Research is important. What are your skills? Where do you see yourself making a difference? What types of things do you want to be doing? If you have a passion for helping people and want to set yourself up for the challenges of healthcare, research the types of roles that would be suited to you, explore local facilities, and look at recruitment websites, particularly the NHS job site and any local authority literature. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, use your skills and qualifications to your advantage, and push yourself. If you feel that you’ve fallen short on any aspect of your education, revisit it.
Management and leadership within the health sector
If you have ambitions of becoming a director, manager or senior member of a healthcare team, it’s going to take hard work. The healthcare world relies upon its leaders to make tough decisions, manage everything from ICT and property to finance and human resources, dedicate long hours to their job, and be there to support each member of staff.
The healthcare industry’s leaders are often in the line of fire when things go wrong; you don’t need to be news-savvy to know that senior NHS officials are frequently under attack. Despite many of the challenges, and the negativity surrounding such senior positions, it is a very rewarding career, and the sector is desperate for forward-thinking, dedicated and compassionate leaders to take it forward. If you feel as though you could make such a difference, like the London Ambulance Service’s non-executive director, Murziline Parchment, it’s time to think big. Ms. Parchment sits on the Board of the Trust with eleven colleagues but has no input into the day-to-day running of the Service. They do, however, have accountability for its safe operation, performance and strategic direction. Ms. Parchment comes from a legal background but is now playing an important role in a vital healthcare related role.
You won’t necessarily require a medical qualification to enter the UK healthcare sector, but a degree or similar qualification in a relevant subject is always an advantage. Similarly, be prepared to complete numerous training courses, prove yourself on the job and, if needs be, start at the bottom.
While many people may dream of becoming a doctor, nurse, consultant, or surgeon, there are also a wealth of medical positions that don’t directly relate to treating patients or making diagnoses. The world of healthcare is a vast and varied one filled with opportunity, personal development, and career progression. You simply have to find the role that best suits you.
In the UK the NHS seems to be delight in telling us how great they are. Which on one level is true.
One of their ideas is called NHS Change Day. I had tried to write about it a few weeks ago but after some hours of reading the blurb I realised I had no idea what it was.
Anyhow this dropped into my inbox this morning so it might help.
“HS Change Day 2015 will take place on Wednesday 11 March, but changes are already in the air at Leicester’s Hospitals.
With several schemes to encourage staff to take matters into their own hands to bring about positive change, this year, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust has asked staff to share the actions they have taken to improve our local hospitals.
NHS Change Day is a grassroots movement created in 2013 which involves hundreds of thousands of health and care workers, patients, carers, volunteers and members of the public from across the UK. The initiative encourages frontline health workers to come together and harness collective energy, creativity and ideas to make a change.
Co-founder of NHS Change Day and consultant in Paediatric Emergency Medicine at Leicester’s Hospitals, Damian Roland said: “It was a simple conversation on Twitter that sparked the idea and two years later, it’s really taken off as a national campaign that a lot of NHS organisations now back.”
Last year, NHS staff were asked make pledges for things they will change. This year, staff have been asked to share best practice and talk about change they’ve started, their action.
To celebrate and showcase staff action, Leicester’s Hospitals communications and Listening into Action teams are hosting a Change Day Action Event from 11am – 3pm in the LEat Street Restaurant, Level 0, Balmoral, Leicester Royal Infirmary, on Wednesday 11 March.
Staff, visitors and patients are invited to attend throughout the day to learn more about schemes such as Everybody Counts, Listening into Action, Hello My Name Is, Dementia Pathways, Sepsis Care as well as initiatives to improve patient experience and streamline hospital systems.
One of those initiatives is a pilot to ensure Emergency Department staff can make mistakes without harming patients.
Damian explains: “All healthcare professionals have extensive training prior to starting their jobs. However, learning is a life-long process and as well as gaining knowledge and learning facts, they must also learn how to communicate and work with each especially in stressful situations.”
The Emergency Department at Leicester Royal Infirmary has been using high-fidelity simulation mannequins that can breathe, talk and have blood taken from them, to improve team working and management of the sickest patients.
Damian added: “The advantage of the mannequins is that they can’t be harmed so learning occurs without any detriment to the patient!”
To showcase this action, the simulation team will be running a demonstration at the Change Day Action Event as part of the East Midlands Emergency Medicine Educational Media (EM) so anyone can come along to see how doctors and nurses train and learn.
To watch a video of Damian Roland explaining the history of NHS Change Day, please visit http://vimeo.com/119557740
Further information about the Change Day Action Event can be found at http://www.leicestershospitals.nhs.uk/aboutus/our-news/nhschangeday/”
I think I have some idea. Medical education? But if you can clarify please do so in the comments section!
The campaign is simple – it is about reminding staff to go back to basics and introduce themselves to patients and their relatives properly. Kate talks about this as “the first rung on the ladder to providing compassionate care” and sees it as the start of making a vital human connection, helping patients to relax, and building trust. Feedback from patients across the country has shown how vital this is to them, saying that the smallest things make the biggest difference.
John Adler, Chief Executive at Leicester’s Hospitals said: “Backing this campaign was an easy decision. We had already adopted it in small ways across the organisation, but working with the Listening into Action (LiA) team and other NHS Trusts will push this to the forefront of everyone’s minds.”
“We want our patients to remind us if we are busy and forget to introduce ourselves when we first meet them. I know how important the patient experience is to my staff and that they will all give their backing to Dr Granger’s campaign.”
“As well as asking staff to tell their patient’s their names, we are also reminding them to introduce colleagues who are taking over an individual’s care following a shift change. That way, our patients and their families will always know who is looking after them, which in turn will help them to relax and feel safe while in our care”.
Kate said: “ I think the main messages from the campaign about high quality communication and always treating our patients as people with respect and dignity. I really hope my legacy will be exactly that, putting compassionate practice right at the heart of healthcare delivery every single day.”
You can see more about Dr Granger’s campaign at http://hellomynameis.org.uk/home and on Twitter #hellomynameis.
While walking the dog I saw this brilliant NHS Card discount in one of my local pubs.
Still not sure if it is a joke or not!