February 19, 2026 - 183 views
A nurse who was the first in her family to go to university, has aced her nursing studies by gaining a First Class Honours degree.
Katie Garner was a healthcare assistant (HCA) in Prestatyn’s community nursing team more than three years ago. She described how she “never in a million years dreamed” she would be a nurse and how “I never thought I would be good enough”.
After completing her studies on December 13, she got the message exactly a month later that, not only was she good enough, she had earned a First Class degree in her Bachelor of Nursing with Honours course at Bangor University.
After coming back to her post as an HCA after completing her studies, Katie had just finished a patient visit when she sat in her car and looked for her results on her phone.
She said: “I knew the result was coming. I got a first! Just completing it was a bonus. I sat in my car and I cried.
“I was blown away by it. It’s made me realise I can do anything that is put in front of me. I have to do everything to the best I can.”
Katie said the support she had received from her colleagues in the Prestatyn community nursing team had been really appreciated.
“I want to say a special thank you to my matron Lisa Orhan, along with my team leaders Nathalie Graham and Janet Binns,” she said. “Everyone at work was ecstatic. They have been so supportive, which is why I wanted to come back here. My heart is in this district and in this community.”
BCUHB’s Executive Director of Nursing, Angela Wood, took a keen interest in Katie’s progress after meeting her before her course began – and is delighted at her success.
Angela Wood said: “Katie has proven, not only has she the caring nature which makes a fine nurse, she also has the intelligence, knowledge and determination to back it up.
“It is so lovely to see her flourish and I hope her story inspires others to take that route into nursing through healthcare support work. Katie can hold her head high.
“To get a First Class degree is something she and her family should be very proud of and I am delighted she’s going to strengthen our community team in the Prestatyn area.”
Katie revealed how juggling work, study and home life had been challenging, as she took on the academic demands to her time.
She explained: “The hardest part was when my husband was working away and I had to get the children to my mum’s for 6.30am. It was hard sometimes balancing life and your work.
“I enjoyed the presentations and the assignments. We had a great group of student nurses. I was very scared at first, because I had never done anything like that before. But I made friends for life there, definitely and it was a lovely atmosphere to be in.”
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Katie also had some really good experience on her placement, most notably within Glan Clwyd Hospital’s coronary care unit. She described them as a “fantastic team”.
She added: “I learned so much from there I could bring back to the community. A lot of patients out in the community have heart failure or atrial fibrillation (an irregular heart rhythm). It’s helped me massively. It was a really good placement for me.”
Katie had previously explained how seeing her son born 13 weeks premature and battling chronic lung disease, had made her realise she wanted to help others. From there she applied to be an HCA and qualified to take up the paid study place at Wrexham Glyndwr. Katie said her family had been her biggest supporters.
“My mum would shout it from the rooftops if she could (about her getting a first in her nursing degree),” she revealed. “My husband works away and when he came home, he got me a big bunch of flowers and some little presents. He was so lovely. It was nice to feel the love from everyone.”
