"My first job after finishing university was as a medical laboratory assistant. This was based in pathology reception and involved sorting samples, booking them in and loading them on to some of the analysers to be tested".
I started at the bottom! I knew from a young age that I wanted to be involved in healthcare, but didn’t want to go into medicine or nursing. An interest in biology and disease lead me down the route of studying biomedical science at university, but at this point I wasn’t really sure where it would take me, I just knew there would be numerous options available when I graduated. I went on to become a medical lab assistant at Royal Derby Hospital, and quickly progressed to become a biomedical scientist in an area I knew little about – Haematology. Blood bank became my favourite area to work in, and I completed my specialist portfolio in haematology and transfusion science. At the same time I also realised I got great enjoyment from teaching and supporting other colleagues, and when an opening came up to apply to become a transfusion practitioner it was a decision I made without hesitation.
After specialising in haematology and transfusion as a biomedical scientist, I took a very small move over to being a transfusion practitioner. This role requires a registered professional, but in many trusts a nurse may fill the role of transfusion practitioner. Although it was not really a move across career paths it has required learning new skills and having a more clinical approach to situations as opposed to the scientific approach I learned during my time in the laboratory.
One of the main challenged I have faced over the past 7 years is the constant training. In order to progress as a biomedical scientist you have to undertake lots of learning and keep your knowledge up to date. This required a certified degree, a registration portfolio and a specialist portfolio and, as my job develops, I will be required to undertake further learning exercises. Whilst I was working in the labs as a biomedical scientist, I was required to work a shift pattern which includes weeks and night shifts as well as bank holidays, the NHS labs provide a 24/7 service! It was often a challenge to fit shift patterns around completing work and also maintaining a healthy work/home life balance!
No two days are the same. My day begins with a catch-up in the blood bank lab to ensure the biomedical scientists are happy and the night shift has been OK, and that any incidents that have arisen are communicated and then looked into later that day. Next, I need to check my calendar; a big part of the role of a transfusion practitioner is education throughout the whole hospital, so I need to make sure I’m prepared for any training sessions I may have booked in. If there are incidents to investigate I may need to pop down to the clinical area and have a look through some patient notes or chat to a staff member who may be able to provide more information. I may also need to attend a meeting to discuss transfusion within the hospital with the whole transfusion team; here we may talk about trends we are seeing or how to improve practice in transfusion. Other days I may be off site at a meeting where all the regional transfusion practitioners meet to discuss transfusion together and share ideas and information – the job requires lots of networking and links between other hospitals.
We don’t regularly see patients however, we spend lots of time with staff members teaching and ensuring transfusion is safe for all patients who may require one.
As a transfusion practitioner each day is different - one day I may be out giving clinical education presentations to new staff about blood transfusion, the next I may be in the clinical area investigating a blood transfusion from the day before. I am inspired by knowing that, by doing my part; I’m improving the safety of transfusion for patients and assisting clinical staff to make the best decisions regarding transfusions in the trust.
The community at UHDB also inspires me and makes me proud. The hospital charity does a great job and the volunteers are an asset to the hospital.
Although pathology and blood bank are not departments that are well known or promoted I’m so proud to work here. Blood bank has a great reputation in the region and I aim to carry on maintaining the reputation into the future.
More, now than ever, the NHS are appreciated. During the COVID19 pandemic the NHS really showed its wonderful true colours and I think anyone who works for the NHS will agree that it was a humbling feeling knowing the nation was behind us. For anyone who has a caring nature and the desire to help others the NHS provides opportunity to do this in abundance. It’s not just frontline, patient facing roles either; there are so many opportunities available. Many people I have worked with during my career so far have wanted to be able to help others and provide care but don’t want to be in a patient facing role.
For me, one of the biggest positives about working in the NHS is the job satisfaction as well as the diverse range of people you get the opportunity to work with.