Medical insight is solid as a rock
TWO students from Edge Hill’s Faculty of Health and Social Care have just returned from a trip to Gibraltar which has provided them with a great insight into the medical world.
Third year Operating Department Practice (ODP) students, Grace Axford-Hawkes (22) and Megan Hughes (28), chose to go to St Bernard’s Hospital in Gibraltar for their two week placement as they wanted to experience patient care in the operating theatres there.
“When I was in my first year we were told about elective placements and the possibility of going to Australia or China,” said Megan.
“I’d done a lot of travelling before this degree and I had set my heart on going to Canada. When it came to third year I tried to arrange a placement but could not get insured to practice out there.
“Grace, knowing I wanted to go abroad, asked if I wanted to go to Gibraltar as we knew the hospital there already has links with Edge Hill.
“I think elective placements are fantastic for students to get out there and experience something a little bit out of their comfort zone. At first I was scared but found my feet and now I feel like a much more accomplished practitioner.
“I’m going to be working in a different hospital from the one in which I practiced as a student and I feel ready to take on that challenge. I’d highly recommend an elective placement in an area you wouldn’t usually get experience in.”
Operating department practitioners work with surgeons, anaesthetists and theatre nurses to ensure surgery is as safe and effective as possible.
While they were at St Bernard’s Hospital, Grace and Megan broadened their knowledge by working with anaesthetists from all over Europe and using new equipment and materials, such as drugs that wouldn’t usually be used in the UK.
Grace said: “I enjoyed working alongside the perioperative team at St Bernard’s because of the various backgrounds in which staff had trained. This meant I could learn about surgical and anaesthetic techniques taught in different countries. All the staff were welcoming, the hospital has only one Gibraltarian ODP so it was exciting for them to have ODP students in their department because the degree isn’t available there. Having trained at four hospitals within the same trust I’ve been taught a certain way, and this placement has taught me there are many ways in which patients can receive safe care.
“I feel a lot more confident asking questions about new techniques and methods. As we’re due to qualify in April I was nervous about how much we’d be expected to know, but this placement has also taught me it isn’t possible to know everything, medicine and surgery is forever changing so I shouldn’t expect too much of myself.
“The most key thing to do is ask questions or for help when it is needed.”