Ward sister Juliet Francis knows the value of supporting her staff at ESNEFT.
The former apprentice herself rose up through the ranks with on-the-job training and an apprenticeship to gain her knowledge, skills and qualifications.
Juliet, who is now a band 7 sister on Saxmundham Ward at Ipswich Hospital, said career development can be done in many ways, and the traditional route through school and college may not be right for everyone.
She added: “I’m a keen supporter of the Trust’s apprenticeship scheme.
“I’ve found apprentices want to learn, they ask lots of questions and that encourages their communication skills and confidence. When you feel confident you also feel more prepared to challenge the way something is being done.
“Plus, I’ve found having confident and capable staff helps to free up other members of the team to do their jobs – so everyone benefits.”
Ward sister Juliet Francis
Juliet has dyslexia which was undiagnosed at school, so an academic route into nursing didn’t work for her.
She said: “As a line manager I want to support anyone keen to develop and if you aren’t very academic it shouldn’t put you off wanting to progress in your career or from learning. A lot of people can’t afford to do a nursing degree and it’s not for everybody – it didn’t really work for me – so having other options is so valuable.
“I have one apprentice and another starting soon and I’m really keen to encourage them. It’s a great backbone to nursing.
“I think it’s a benefit as they’re learning all the underpinning knowledge you need – you need to be by the bedside as a nurse and that’s what you’ll do through an apprenticeship.”
ESNEFT’s head of apprenticeships Russ Irving, said there’s so many benefits of the apprenticeship scheme for the whole team.
He added: “We know apprenticeships improve levels of confidence, help grow self-esteem and those who are on the scheme or have completed their qualification are more productive. Having a longer-term plan for career progression has also shown increased morale among staff as they feel valued.”
There are two types of apprenticeship at ESNEFT: internal for vocational clinical or non-clinical studies such as healthcare assistants, business administration, customer service and more. Higher-level clinical apprenticeships, such as nursing, pharmacy and specific specialisms are facilitated by the Trust’s Talent for Care Team and external providers such as universities and colleges.
For more information visit the Trust’s website page on apprenticeships.
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