Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
LOCKDOWN LED TO MY CAREER
DURING lockdown, Kyi Thar watched in awe on TV as hospital staff battled to save lives and knew his future lay with the NHS. Now, thanks to support and guidance from The Prince’s Trust, the 23-year-old from Cambridge began work as a carer and now works on critical wards looking after patients at the Royal Papworth Hospital.
What kind of tasks do you do at work?
As a trainee clinical scientist I do so many things, including assisting the medical and nursing teams with various tasks, such as setting up medical devices to monitor the patient’s condition, taking blood cultures or inserting cannulas.
Under supervision I can also perform bedside ultrasound scans for heart and lungs. I’m in my first year of a three-year training programme – I’m rotating through specialities such as respiratory, cardiology, critical care, medical engineering, and cardiac and thoracic surgery. I’m also enrolled at Manchester Metropolitan University for a Masters.
What do you love about it?
So much. We look after organ transplant patients with long-term conditions that require them to stay in hospital getting machine support for their heart or lungs.
I find it incredibly rewarding, especially when they recover from their illness and go home with their families.
What I love the most about Papworth is that everyone there is dedicated to supporting their colleagues and patient families while delivering the best care possible to our patients.
I feel privileged to be trained there because of its state-of-theart facilities and knowledgeable clinicians – always willing to help us be the best at what we do when we qualify as critical care scientists.
My team is super friendly and supportive. It’s like a small family.
What are the challenges?
Attending cardiac calls in intensive care units are the most challenging part of my job. During these situations, I follow the lead of qualified clinical scientists as we strive to help patients, particularly those who are experiencing cardiac arrest in critical care areas.
Exposure to these situations has taught me to develop emotional resilience and find the best ways to assist patients, even in more challenging circumstances.
Did you always dream of doing this sort of thing?
No. I worked as a community carer but my mentor, Dr Rob Berks, a GP volunteer at The Prince’s Trust guided me to where I am now.
How did you end up turning to The Prince’s Trust?
I did a medical physiology degree but just couldn’t get work. During lockdown I had witnessed ordinary people, such as healthcare workers, performing extraordinary jobs on TV. Seeing them inspired me. At the time, I only had a vague idea of what I wanted to do, so I began applying for healthcare support roles. Unfortunately, I faced several job interview rejections and didn’t know what to do next.
I was out of work for eight months, which was hard.
Fortunately, I stumbled upon The Prince’s Trust Health and Social Care programme on social media and decided to apply for it.
It taught me how to get my CV right, prepared me for interview, and helped me secure my first care job.
I really enjoyed being a carer, looking after people. You were able to work alongside different health and social care staff in the community, meeting district nurses and GPS.
By working with people, you feel like you are making a good contribution to someone’s life. You get a good feeling every day, which makes you want to push more, develop more and make more of an impact.
What led you to where you are now?
Through my mentor I was encouraged to apply to become a healthcare assistant in an acute medical ward. The Prince’s Trust invited me to join an online recruitment day. I interviewed and got the job.
It was incredibly rewarding as I got to witness patients get better and eventually return home.
I then got a new position as a critical care associate practitioner in a local hospital which eventually motivated me to apply for my current training programme.
Why do you recommend The Prince’s Trust?
The programme has been a lifechanger for me. It helped me realise a lot about my future and without them I’m not sure where I would be. This programme is an amazing opportunity that helps to build a bridge between the employer and candidates.
‘‘ Prince’s Trust programme has been an amazing life-changer for me