NHS Lanarkshire played host to 12 army cadets as part of the Scottish launch of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Prince of Wales Nursing Cadet Scheme.
The scheme aims to encourage young people into a career in nursing.
Launched by the RCN, the scheme has been supported by His Majesty The King, formerly as The Prince of Wales, since its conception in 2019. The programme has already seen great success in England and Wales.
The army cadets from Glasgow and Lanarkshire Army cadet Force Battalion completed 18 learning modules and experienced clinical placements within NHS Lanarkshire.
Angela Cassells, Practice Development Centre Project Lead for NHS Lanarkshire, said: “The cadet scheme is designed to give army cadets an opportunity to gain insight into working within careers in healthcare.
“The taught programme was carried out over five days and was delivered in partnership between NHS Lanarkshire, the RCN and the Army Cadet Force.
“Following this, the cadets accessed clinical placements in different environments within NHS Lanarkshire for 20 hours observational working experience.”
Angela added: “The cadets were supported by a designated supervisor within the placement area and followed the journey of the patients accessing the department and the staff member. For example, the cadet working in speech and language therapy followed a speech and language therapist through their working day. This gave the cadet first hand insight into what it means to work within that role in NHS Lanarkshire.”
They also took part in a 2 day simulation experience provided by NHS Lanarkshire`s Medical Education Department.
Eddie Docherty, Executive NMAHP Director, for NHS Lanarkshire, said: “As part of the patient based simulation scenario they were introduced to a story around a patient who has had a stroke at home.
“Throughout this experience, they followed her journey from coming in to hospital in an ambulance through to all of the services she would have accessed whilst in hospital”.
“They learned about various careers e.g. as a paramedic, within the emergency department through to working on a stoke ward and as an allied health professional”.
“At the simulation sessions, they had the opportunity to practice under supervision and via simulation to take bloods, put in cannulas for drips and apply plasters to fractures”.
“The sessions encouraged the young people to think what this scenario was like from the perspective of the patient.”
The scheme has been supported and delivered by a wide range of NHS Lanarkshire colleagues from across nursing, allied health professions, pharmacy, medical education and Scottish ambulance service. All involved should be congratulated on their support as their input was hugely instrumental in providing a valuable learning experience for the Army Cadets.
Sunday 30th July marked the formal RCN Prince of Wales Cadet Scheme awards ceremony at the Army Cadet Force Dechmont Training Centre in Cambuslang.
The awards ceremony was attended by the army cadets, SSI Cheryl Mulligan (Battalion First Aid Training & Medical Support Officer, RCN Prince of Wales Cadet Scheme Lead), members of Glasgow & Lanarkshire Army Cadet Battalion, Professor Dave Clarke (Head of the Royal College of Nursing Prince of Wales Nursing Cadet Scheme), Helen Hare (RCN UK Project Manager), Angela Cassells from NHS Lanarkshire, and parents and relatives of the army cadets.
The success of the first cohort of the scheme in Scotland can be attributed to partnership working across NHS Lanarkshire, RCN and Glasgow and Lanarkshire Army Cadet Force, the commitment and effort by all of those involved in supporting the army cadets as they gained practical skills, placement experience, and insight into nursing and a range of health care careers.
In addition it is hoped that their experience on the scheme will inspire them to pursue a career as a health care provider within NHS Lanarkshire.
