Case study
Employers:
Life on the ward
Dorothy Lepkowska visits Harlow, where a partnership with the local NHS Trust has seen a group of young
Society, Health and Development Diploma students blossom
hen the first cohort of rooms. These sessions often involve staff going The Diploma has now been running since
W
Level 2 Diploma students over what the learners have been taught, and last September, and already staff have had some
arrived at The Princess translating it into real-life situations. excellent feedback from students. “They have
Alexandra hospital last For example, when the students completed all said that coming here really brings it to life
September, they seemed young and immature a unit on the importance of communication for them, and that they learn so much more
to be working in such an environment. within the health service, they were taken rather than just doing it in the classroom.”
“There was quite a bit of giggling going around the hospital and shown what methods As well as supplementing the Diploma
on and hand-holding among the girls for are used to get across messages among staff, syllabus by offering first-hand experiences, the
reassurance,” said Gemma haynes, the nhS and to patients and visitors. This included the nhS trust also uses events that are happening
trust’s training advisor for 14 to 19 projects. use of noticeboards and posters. in the medical calendar.
“Four months on and all of that has changed. Another area that learners have had On national Pathology Day, for example,
The students have come on so much it’s hard experience in the hospital is seeing how students watched a video of a post-mortem
to believe it is the same group.” infections are controlled, through the use of and looked at samples of human tissue, such
The nhS trust, in harlow, essex, has hand-washing and sanitising gels. as tumours, through miscoscopes.
been working with harlow College and Learners are also offered one week’s work “even in the few months since we started
five secondary schools locally on developing experience on a ward, and might find seeing them we have seen a real change in
the Diploma in Society, health and themselves acting as an assistant to the many of the learners and a maturity which is
Development. nursing staff, or getting to shadow non- beyond their years,” Ms haynes said.
The collaboration is not entirely new. medical staff to see how the hospital is run “When they first arrived, they were really
“Within the trust we began collaborating behind the scenes. lacking in confidence and giggled when
with schools five or six years ago on the Aim “They might see how the directors certain issues were discussed. But that has
higher scheme and other 14 to 19 projects, work and how much paperwork they completely changed.
when we began offering young people the have to get through,” Ms haynes said. “When we recently held a careers day for
chance to do work experience in hospitals,” “They won’t get that much hands-on secondary pupils aged 11-plus they spoke to
Ms haynes explained. experience because of their age, but them with confidence and maturity about
“We also have an ‘ambassadors’ scheme at least we can give them an idea of what their Diploma involved.”
which involved our staff going into schools the different jobs that people do to Doing the Diploma has helped many
to talk about their careers to young people. ensure the hospital runs smoothly. decide whether a career in the health services
So getting involved in Diplomas was the next “Occasionally, they might also is something they want to pursue.
natural step.” help with giving out tea or lunches “Some have expressed an interest, while
Members of the nhS trust met with to patients or generally helping for others doing the Diploma helped them
teachers and lecturers who were writing out where they can. This gives to decide that it is not a job for them,” Ms
lesson plans for the Diploma to discuss what them an opportunity to talk to haynes added.
elements should be included. “We advised patients about their experience “We are trying to offer as many
them on how we could get involved, by of being in hospital.” opportunities as possible so if they don’t want
looking at the syllabus and offering help to do nursing, for example, they can consider
where we felt we could have an impact,” Ms another aspect of the industry.
haynes said. “So we were not involved as “It has also been a good learning curve for
much in designing the Diploma as them about how you behave in a hospital.”
helping to deliver it.” however, Ms haynes has concerns
For two afternoons a month, that it may be a while before university
Diploma students are medical schools accept the Diploma
taught elements of alongside more established qualifications.
their course in “At the moment, a student wanting to
the hospital’s become a doctor will probably not choose to
training do a Diploma, which is a shame,” she said. DD
Delivering Diplomas • Volume 2 No 1 Spring 2010 41
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