Student nurse benefits from primary care placement

A student nurse has completed a placement, which enhanced her knowledge and experience of working in primary care.

Amber Ashton, a third-year student studying at The University of Manchester, undertook a nine-week placement at gtd healthcare’s Gordon Street Medical Centre, which was facilitated by gtd academy.

Amber reflected on her placement and described her time at Gordon Street Medical Centre as enjoyable and memorable.

“My placement has really opened my eyes to the world of primary care and is now an area I want to explore more of after my studies,” she said.

“The collective effort of the team at Gordon Street Medical Centre has moulded me into a professional equipped with a diverse skill-set, which I will take into my nursing career. I have developed confidence in my abilities and increased my clinical knowledge, while gaining great insight into how to deal with patients’ emotions and the workings of a GP practice.

“During my placement, I was involved in baby immunisation clinics, smear clinics, chronic care treatment appointments, GP consultations, contraception appointments, home visits and more.

“Working with my assessor Julie Thomas, clinical practitioner, has been a pleasure. She is so kind and an amazing nurse. I have looked forward to working with Julie every day as I have learned so much over the past nine weeks.

“Julie is dedicated to all her patients and has a person-centred professional relationship with everyone she meets. She challenged me to become a better nurse, and because she was always available to ask for help, I never felt overwhelmed. Any student in the future will be honoured to have Julie as an assessor, I will appreciate everything she has done throughout my nursing career.

“Also, Natasha Barratt, healthcare assistant, was a fantastic inspiration as her strong work ethic shined through in everything she did. She goes above and beyond to look after patients who have mental health needs and those who are nervous about attending the practice.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my placement and felt supported throughout thanks to everyone at the practice, which made me feel more of a nurse than a student.”

gtd academy continues to host placements and work experience across the organisation. For more information, please contact gtd.academy@nhs.net.