Hi, I'm Ethan. I'm a clinical support worker in the day surgery theatres at the Royal Infirmary.
I started my Modern Apprenticeship in April 2021. I decided to do the Modern Apprenticeship after being on furlough for nine months. After all the stuff with Covid 19, I thought I could lend a hand and do my part.
So, the Modern Apprenticeship gave me a stepping stone into healthcare and I've now been able to go into advanced training as an assistant theatre practitioner.
A typical day would normally start at 8:00am in the morning. I would head to the theatre and start doing the daily checks. At about 8:15am, the whole team would have a daily briefing attended by the surgeons, anaesthetists, nursing staff and we'd discuss all the patient details about the list for the day. From there, I would then go to checking the patients, then check their details and then bring them to the anaesthetic room. In the anaesthetic room, I would help the ODP set up vital monitoring before they'd have a general anaesthetic or local anaesthetic. In the theatre, I would help the scrub practitioner while circulating handing on any additional equipment that they need, setting up their stuff.
The most important skills for me as a clinical support worker is communication, time management, organisation, and attention to detail. What I enjoy most about my job is being able to help people and getting to see a world that most people won't get to see outside the hospital walls.
So, one part of my job that I found challenging at the start was adapting to the theatre environment. Obviously, a lot of stuff will be sterile equipment and you just can't touch it. So, I think it was just adapting to the environment that I was in.
The advice I'd give to others about applying to do a Modern Apprenticeship with NHS is just to go and do it. If you're a person who likes to help people and you work well with a team, it's a good opportunity for you to develop a career in healthcare.