Lisa Sweet, Apprentice Radiographer

I have worked for the Trust for the last 10 years and having built up lots of knowledge and skills over this time. My dream was always to become a qualified radiographer.

In early 2020 my department were made aware that the Diagnostic Radiographer Apprenticeship Standard, which is an integrated degree course at Level 6, was being offered as an alternative route to training which meant I could learn “on the job” and have my course funded by the Trust’s Apprenticeship Levy. Having completed and met all of the University entry requirements, in September 2020, myself and a colleague embarked on the Diagnostic Radiographer Apprenticeship degree course at University of Exeter.

This experience has opened up a whole new world of opportunity for me because I now work across all three hospital sites, which gives me experience in a range of settings as well as meeting a great team of people to support me.  Experiencing a bigger hospital, with more complex cases, means I now carry out tasks that I would not have done much of before, such as mobile x-rays, adaptive technique and theatre work which have allowed me to learn new skills and gain a greater understanding of the role I am training to do. I have gained a lot by working with lots of different radiographers which has allowed me to observe how they work as autonomous practitioners and I am learning the skills to become one myself. I have seen how decisions are made in the best interests of our patients so that we are always “putting patients first”.

There have also been scary moments for me such as working in new areas that I was not confident or experienced in, especially when the hospitals were very busy; however I am proud of how I have faced these fears and helped in new areas throughout the hospital. During my week in CT I really gained an understanding of the whole process and was able to explain the procedure to the patients to put them at ease. It felt really rewarding

We are very fortunate to be doing our degree at a Russell Group University and Exeter is recognised as one of the top Universities in the country for Radiography. The University provide online content including narrated lectures, YouTube videos, reading material, group work and workbooks as well as virtual tutorials. I have particularly enjoyed the modules that teach anatomy and I have gained a greater understanding of bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and systems such as the nervous system. It has consolidated my knowledge of x-ray and x-ray production. The apprenticeship cohort I am in are really supportive of each other and although we only see each other ‘virtually’ at present, I enjoy talking to them and being part of that team also.

There are however challenges associated with working and doing a degree course at the same time. The workload can be daunting as there is a ‘campus week’ three times a year and work is set to complete before the next campus week. As you are given all this work all at once you must be organised, work out what needs to be completed per week and motivate yourself to get it done. Having a study day is essential as you are working full time and I have a family so having that dedicated time to study and enjoy studying and learning is great.

My advice for any colleagues wishing to undertake an Apprenticeship is this:  Do your research! Look at the course description and modules and think about the end role. Is it something you really want to do and the career you will love? It takes dedication and requires a lot of time and effort to put in the work and study. And if it’s something you think yes I can do that, I would be good at it…. go for it! Raise it at your PDR, gather the relevant information have the discussion with your manager. I hope this encourages others to apply for apprenticeships and raises awareness of the apprenticeship routes that are available. Leaving your job to go to University to train may not always be possible but there are other routes now available.