined to gain a degree while continuing to do the job she loves. A university agreed that her previous learning was worth 300 credits, allowing her to study part-time for the final 60 credits at Level 9 she needed for a degree.

Margaret qualified as a Registered General Nurse at nursing college in Aberdeen. "Ever since I can remember I wanted to be a nurse, but my parents were against it because they saw it as a menial job.

"I was clever at school and always had good grades. My parents wanted me to go to university, they said I was 'wasting my brain emptying bedpans'. But nursing is not like that. There are real opportunities for academic study and for progressing in your career."

After qualifying as an RGN, Margaret went on to gain a mental health qualification at a Glasgow hospital. She completed her Professional Studies II modules back at her Aberdeen college and started work in nursing in Ayrshire.

She wanted to continue learning to progress in her career, but she didn't want to take time away from her patients. When she approached a university, she was told that her previous learning was worth a total of 300 credits, which meant she could keep on nursing and study part-time for a degree.

"I enjoy studying and learning something new, but at the end of the day I am a nurse and nursing is what I want to do, so studying part-time was the obvious answer. All the travelling was tiring and sometimes at the end of a hard day on the ward the last thing I wanted to do was to get out my books. But I was spurred on - I wanted to show my parents that I had chosen a real career."

Over a two-year period, Margaret gained the 60 credits at Level 9 to be awarded a BSc Degree in Nursing with Health Studies.

"Nursing is such a wide field and there is a lot of opportunity for developing and progressing. It's very satisfying to know that all your learning is recognised and can lead towards a better qualification each time."

Gaining further professional qualifications means that Margaret can now apply for promoted posts in NHSScotland to further her career.

"And my parents were so proud on graduation day!"