Keep improving yourself at Zuyd Professional

‘Every morning, I go to work with a spring in my step’, says Pia van de Ven (33 years old). ‘I have a varied job as a nurse practitioner in a GP practice. To ensure job satisfaction in the long term, it is important for me to keep improving myself. Because the practice is welcoming more and more elderly patients, who continue to live at home for longer, I’ve decided to take the Elderly Care course at Zuyd Professional. Eight years after getting my bachelor’s degree in Nursing, I’m back in the classroom at Zuyd! This was a fun and informative experience!’

In 2014, Pia received her bachelor’s degree in Nursing, and graduated as a “Nurse practitioner”. ‘I have a wonderful job’, she says. ‘In 2010, I worked in a general practice in Ghana for a while. That’s where it all began. I’m currently working at a practice in Heerlen via the HOZL (Huisartsen Oostelijk Zuid-Limburg, a network of general practitioners in the eastern part of southern Limburg). The good thing about working via the HOZL is that you can create a network of colleagues, where you can help each other, for example by substituting a colleague who is on maternity leave. This also means we can share our knowledge. Right now, I mainly treat patients with chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes or COPD.’

It feels a bit like coming home

‘I think it’s important to keep on learning. I wanted to know everything about elderly patients as a target audience and the general practitioner was receptive to that. Older people now live at home for longer and, of course, want to live there as comfortably and safely as possible. I frequently visit older patients at home to check up on them, and to intervene if, for example, someone is prone to falling due to health problems. I really enjoyed being back at school, and especially being back at Zuyd! It felt a bit like coming home. I still knew the building like the back of my hand. I also still recognized some lecturers. It felt almost the same as it was when I was doing my bachelor’s degree. The lecturers are very accessible, and answer questions quickly. In fact, the only thing that has changed is the online learning platform. That’s the only thing I had to get used to. But this did not take very long.’

It’s a matter of planning well

‘I found it easy to combine with my job. You go to school for two days a month and, other than that, it mainly involves working on assignments at home. It basically comes down to planning well. I always did my homework on Saturdays and, because I kept track of everything and planned ahead, normally needed no longer than an hour. Basically, studying is just like riding a bike. If you haven’t done it for a while, it may take some getting used to, but eventually, it’s a skill you’ll never lose.’

Do you have any tips for fellow colleagues in health care?

‘Go for it! It’s so much fun meeting new people again and spending time together. We graduated in March 2022, but we still keep in touch. And I loved immersing myself into something new, in a new topic. This has left me hungry for more.’

Something for everyone

Zuyd Professional offers a wide range of study programmes and courses in Maastricht, Heerlen, Sittard and our new location in Roermond. The programmes are designed specifically to accommodate the needs of people who both work and study. In-company training for employees within organizations is also possible. We focus on the following areas of expertise:

• Management and Leadership

• Healthcare and Well-being

• ICT and Technology

• Professional skills

Just for you!

After graduation, Zuyd alumni can follow a study programme/training with a 10% discount*.

*The discount for alumni can be used for (almost) all study programmes, training and courses. This does not apply to some study programmes, including Associate Degrees, master’s degrees and part-time degree programs.

Want to know more?

You can find information on all the options within your field of work at: www.zuydprofessional.nl

Or contact us via our contact form: https://www.zuydprofessional.nl/ contact