Hospital apprentices improving skills and patient care
This National Apprenticeship Week (10 – 16 February) our hospitals across mid and south Essex are celebrating the incredible achievements of our apprentices, whose hands-on experience and training helps deliver better care for patients.
Basildon, Broomfield, and Southend hospitals provide apprenticeships in all areas such as healthcare, business administration and digital expertise.
This year 436 apprentices of all ages are learning on the job, compared to 153 last year, helping them gain new qualifications and knowledge, as well as supporting better patient care, both on the front line and behind the scenes.
One of those is Paula Zediu, a Nursing Associate at Broomfield Hospital. who initially started as a Healthcare Assistant in 2022 and has since become a Registered Nursing Associate after completing a Nursing Associate apprenticeship.
She said: “This was a fantastic opportunity which helped me to develop my self-awareness, and empathy to build on my nursing skills and create better relationships with patients.”
Haneefa Kummali is the Principal Radiotherapy Physicist at Southend Hospital who is currently completing a Senior Leader apprenticeship to take his career to the next level.
He said: “Through my apprenticeship I have gained new technical and interpersonal skills which have helped my confidence, decision-making and communication. The support I’ve had from colleagues and my line manager has been amazing – I’ve been offered mentorships within my team and hands-on experience which has helped me use my apprenticeship in my day-to-day work.”
At Basildon Hospital, Dietetic Assistant Gillian Fell is doing a Masters’ Dietetics Apprenticeship, allowing her to gain advanced knowledge and skills in her field, which will directly benefit patients and her team.
She said: “The highlight for me is working alongside expert dietetic colleagues, their invaluable feedback supports my studies every step of the way.”
Karn Goodchild, Apprenticeships and Work Based Learning Adviser, said: “We’ve a range of apprenticeships available, all of which bring benefits not only to the individual but to the Trust as a whole. And we’re here to support people learning new skills, helping them to provide the best possible care to our patients.”
Anyone interested in exploring career and training opportunities in healthcare, are encouraged to visit the Apprenticeships page on the Trust's website: https://www.mse.nhs.uk/apprenticeships