Work experience

[lettie]

It actually costs the employer to be able to take on people for work experience. I helped to organise work experience for the maternity unit and believe me, it is not easy. The Education Authority people came to do an inspection. I was quizzed for about an hour and a half on insurance, COSHH Regs, Fire Regs and other health and safety issues. I had to provide a list of jobs which work experience students can and cannot do and also show that we have staff willing and qualified to supervise them. After filling in loads of bumf and having to fill in paperwork for the school/college about the student (which they know nothing about), I have to admit that the whole thing was a total fag. However, now that the system is up and running, most of our work experience candidates seem to enjoy it and their placements run smoothly, but it must be borne in mind that while supervising the work experience candidates, the employee is having to work at a slower pace, therefore gets less work done. You must also bear in mind that there will be some tasks during work experience which you will be dying to have a crack at and be told no....... This is because you are not insured within the company for any resulting injury pertaining to that task.

[Tealeaf]

Originally Posted by lettie

It actually costs the employer to be able to take on people for work experience. I helped to organise work experience for the maternity unit and believe me, it is not easy. .

Are you seriously telling us that hordes of snotty-nosed juveniles are let loose within the clinical confines of Queens Park Hospital? What are they doing there? They can't be making the tea because you say you never have any time for any. Are they assisting in caesarians? Do they encompass the male of the species?


No wonder the NHS is in crisis when medicines' finest are having to prop up some half-baked education policy What is going to happen when MRSA breaks out into the schools, which it surely will as a result of this mad-cap scheme?

And please don't tell us they let the little buggars mess around in A & E..............

[lettie]

Hehehe, we do have work experience on some of our wards and we have had male candidates too. They do not get involved in any kind of clinical procedure. They learn how the wards are run, transport samples to the lab, learn about infection control and handwashing, wash and make beds, learn how to dispose correctly of waste and laundry, help patients feed their babies (on maternity) and generally do the jobs that an auxillary would do under supervision of an experienced or NVQ qualified auxillary. They are not allowed to go to theatre to see operations, observe births, or participate in any other procedure where the privacy and dignity of the patient would be at risk, ie bedbathing or helping a patient to get undressed.

[Tealeaf]

Originally Posted by lettie

. They learn how the wards are run,...... help patients feed their babies (on maternity) .........

I must admit I am having difficulty in envisiging a 15 year-old youth assisting in new-born baby feeding....does he advise on suckling techniques or what?

[lettie]

Originally Posted by Tealeaf

I must admit I am having difficulty in envisiging a 15 year-old youth assisting in new-born baby feeding....does he advise on suckling techniques or what?

Bottlefeeding only. Like I said, they are under the supervision of an experienced auxillary at all times. They are not allowed to so much as pick up a baby to pass to the mother without supervision. The majority of our candidates come from college and are actually 17. They are usually doing courses which will eventually take them into nursing or some other caring environment. We have only had a couple from schools 15/16 years old. These pupils had already expressed interest in midwifery training. With staff shortages in the UK we have to try to encourage people into nursing and midwifery. I wish I'd had this opportunity as a teenager. I might have chosen another path in life had I seen the chaos that reigns within the health service...

[WillowTheWhisp]

Where did you do your work experience Chav?

[pendy]

I have to admit that my son was lucky enough to do his work experience at the Royal Free, at 16, on a course usually reserved for 18 year olds. He did a stint in eye theatre, assisted in A&E (he held a leg for the Orthpaedic Registrar!) and had a great time. He loved every minute of it.

Having been a school governor for years, I can tell you that it is difficult enough to get employers to take people on for work experience. If they had to pay them, forget it. There are also a great many jobs where you aren't qualified to do much, but at least you get a taster of what the work is like.

My daughter did her work experience in Battersea Park Zoo - said it was just like being at home!

[WillowTheWhisp]

Originally Posted by lettie

Like I said, they are under the supervision of an experienced auxillary at all times.

That illustrates the point that they are not an asset but that the employer is inconvenienced by their presence and the normal working day tends to take a lot longer and is more complicated by their presence. It benefits the pupil a lot more than it benefits the employers. It's surprising they don't have to pay for the privilege.

[lettie]

I see nothing wrong with college/school work experience within the NHS. I don't know how much the general wards let them get involved with, but due to the intimate nature of maternity services they actually have very little patient care duties. Many of our experienced nurses started very young as cadets... These girls and boys today probably do a darned sight less in the way of patient care than the cadets did.

[lindsay ormerod]

As an employer I have to sat that I have had godd,bad indifferent and very bad work experience people.It's a real trial for the permanent staff in some cases.But when you do get one who is willing to pull their weight and doesn't turn up covered in love bites it's a real bonus!

[Margaret Pilkington]

Although we did not have work experience students on our Ward(Gynaecology) we did have students doing BTEC in Health Studies........and yes they did mean extra work for the staff on the ward......and what they could be involved in was very restricted........some of the BTEC students showed interest and others just came to pass the time.
I had to fill out assessments on each of them, comment on their willingness and interest shown, I had to meet with their tutor and confirm that the Ward had the appropriate Health and Safety policies, COSHH etc.......organise health interviews with Occupational health.......so there was a lot of work involved in making sure that we provided a valid experience.

[jimmi5bellies]

Many, many moons ago when i did my work experience we got paid £25 a week, 2 weeks in work, 2 in college and 1 weeks free holiday in Llandudno.

Them was the days !!! lol.