The University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust are holding a radiotherapy open day to show off degree and apprenticeship opportunities.
In partnership with Sheffield Hallam University, the open day will demonstrate the availability of “on the job” support and training for students.
Taking place on 28 September in the radiotherapy department of Royal Derby Hospital, the event will take place across two sessions – the first 9.30am to 11am, the second 11.30am to 1pm.
Placements at Derby and Burton
University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS supports several therapeutic radiography students on placements through the BSc degree programme and apprenticeships every year.
Lindsay Sparks, practice educator for the Therapeutic Radiographer apprenticeship and work-based mentor in radiotherapy, said the experience on placements is invaluable.
She said: “Getting hands-on experience is so important as it helps to supplement the academic side of the degree courses by helping students to fully grasp the complexities of what is involved in being a therapeutic radiographer.
"The next generation [of therapeutic radiographers] is so important and will play a vital role in the healthcare of our future patients, and we take great pride in providing them with the best possible training and experience to help them in the early stages of their careers.”
Wider patient pathways
Students also spend time working in chemotherapy and ward areas to better understand the entirety of the cancer patient pathway, which gives them the broad experience necessary to supplement their studies.
“We try to give students a well-rounded view of the patient experience and let them see the whole patient pathway so they can fully understand what our patients experience, which is really important in helping them to build their understanding but also in giving students insights into other areas of the Trust,” Ms Sparks added.
"Students here get access to cutting-edge technology, including surface guided radiotherapy (SGRT) which isn't available that widely across the NHS, so getting to see this and learn about this treatment method first-hand is invaluable."
‘Always striving to improve’
Steffan Armstrong, training and development superintendent, works alongside Ms Sparks to provide training and development to students, and said the whole team is keen to support the development of students.
He added: "As well as training students, we also continue to provide training and development opportunities for our colleagues to ensure they have the best practice and information available to them to help them share this learning with students and further enhance patient care.
"We always put our patients first across the trust, but in our team, you can really see how everyone is always striving to improve and make things better to provide the best care to our patients every time.”
Attendees on 28 September will get the chance to speak to members of the team, explore the facilities – including the surface guided radiotherapy treatment – and see demonstrations of how radiotherapy is used to treat patients.
Sign up to attend here.
(Image: University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust)