THIRTY-two years to the day after first stepping out as a student nurse, health boss Philomena (Phil) Corrigan went back to her roots.
Phil, who lives in Skipton, joined ten recently-recruited practice nurses at Leeds Student Medical Practice as part of a training initiative to encourage nurses to take up a career in practice nursing.
Phil is chief executive of NHS Leeds West Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which has invested in a 12-month pilot project called the preceptee nursing scheme.
It offers new work placement programme so that newly graduated student nurses and those working in other nursing disciplines, such as within a hospital setting or community nursing, can try cutting their teeth in practice nursing.
Phil started her career 32 years ago on October 2, 1982 and has worked in a range of clinical areas such as intensive care, surgical services and older people’s services.
She then moved into a research, audit and educational role before she took up a range of senior director level positions prior to taking on the role of chief executive for NHS Leeds West CCG, the health body responsible for planning and funding healthcare services.
Despite the demands of her role, Phil has continued to keep up to date with her qualifications and registrations from professional nursing bodies and still commits time every month as a nurse.
She said: “It is amazing to think that it is exactly 32 years to the day that I took my first steps in nursing. Although I am not formally a preceptee nurse on this innovative programme we have set up, I will still be taking part in some of the key training programmes and also spend some time working within a GP practice, starting with Leeds Student Medical Practice.
"I am keen to pick up new skills to this day and to do so in a practice nursing environment will mark a new departure from my previous roles.”
Practice nurses are highly skilled healthcare professional that play a crucial role in delivering care to patients within GP practices and can offer advice, support and treatment for a range of conditions.
To find out more about a career in the NHS please visit the NHS Careers website: www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
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