Sussex Nursing Student Secures Prestigious Florence Nightingale Programme Place At 60

A nursing student from West Sussex has secured a place on a prestigious national leadership programme after making a career change later in life.

Angela Tester-Bedford, 60, from Storrington, is currently in her third year at the University of Chichester after leaving a 28-year career as a senior health and safety manager working globally.

She has now been selected for one of just 20 funded places on the Florence Nightingale Foundation Early Career Nurses Leadership Programme, beating hundreds of applicants nationwide.

Angela said her decision to retrain as a nurse was inspired by her late mother, who died from motor neurone disease in 2010.

She said her mother’s final words encouraged her to follow her dreams — prompting her to eventually leave the corporate world and pursue nursing.

After taking an access course, Angela applied to university despite initial concerns about starting higher education later in life.

She said she quickly found the right environment at the University of Chichester, praising its support for mature students and smaller course groups.

Alongside her studies, Angela has become a nursing ambassador, encouraging others to consider university regardless of age or background.

She said her own journey shows that higher education is not just for younger students, adding that life experience can be a real advantage.

Angela has also secured a role with Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, where she will begin working as a community nurse in September.

She said she is particularly passionate about community care, describing it as a privilege to support patients in their own homes and help improve their wellbeing.

The leadership programme run by the Florence Nightingale Foundation is designed to help early-career nurses develop their leadership skills and career opportunities — something Angela hopes to take into her new role.

Dr Nita Muir, Head of the School of Nursing and Allied Health at the university, said Angela’s journey demonstrates that it is never too late to follow a new path.

She added that Angela’s achievement highlights the opportunities available within nursing for people of all ages and backgrounds.