February 08, 2021 - 726 views
Coleg Llandrillo congratulated 51 employed Healthcare support workers from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) on the successful completion of their Level 4 programme.
The healthcare support workers gained the Level 4 Certificate in Higher Education in Healthcare Practice following secondment to the college for one day per week, over one year, by their NHS employer. All of the students have secured positions as registered nurses within the health board.
Paul Flanagan, programme area manager for Health and Social Care at Coleg Llandrillo, said: "Of the 51 students who have completed their L4 studies with us, nearly half have achieved Distinctions, with many more achieving Merits.
"This result is even more remarkable considering the huge impact of Covid during the studies of these frontline NHS workers.
"A huge well done to all and thanks to all BCUHB staff supporting the students particularly their mentors and the education team. We are really proud of these results and the quality improvement and workforce support they are now able to provide locally within our local health board."
The programme develops higher level knowledge and skills which enables the healthcare support workers to apply for increasing numbers of roles that extend their responsibilities, and it also means that they can carry out higher level duties within their post, therefore meeting the workforce needs of the health board.
The intensive course involves both academic assessment at college and assessment within the workplace by clinical NHS staff within BCUHB.
Ade Evans, head of education and development at BCUHB, added: "As a health board we are also delighted to be able to announce that student Healthcare Support workers who had completed Coleg Llandrillo's Level 4 course, and who have progressed further within the first cohort of the Level 5/6 part-time Bachelor of Nursing (BN) for Healthcare Support workers at Bangor University programme, will graduate later this winter.
"This has only been achieved through strong committed individuals working hard to develop themselves together with the strong strategic partnership between Coleg Llandrillo, Bangor University and BCUHB.
"The programme is the result of a robust and fully-committed strategic partnership between the three, and provides the potential for progression directly to the second year of the Bachelor of Nursing (BN) programmes. The first Level 4 Coleg Llandrillo course began in 2013 with 12 students and the numbers have increased year-on-year."
Gill Truscott, course lead for the part-time Nursing programme at Bangor University, said: "Could I add that I would like to thank the students for their hard work throughout the Covid pandemic.
"It has been their dedication and our partnership working that has enabled the students to complete as scheduled. We congratulate them on their success and wish them well in their future careers.
One of the successful cohort, Sarah, achieved a Distinction in her Certificate of HE in Healthcare Practice. She works with health visitors in the community. She said: "Before I started the Healthcare practice course I did not have any confidence in my academic work, but the support of the college, my personal tutor and my mentor, enabled me to pass the course, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
"Completing my Level 4 course has enhanced my understanding of evidence-based practice and the theory behind it. It has also helped me further my studies, as I am starting my second year of adult nursing in April 2021."
Support for the programme from the Welsh Government (through Health Education and Improvement Wales) has meant that there are now opportunities for those who successfully complete the programme to apply for part-time BN studies while they retain their healthcare support posts within the health board.
This means that after a period of years, there is now a real career pathway opportunity in North Wales for those wishing to progress within healthcare support to full clinical qualifications in Nursing.
