Business and Administration Apprentice Review

My daily tasks include booking patient appointments, re-arranging appointments usually due to the patient calling, taking messages off of the phone and responding to these appropriately, posting out parts to patients that need these and keeping check of stock within the department. I am mainly responsible for the Lung Function side of our department rather than the Sleep or GI so that's where I have developed most of my knowledge, however if a patient is just in need of re-arranging their appointment or need a mask part to be posted out then I am happy and knowledgeable to help with this.

The main skill I've developed is with the phone. When I first started I barely touched the phone but now I always pick up when it's ringing which had actually transferred over to my personal calls as well. I have also developed my skills with people interaction as i am much more comfortable and confident talking to people I don't know and being able to help them. I have also found that my typing has improved as i used a computer on a daily basis.

The team I work with have made this programme enjoyable as they have really welcomed me in and taken time to help me learn all the new parts of the job. I really enjoy the ethic of those I work around too as they are all hard working individuals and have a desire to help those around them which is something I share and they continue to push me to fell that way. It's a little more demanding than i was expecting but I'm finding ways to manage.

My induction and training were well organised to make sure they were done within the first month of my start date. Support has lacked slightly with my work team but mostly this is down to the Covid-19 situation and they became very busy trying to organise our service at the time, however I do feel that it has improved since we've all returned to work. My tutor has been very supportive as I am able to email or call him if I have any questions in between our organised meetings.

I don't recieve lot's of support but I don't always ask for that support either. My manager is very good at making sure an issue or query get's sorted as long as I make sure to take time to talk to her about it. My mentor is also always in the reception with me and whilst she has her own work to do she will help if I ask for it. I do also get support from the NHS apprenticeship and careers coordinator so i can email her whenever i have issues or questions too.

My tutor has given me a lot of support regarding working towards my qualification. He always make sure that I understand the work I have been set to do and if I don't then he will take the time to explain this to me . He is also very accessible as he is only an email away or even a phone call if i urgently need to get an answer. He seems to have a pretty motivated attitude towards helping me which increases my enjoyment as I don't feel completely on my own.

It's somewhat difficult to apply all that I learn to my job as I work within the NHS which doesn't generally follow the rules of a private business. However, there are some aspects which do apply to do with my job role such as usage of the phones and diary systems. This can sometimes give me extra tips on how to improve in my role. It also helps me to get a bit more of an understanding of the behind-the-scenes of the NHS like how it is run and why it is run that way.

I've heard about events in previous years but due to Covid-19 any events that might have taken place this year haven't so I don't have much knowledge of those. I believe that once we are able to go out more freely that our team will go out together for a social event. We also have training classes that we can do, for example I was booked on to a 'challenging calls' course which would improve my knowledge of how to deal with difficult patient phone calls.

Yes

The NHS is full of really hard working people who influence you to work harder all the time. There are also so many different opportunities and departments that you can gain a whole range of skills and knowledge even from staying within the same organisation. I have so far had a positive experience within the NHS and as an apprentice have received support when I needed it so that support system is there. There are also many friendly faces from other departments around and they're always checking in too.

It's important in the application process to focus on the skills that will apply to the job and expand on those as that will show how you would fit into the job. The interview is to show more personality so expanding on hobbies and personal traits that would make you a good fit for the team. There are plenty of opportunities for further increasing knowledge and experience by shadowing other departments linked to yours or even ones that are completely different, there might still be something you could take away that could improve efficiency in your day-to-day role.