Health professionals of the future
Second year cadets (Trainee Health Professionals) at North Notts College celebrated the end of two years hard work and training recently when they attended a leaving ceremony held on the 16th June. Awards were presented by Paul Baylis, Vice Principal and Lesley Dale from the Education and Training Department at Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Trust.
These cadets in addition to the taught curriculum have undertaken fifteen weeks of work placement at Doncaster and Bassetlaw hospitals. This has given them an insight into many inpatient areas including medical, surgical and orthopaedic wards and also outpatients departments. In the second year of the programme the cadets have been able to access speciality areas, such as critical care, accident and emergency, operating theatres, mental health, midwifery, children’s wards, elderly frailty and occupational therapy placements and have been able to decide their future careers from these work placements.
This year marks the fourteenth anniversary of this successful partnership with North Notts College and Bassetlaw & Doncaster NHS Trust, which gives students interested in working in the NHS opportunities and specialised skills that other courses do not offer. Of the 17 cadets who completed the course, fifteen have been offered university places and their intended career destinations are quite varied including adult nursing, children’s nursing, physiotherapy, diagnostic radiography, elderly and complex community care; quite diverse careers from just one course.
Kerry Stubbins, the Course Leader, commented; “It’s been a pleasure and sometimes quite a challenge teaching the cadets, but they have worked really hard and I’m really proud of what they have achieved. Their work ethic on their placements have been second to none and I have received some really good feedback from the nursing staff at the hospitals. Throughout the course the cadets have maintained a high level of commitment and dedication in both college and hospital placements and have also displayed a level of maturity beyond their years. I wish them all the best for their future studies.”
“I started this course open minded about my future career.” said Maisie Cammidge, one of the cadets. “The course itself and the fantastic placements gave me the opportunity to experience what the role of a nurse consists of, helping me to make my decision of pursuing a career as an adult nurse”.
Another cadet, Harley Cockayne added; “My placements at Doncaster and Bassetlaw hospital have helped me to gain confidence and an insight to how the hospital works. It has clarified that my future career within the NHS is radiography and I feel privileged to have worked in many areas in the hospital alongside a variety of dedicated professionals.”