Last week, NCIC held a successful practice development week, with hundreds of staff taking part. During the week the practice development team brought a flavour of what they can offer to a marquee on the lawn outside the Pillars at CIC all week.
Their schedule saw staff meeting competencies on the Melissa bus parked nearby, study days on palliative care and the deterioration and a day to offer support for some of our international recruits. Friday was celebration day and apprentices from across the Trust gathered to receive their awards.
This year awards were presented to 38 Nursing Associates, 43 Registered Nurses and 37 Assistant Practitioners, many who were recruited during the pandemic and others who stepped up to work during Covid-19 – the most challenging time in the NHS.
Teresa Griffiths OBE, a non-executive director at NCIC, spoke about her career as nurse and her rise through the ranks before presenting the apprentices with their awards.
Teresa had wanted to be a nurse since she was three years old and at the age of 18 started her nursing career at St Bartholomew’s in London. She spent eight years as a neuro surgery nurse in intensive care before moving to Oxford and joining the RAF.
She told the apprentices: “What a massive, massive achievement. You have all been truly exceptional.”
She then gave five top tips to the apprentices to help them on their career journeys.
- Identify your passion and purpose for wanting to care for patients
- Always be the genuine you, don’t try and be someone else
- Be a leader - Dream big and challenge yourself
- Don’t forget your patients
- Be kind.
Georgia Wright, Deputy Chief Nurse, congratulated the apprentices on their awards and thanked them for their hard work during the pandemic.
“You are the ones who make a difference. It is wonderful to be growing our own staff and we are at the point now where we can see some of the benefits of growing our own staff and we want to continue to support and develop our own people.”
Gwen Baxter, Practice Development Lead at NCIC, said: “We are celebrating five years of apprentices – what an achievement. Everyday is a learning day and in the NHS everyday is a working day.
“I thank each and every one of you for your hard work and resilience during the pandemic and I thank our nurses and nursing teams for supporting you on your journey. You can all say you did it and I, for one, are very proud of you.”
Despite the cool, windy weather, the marquee, outside the Pillars building on the lawn at the Cumberland Infirmary, stayed put. Well done to all of the apprentices.