Working towards a career in nursing

Maisie Theobald’s personal experience of seeing a family member go through a cancer diagnosis played a big part in her wanting to undertake a T level in healthcare qualification as part of the long term goal of working towards becoming a nurse.

Maisie, a Hartlepool Sixth Form College student, has been working within the community nursing rapid response team based at the University Hospital of Hartlepool for one of her placement rotations and has shared her T Level experience with us so far:

Tell us a little bit about your T Level Experience so far.

My first placement was in the rapid response team, where I worked alongside nurses and healthcare assistants to assist patients with tasks they were unable to complete. This included: washing and dressing, mobilising, meal preparation, observing medication prompts and taking bloods.

This helped me put into perspective the kind of responsibilities that I would be given and the skills and qualities that were most beneficial to the role. I went into my placement with an open mind, not knowing what to expect and I was overwhelmed by the level of support and time given from healthcare professionals. They would discuss anything I wished regarding their roles and gave me the opportunity to showcase my own knowledge. Through it all, they gave me feedback on positive and negative aspects if my completion of tasks, which is all part of the learning process.

What have you liked about your time on placement at the Trust?

I have enjoyed getting to know the healthcare professionals and having the chance to ask them questions that I had about getting into the role, how they got to where they are in their careers and what it was like to work towards the position they are in. This made me feel a lot more relaxed about my worries on wanting to aim to be a nurse in the future.

I also enjoyed being able to adapt my communication skills – learning that each patient has a different need and learning different ways to complete a patients task, to provide person centred care.

From a young child I always had a passion for wanting to help and care for people which is why I believe I am suited for the role with having the skills and qualities required for this role.

Maisie Theobald, T-Level student at Hartlepool Sixth Form College

What do you like about the T Level course?

One thing I like about the T-level course is that there are different routes after college to aspire to.

At the end of college you receive a level 3 qualification, meaning you can jump straight into roles such as a healthcare assistant, another route could be University and different placements to get higher qualifications within the healthcare industry.

Another aspect of the course I like, is that in college you are taught the skills and qualities that are expected and required to be able to go on and be successful in your placement. It put into perspective what I have been taught.

Is there a reason you wanted to pursue a career in healthcare?

My nana being diagnosed with cancer in 2020 inspired me and had a huge impact on me deciding I wanted to become a nurse. When I took on responsibilities for helping her prepare meals, complete tasks she wasn’t able to do and provide care to how she wanted it and I enjoyed being able to help her. When she received visits from nurses when she was nursed in bed I took interest in seeing them care for a family member and learning what it takes to care for her and how her needs were met. From a young child I always had a passion for wanting to help and care for people which is why I believe I am suited for the role with having the skills and qualities required for this role.

How supportive have you found the Education team at the Trust?

The team have been very reliable. Ensuring we are happy in placements and if there are any concerns, they are took into consideration and dealt with immediately; answering questions we may have requiring our placement days. 

They have supported in offering extra placement days if necessary. T level health requires 315 hours to be completed as a part of the course and we use QR code scanner ensures that hours are recorded accurately. 

The education team also have been efficient in keeping in contact with college tutors and when there have been updates with rotations and hours. 

Has the placement met your expectations and how useful do you think it will be in your future career plans?

It has benefited me to get an insight of what it is like to be in this role, learning what it takes to take on the role and being able to show your knowledge and show skills that I have learnt at college. The healthcare professionals have been good at giving me opportunities to show this.

For example, when assisting a patient with washing and dressing, I am providing choices to the patient to ensure it is person centred care being provided and we are acting to the patient’s wishes.

What are your plans once your have completed your T Level qualification?

After receiving my level 3 qualification, I hope to attend Teesside University to become a qualified nurse within the community.

I have chosen this route as I want to receive a full education and have placements that will help me fully prepare for a role within healthcare. 

Is there anything you do in your placement that people might not expect to be part of a healthcare role?

Observing patients getting bloods taken and seeing what the condition is and why tasks like carrying blood need to be completed.

Seeing the little tasks like making a patient’s bed, or assisting them to brush their hair or making a cup of tea and how grateful patients are of your help. This benefits the healthcare worker because they will feel honoured that patients are grateful for their help.

Different roles mean different responsibilities, so seeing how mentally prepared you have to be in situations; to ensure you maintain professionalism through any situation.

Would you recommend the T Level Health programme to others who want to get into healthcare?

Definitely – especially for individuals who want to work within a hospital trust, but don’t know what specific area as you get the chance to observe and take on responsibilities within different roles. It allows students to express interest in different roles and also to build and improve on their skills.

For example, I believe I wasn’t a confident individual, but placement has helped me improve on this skill by practicing using different types of communication to help me feel more confident when communicating with the patient.