North Hertfordshire College’s Health & Social Care courses are designed to provide our learners with the skills and experience they need to start a successful career and open doors to a range of opportunities, from further study to employment. A great example of this is Summer Hood, who recently finished her Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care at North Hertfordshire College!
We spoke to Summer about her experience of studying with NHC and her career journey so far – check out her thoughts in her open letter:
“I completed my Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care course with North Hertfordshire College and I loved it – I couldn’t have had a better experience. We covered interesting topics such as human anatomy, mental health, physiology, and development throughout the life stages. On top of the course itself, we also completed another two additional qualifications: Dementia Awareness and Mental Health Awareness. All of this, combined with the experience I gained from work placement, my experience working in a pharmacy throughout college, and my first responder qualifications and medical gases training, meant I earned a place in the cardiology department within Lister Hospital.
“I have now become a cardiographer. This involves working with patients on a daily basis, performing testing on the heart such as ECGs, observations, and Holter monitors that we put onto patients. On top of this, I’ve been able to observe small surgical procedures, such as watching a pacemaker get fitted, as well as taking trips to the wards to put a different type of heart monitor onto patients who have been admitted.
“My job can also give me life-changing opportunities to work my way up and develop my career. I can do this by going to university (while still working my current job) and training to be a cardiac physiologist. This job role will mean I can then diagnose and treat patients with heart problems as well as playing a big part in procedures that patients need in order to get better. This is thanks to the support I received from NHC during my time there, as well as the great level of teaching we received during the course. Most of the health subjects they taught are things I still use to this day.
“The Health and Social Care course has set me up for my future career, which I am very much looking forward to progressing through.
“I couldn’t ask for a better environment to work in. I get along very well with my colleagues and the variety of patients I meet on a day-to-day basis. I am also excited to see what the future is holding for my career. Lastly, a big thank you to my Health & Social Care tutors Cheryl Hall and Anna Copper for getting me to where I am today and teaching me everything I know about the health and social care sector – I wouldn’t have been able to get here without their teaching and support.”
If you’re interested in starting your own career in the healthcare sector, then check out North Hertfordshire College’s Health and Social Care courses! With NHC, you can stay close to home and unlock the skills you need to go far in the future!