One step at a time
Published: 03 November 2010
Climbing the career ladder can be a challenge but the view from the top is well worth it. Assistant practitioner Kirsty Ashcroft shares her story
Starting work on an intensive care unit (ICU) at the age of 17 was a huge career step for me. I had no clinical experience and had only worked as a receptionist in radiology before. Although I knew I had the mental capacity to progress, the intense environment was a huge shock to my system.
I worked as a health care assistant for three years before being asked whether I wanted to start studying for a two year foundation degree in assisting professional practice at Liverpool John Moores University. It was my line manager who suggested it and I grasped the opportunity with both hands.
Fortunately, my course was fully funded so I was able to study at university two days a week, spend the rest of my hours on my unit in clinical practice, and still receive the same pay as I did as an HCA. I was also able to apply for student funding via the university to pay for books and learning materials without having to pay it back.
Support from colleagues
Studying for my degree was a big challenge and doing essays, exams and presentations was a struggle at times. But I got so much support from everyone on my unit that I was really spurred on to succeed. I also loved meeting new people from different hospitals and thrived on gaining more hands on experience.
That was the biggest plus point for me because being an HCA in ICU doesn’t involve much patient contact. My role before was mainly as a bay runner assisting the nurses with getting pieces of equipment, washing and changing sheets. It’s a really important job in ensuring the unit runs smoothly but I did used to envy the nurses providing one-on-one care.
Now I’m competent in looking after a range of patients from cardiac to those with long-term ventilation. I can also perform interventions specific to ICU such as endotracheal tube suction and arterial line blood sampling. Gaining my foundation degree has made me so much more confident too. I feel comfortable dealing with parents and relatives and am able to answer their questions about medical conditions and treatments. The extra responsibility can be stressful at times but the job satisfaction makes it all worthwhile.
Words of wisdom
I would advise any HCA with ambitions of becoming an AP to bite the bullet and go for it. It takes two years to complete a foundation degree, and although that sounds like a big commitment, the time goes really quickly. When I reflect on how much I’ve changed as a person and a practitioner I feel so proud. There were times during the course when I did feel like giving up as exam stress got the better of me, but the satisfaction you get of knowing how hard you worked to gain a degree is fantastic. Wearing your cap and gown on graduation day is an amazing experience.
Having said that, I think there is still work to do in gaining greater recognition of the AP role. I often get questioned by parents and families and also staff from other departments. They recognise the different uniform and when they ask "so what is your role?" they don’t understand the term assistant practitioner. However, I was among only the second group of HCAs from my trust to undertake the training so perhaps as time goes by APs will get recognised more and more.
Looking to the future
As for me, I would like to further my studies within the critical care setting and intend on returning to university to finish my nursing degree at some point. There is no funding to support this right now though so I’m happy to stay put for the time being. Who knows what opportunities there will be in the future? The sky is the limit I guess.