I had been a qualified Nursing Associate for two years before I then made the choice to apply for university again to complete my degree and do an 18-month top up to be a Staff Nurse.

I decided to go back to university to expand my knowledge and skills in order to become a nurse.

I've been lucky enough to come this far in five years and climb the ladder. I'd tell anyone they'd be silly to pass up the opportunity to learn!

After working within Breast Screening and Mammography for eight years and seeing the importance of screening and what our patients go through,  I have become extremely passionate about the services we provide and delivering it with as much care and compassion that I can offer.

When the opportunity to apply for an apprenticeship came up, it was what I'd been hoping for and I applied straight away. Now that I have completed my first apprenticeship, I would jump at the opportunity to complete a Level 5 apprenticeship.

I absolutely LOVE my job! There is never a day goes by where I don't look forward to coming in to work - every day is completely different and that's one of the reasons this role and the Operating Theatre Department is so unique. 

This apprenticeship has given me the opportunity to purse a career I am passionate about, without having to worry about finances that can otherwise be associated with full-time university-based courses. Had this apprenticeship not been available at the Trust, I probably wouldn't have pursued a career in this department.

I completed a two-year apprenticeship to become an Assistant Practitioner. After being qualified for just over a year, the nursing apprenticeship appeared so I decided this was my opportunity to become a Staff Nurse by completing a two-year top up degree.

This apprenticeship has made me more resilient as an individual and has allowed me to learn a lot about myself. I would recommend an apprenticeship to anyone wanting to progress in nursing

I started as an apprentice in the NHS in 2017 and have continued my career development at Chesterfield Royal Hospital. I started my apprenticeship as I wanted to continue and expand my skills

Completing my apprenticeships have allowed me to build my confidence and achieve things I never thought I would in my career.

Having these qualifications has opened up so many more opportunities.

I undertook my apprenticeship at age 48, having not completed any formal education studies since I left sixth form. I wanted to be able to do more for my patients and supporting nursing staff who were always run off their feet.

My apprenticeship has given me a solid foundation of knowledge and clinical skills which enables me to pass this on to learners. It has also given me the experience to guide and advise experienced colleagues that will be supporting the new starters in their areas.

By undertaking an apprenticeship, I have been able to further develop my communication skills and critical thinking. I have learnt to facilitate interprofessional collaboration and share clinical judgement to ensure best possible outcomes.

No two days are the same in Radiography! I am passionate about providing a high standard of care to patients and can produce good diagnostic images to aid their diagnostics. I find this very rewarding. I am extremely enthusiastic about the work within Diagnostic Radiography and the complexity of technical advancements within imaging.