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Thank you
17th April 2020
At The City of Liverpool College, we are incredibly proud of and thankful for all of our amazing graduates who are now working within the NHS, both on the front line and behind the scenes.
Over the years we have seen many students successfully graduate from our various Health and Social Care courses and go on to either study Healthcare Professional Degrees at university, or secure jobs in local hospitals, care homes, clinics and in the community.
Here are just a few of the student health care heroes who are working hard to keep us all safe.
Joshua Conroy, Staff Nurse
“I studied Level 3 BTEC in Health and Social Care at The City of Liverpool College. Since then I have completed my nursing degree at LJMU, and I am currently working as a staff nurse at the Royal Liverpool Hospital Emergency Department. The course at the College was challenging but the support from tutors was absolutely brilliant. Every single student built amazing relationships with each other which helped in times of need. Tutors were always available to provide guidance, and they were extremely supportive. The College provides a perfect environment to learn, with different areas to study from.”
“I absolutely love my job! I couldn’t think of anything better than helping people in their time of need. We often see vulnerable people, and to be able reassure them that they are safe whilst they are in my care is highly rewarding. Of course, we see things that can be upsetting but we are a great team here at the Royal, and we can absolutely count on getting support from our fellow colleagues.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, the whole world is worried and it’s a difficult time for everyone, however it can be even more worrying for people admitted to the emergency department, so to be able to reassure the patients and comfort them is true job satisfaction. I have the best job in the world and I absolutely couldn’t have got to where I am now without the support of the College.”
Katharine McQuade, Student Midwife
“I’m currently a second Year Student Midwife studying Midwifery BSc (Hons) at Edge Hill University. I absolutely love being a Midwife and caring for women throughout their pregnancies, labour, delivery and postnatal period. My favourite thing about being a Midwife is helping women prepare for their transition into motherhood, and empowering them to make informed choices about their pregnancies and delivery. I’m particularly interested in working with young mums, and vulnerable women, and hope to become a safeguarding midwife once qualified.
“I loved my time at The City of Liverpool College, as all of my tutors were so supportive of my desire to become a midwife. I received so much help with my academic work in all modules and studying my Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care really prepared me for university. I was given advice and guidance with my personal statement, in addition to mock interviews which really prepared me for the real thing.
“The Health and Social Care courses at the College really prepare you for a career within the NHS and give you all the prerequisite skills needed to become a competent health or social care professional.”
Samantha Stoddart, Staff Nurse
“I studied Health and Social Care at The City of Liverpool College and was part of the Healthcare Cadet course. I am now a Staff Nurse at Whiston Hospital. I loved the course as it provided me with so much useful insight into my future job. It allowed me to experience being on a ward, understand how the NHS works and the knowledge that the staff brought to the course was invaluable. All of the tutors were really supportive and they were invested in my education.
“I love my job and being able to care for a variety of people each day. Being there to support patients and their families though the good days and the bad is really important to me and makes my job incredibly rewarding.”
Katie Foster – Health Care Assistant
“I’m currently studying the level 3 Senior Healthcare Support Worker apprenticeship, and I’m working as a Health Care Assistant at the Royal Liverpool Hospital.
“When I started my role, I never expected to be working right in the middle of a pandemic. In the beginning, my ward became a ‘yellow ward’, which is where patients who are being tested for COVID-19 go whilst awaiting results. The time spent on the ward can often be very difficult and scary, but each day we ensure the patients are looked after with care and upmost respect.
“After a few days, my ward became a ‘red ward’, meaning that all patients were COVID-19 positive. We implemented a one-way system for entering and leaving the ward, the PPE changed, and it had to be worn at all times. We now had to wear gloves, a gown, apron, mask and a visor whilst in a bay with a patient. For the first few days I struggled with the PPE, I felt hot and smothered but thankfully also protected. Some of the patients I looked after were very poorly, but I tried to make them feel as comfortable as possible, as it must have been so scary knowing that they had the virus and being cared for by staff in full PPE.
“It has been physically, emotionally and mentally draining, but I can honestly say I would not have wanted to work anywhere else. Going home I felt proud, knowing that each day you are making a real difference made it all worth it.
“If anyone is thinking of joining one of the courses in health and social care, I couldn’t recommend it more. I could never see myself working in any other job. I am proud to say that I am a Health Care Assistant and that I work for the NHS.”
We’d like to say a huge thank you to Joshua, Katharine, Samantha, Katie and every member of our amazing National Health Service for keeping us safe in such challenging times. We are all so grateful for their incredible work.
If you’re interested in a career in the NHS, you can find out more about our Health and Social Care courses here.
