Healthcare Assistant (HCA), Susan Millard is just one of our 700 apprentices, working in the Eye Clinic at Aintree University Hospital and being so dedicated to her role, has recently embarked on a learning mentor apprenticeship to further develop her skills.
Susan has spent the last eight years providing crucial support to patients and assisting medical staff at the hospital, but being keen to help others and guide trainees, especially those in the nursing field, was encouraged by her manager to pursue this further development.
Susan’s passion for mentoring meets her ambition to foster an environment in which trainees feel supported and encouraged. By advancing her own qualifications, she believes she can make a lasting impact on the lives of the nurses she mentors and as a result, improve patient care within the NHS.
Susan said: “The course fits around my busy work schedule”. She attends classes just one day a week at Broadgreen Hospital, which allows her to continue working full-time at Aintree University Hospital without compromising her professional responsibilities.
The course, suggested to Susan as part of her role has been both engaging and highly relevant to her daily work. The learning material offers insights and practical approaches to mentoring, which Susan has been able to directly apply in her workplace such as implementing training plans and documenting mentee progress. She believes that effective mentoring is a key factor in improving staff retention, especially in the NHS, and is keen to further develop her skills in this area.
Looking ahead, Susan is hopeful that completing the Learning Mentor Apprenticeship will open doors for career advancement. With her newfound skills and qualification, she aims to expand her role within the Eye Clinic and contribute to mentoring future generations of nurses and nursing staff.
Susan added: “I hope to put in place a more structured and comprehensive mentoring program, which will allow me to help develop the next cohort of healthcare professionals and give them the tools to thrive in their chosen career”.
In celebration of National Apprenticeship Week 2025, current staff have had the opportunity to attend information stands across our hospital sites, where they can find out more about apprenticeship qualifications, they can enrol in. Current apprenticeship opportunities on offer to staff vary from areas of clinical and perioperative healthcare to coaching and mentoring and business administration.
To find out more about an apprenticeship at UHLG, visit the Trust’s careers website.
Photo 📸: Susan [second from L-R] with her colleagues in the Eye Unit at Aintree