Jean is a senior sister at Richardson Community Hospital, Barnard Castle and Kate works in the Accident and Emergency unit at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.
'Nursing was a profession I’d always been interested in, but I was busy bringing up a family,' said Jean, who is graduating from the BSc (Hons) Practice Innovation.
But as soon as her two sons and daughter were old enough, Jean decided to pursue her ambition of going into nursing. She said: 'I was in my early forties when I decided to go for it. My children were still young when I started my training, Kate was only five.'
She added: “I worked in surgery for eight years, before getting a post as a sister at a community hospital and then becoming a senior sister. I didn’t have any placements during my degree, as I was working and doing the course on my days off.'
Having completed the nurse training diploma at Teesside University in 1997 and qualifying in 2000, Jean decided to continue on to the degree.
Jean added: 'The course at Teesside had a mixture of mature and young students, so it was great to hear so many different points of view.
'It was difficult juggling study with work, but it was worth it. You do need to keep learning and updating your skills and knowledge, especially when you’re mentoring students yourself.
'Kate and I never really saw each other at University, as we were on placements in different hospitals, but it was nice to know the support was there from someone so close.
'My mother-in-law was a matron in Bishop Auckland when their A&E opened in the 1960s, she’s really proud to see her granddaughter go on to work in A&E too.'
Kate, 23, who is graduating from the Diploma in Nursing Studies (Adult), said: I initially worked as a healthcare assistant in Barnard Castle as I knew I wanted to work in a caring profession.
'I wanted to study at Teesside because of its reputation for nursing, as I knew it would look good to have Teesside University on my CV, as it’s seen as among the best in the country for nursing.'
Kate said the placement aspect of the course is vital, as it provides hands-on experience, while also offering a chance to make contacts.
She added: 'I did my final placement at James Cook University Hospital and when I heard of a job vacancy I applied, as it was exactly where I wanted to be. I love working in A&E - you never know what’s going to happen from one day to the next and you are constantly learning.
'The placements are really important as they enable you to put into practice what you’re learning. You learn so much from them.'