Apprentice Nurse Associate Review

Providing healthcare to patients in a general practice setting including: adult and paediatric phlebotomy, health checks, ecg, wound care, diet and lifestyle advice. Management of long term conditions including: diabetes, chronic kidney disease, strokes, hypertension and coronary heart disease. Prevention of diabetes. Completing patient records. Liaising with colleagues and other healthcare professionals.

I have learned new skills that we do not provide in general practice settings. Using different systems on hospital settings. I am learning about Pharmacology and hows different drugs affect the human body. I have learned how to work, write and research to a university degree level. I have also built on skills that I already have.

I enjoy being able to learn from other colleagues who have the same job title but work in different areas of healthcare than I do. I have been given the opportunity to do a work placement in a hospital and see how I can transfer my skills to a different environment.

The one thing that let's the course/programme down is the lack of organisation to the structure of the course. Not knowing which building I will be taught in until the morning of the day. Work placement being arranged at the last minute and the fact that the programme is under staffed.

I get some support from my employer but also have to push to get the help that I need. They have been excellent at giving me time to go to any necessary training sessions that have been arranged. Even if it has been at very short notice. I do not get enough time with my supervisor.

When starting the programme there was not very much support from the training provider. Everything seemed very disorganised and done at the last minute even down to assignments. This has got better recently and they are taking more time to give my cohort the support that is needed to do well.

I am much more aware of my roles and responsibilities to my patients. And how much of a part I can play in improving their health care and their own awareness of how they can contribute to theirown health and wellbeing. Being more accountable for my actions and the impact of my role.

There are no specific extra curricular activities that we have on offer at work. There are no team sports or professional networking events. We do have quarterly whole practice meetings that sometimes include team building exercises. We have meetings 3 times a week where any issues can be raised if necessary.

Yes

It is an excellent opportunity to help patients, improve services and contribute to the NHS services available in this country. You can learn new skills, choose a new career path and there is lots of internal and external training providing your employer is happy to give you time to attend.

It would all depend on the type of role you are applying for within the NHS. Ad there are many roles from being a member of clinical staff to being part of an administrative team. If working directly with patients it may be beneficial to do some voluntary work in the area you wish to work in.