Sarah Vernon
Sarah Vernon has experienced great success following her Apprenticeship at Bassetlaw and Doncaster Hospital Foundation Trust – progressing from an Apprentice cardiac and pulmonary function assistant in the cardiology department to becoming a senior cardiographer at the age of 49.
Her input has had a significant and measureable impact on patient care and wider business objectives. She has contributed to the development of rigorous performance criteria, has introduced methods for keeping costs down and is now the designated 'standards champion' for the department. In addition, the skills and confidence she has gained during the apprenticeship mean she can now deliver training packages to others within the department.
Kath Thorpe, her nominator said, “Sarah has an outstanding commitment and enthusiasm for doing the best she possibly can to improve patient care and everything she has achieved is a reflection of this aim. She is an excellent ambassador for apprenticeships because she epitomises the wider learning which comes from the 'hands on' experience of work based learning.”
Sarah said, “Completing the apprenticeship has given me confidence at both a personal and career level and I fully intend to continue learning. My next step is to complete a diploma in Electrocardiography, run by the Society for Cardiological Science and Technology (SCST). I would recommend apprenticeships to others – of any age – because of the flexibility in study and the way it is linked to real work.”