NHStress

[Notreadyforchristmasyet]

Is there anyone out there in the health service with some advice please?

I'm a healthcare assistant, back from mat leave. I like the role I'm in, but the Trust seems not to have any pathways for development at all, I've tried the work support services they offer and had some generic responses. I've tried HR, and the learning and development team and gone round in circles, I'm doing online sessions but it's unpaid so I'm doing it in my own time.

I feel like I'm hitting such a brick wall of radio silence (mixing metaphors, sorry). I just want to add to my competencies and develop some new skills.

I used to work in acute, in-patient but moved to a different area and changed Trusts. I feel so stuck, I just want to learn, it's taken up a massive amount of admin in my own time just to draw complete blanks. I don't know what to do next?

Are there Trusts out there that seem to support learning? Anyone had better experiences? Please don't flame me, I just want to grow x

I have found GP practices to be a good learning place.
I worked in a training practice. they encouraged all kinds of development in all roles and provided the training.
I know of people in other practices who have also had opportunities to grow.
if youre not in a situation where you are actively supported to grow and you want to, id look into finding a new job.

@adulthoodisajoke thank you, that's really helpful advice.

I will try and look, it might be a good step forwards, there's been a few practices locally with some roles out and I know some of the staff, they all seem nice. I don't meet all the desirable criteria (I would need to get my B3 competency in phleb for example) but I do meet the min role essential spec.

Thank you x

We would hire people who were suitable even if they lacked one specific qualification if they were willing to learn that skill.
Such as nurses who didn't do smear tests would get that training.
we even had receptionists transfer to be a HCA

What is it you want to end up doing? Nursing? Can you look into the nursing associate route? Quite a few of our band 3/4's are doing this currently x

I got on by applying for roles anyway and being honest that I didn't know z or y but was willing to learn. I also started as a HCA and now do quite a niche role in a big London trust. (There are 2 of us in the trust ) by saying I wanted to learn I was taken on in new roles and developed as I started

Do you work for a small trust?
Having worked at bigger and smaller trusts seems to be more support and opportunities in the bigger hospitals and trusts.

I was in a huge, acute Trust which was well organised and very interesting, now I moved since having DC out to a local smaller Trust which is feeling very different in terms of it's culture/approach to recruitment and retention/workforce development.

I have very young DC and can't commit to B4 or higher atm, I have caring commitments for an older relative too, I love being a HCA it works well for my current phase of life but I would like to gain additional skills, see new things.

NHSBT is great for education and training. I’ve worked in hospital, community and GP surgery and found NHSBT by far the best.
If you started as a donor carer you would get basic patient care skills including venepuncture/phlebotomy. Many donor carers go on to do leadership/management training to run the operational side of things. others go on to do first aid, resuscitation and become qualified to teach adult training and education.
Donor carers I have worked (from all backgrounds and ages including retired police, former midwives, retail workers etc) with have gone on to nurse training, paramedic training, higher level teaching courses and management training . Learning is actively encouraged.

@Lifelover16

Ah amazing thank you that sounds great, I've set up an account with nhsbt

I wonder why they don't show up on my NHS jobs feed. I've started looking at the local practices as well 💖