Delivering Futures with Nancy Bowden CO15

We recently welcomed Old Truronian Nancy Bowden CO15 to speak about her career in healthcare, sharing valuable insights into life as a nurse and her current training as a midwife.

Nancy was at Truro School from 2008-15 and left with A Levels in Psychology, Biology and Philosophy, alongside a combined A Level in History and Classics. She explained how her interest in understanding both the science of the human body and the complexities of human behaviour were motivational in her applying to study nursing at university level. She shared about her UCAS experience and how she ultimately went on to study nursing at Edinburgh Napier University. Nancy later studied neuroscience in Australia, deepening her understanding of the brain and its impact on health and wellbeing.

After completing her studies, Nancy talked about her career to-date, and her recent move back to Cornwall and a transition into working as a district nurse, providing essential care within the community. Nancy is now training to become a midwife with Plymouth University. She emphasised how her background in nursing has prepared her well for supporting women, and she outlined the vital role midwives play in supporting women and families throughout pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period.

A key focus of Nancy’s talk was helping students understand the pathways into nursing and midwifery. She explained the importance of relevant work experience when applying for nursing degrees and discussed the different educational routes available, highlighting the main differences in course content and structure. She also offered practical advice about the university interview process, including the types of questions applicants might face and what admissions tutors are looking for.

Nancy is from a family of Old Truronians, including her brother Jowan Bowden CO12, cousin Thomas Bryne CO05, aunt Diane Rodda CO82 and her uncle Elliot Withers CO85.

We thank Nancy for her valuable time given to support the lunchtime careers talks here at Truro School.