Lauren Chapman, 19, spent time on placement at Colchester Hospital while studying for her level 3 BTEC in health and social care.
Her experience on Birch Ward helped confirm she wanted to pursue a career in healthcare and she is now studying for a midwifery degree at the University of East Anglia (UEA). Lauren has shared her experiences.
“I always knew I wanted to be a midwife. I’d been interested in midwifery for years, I just knew I wanted to go into the caring profession in some way, so I thought the BTEC really appealed to me. I thought it would be the best course to then go onto university.
“Even though I knew my focus was midwifery I thought the BTEC would give me an opportunity to see the other options in healthcare and it would be good experience.
“The course was 50% in college and 50% working in the health and care sector which was great. I really enjoyed that balance. It was great being in class and finding out the theory – but it was so valuable then being able to put that into practice.
“Part of the course meant completing a book which went towards my final qualification.
“I had three placements in total – one in specialist care working with people with autism, one in a care home and another at ESNEFT for 12 weeks where I was based on Birch Ward at Colchester Hospital.
“I really enjoyed the learning environment and the staff on Birch Ward, they helped me to gain vital experience and put the theory learned in college into practice. I was able to use the clinical skills learnt in the programme by completing patient observations, documenting notes and participating in shift handovers, all of which have made the transition to midwifery at University of East Anglia much less anxiety provoking.
“While on placement I did a lot of different tasks, including handing out lunches and making beds. The time spent on placements solidified that I wanted to work in a hospital and pursue midwifery.
“The placement helped cement that I was on the right path in choosing healthcare. It was a worthwhile experience and proved really beneficial in taking the initial nerves out of my first placements here at university.
“I grew in confidence through the two-year course and I gained so much knowledge.
“I’m now in my second year of a midwifery degree at the University of East Anglia and really pleased I did the BTEC before.”
There’s a variety of career development opportunities available at ESNEFT:
- You can find out more about apprenticeship opportunities on the ESNEFT website.
- Short-term work experience placements are available. Email workexperience@esneft.nhs.uk
- You can email our Talent For Care team talentforcare@esneft.nhs.uk to find out more about the opportunities at ESNEFT or to ask any questions about NHS careers.
- Job opportunities at ESNEFT are listed on the NHS job page.