A team of students from Hall Cross Academy in Doncaster have been supporting flu vaccinators at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals to protect their staff against the winter illness.
The students, who are all studying healthcare sciences at A Level, have been accompanying the vaccinators on the wards at the hospital and providing admin services to help out the team. So far, they have supported the team in vaccinating over 60 per cent of the workforce in just over three weeks.
The students have been recording names of those who have been vaccinated, guiding them through the consent procedure and distributing stickers and sherbet lemons to staff who have had their jabs. They have also been busy spreading the word through the organisation about the importance of getting your flu jab. They have been keeping a daily log of the wards and departments they have attended, so the Trust can make sure they visit all areas, and ensuring the flu trolleys are constantly stocked for each outing.
Megan Catherine Mellor, one of the students taking part, said: “Working with the nurses on this vaccination drive has given me more understanding of their roles and I’m really looking forward to pursuing a career as a mental health nurse with the help of this experience.”
The Trust is on a mission to vaccinate at least 75% per cent of its staff, who have direct patient contact, in a bid to reduce the impact of flu and protect vulnerable patients. They were the first acute trust in the country to hit the target last year.
Sewa Singh, Medical Director and Vascular Surgeon, said: “Our main goal is to protect the health of our patients while they are in our care. It’s important that our staff protect themselves and reduce the risk of passing on the flu virus to those receiving treatment so we really appreciate the support the students have provided. I would encourage all our staff directly involved in care and treatment of patients to get behind our flu campaign and get vaccinated!”
The project was arranged to give the students an insight into working in healthcare. Dawn Stokes, Year 12 Manager at Hall Cross Academy, said: “We are extremely pleased that our Hall Cross Academy Sixth Form students have been invited to take part in the NHS flu campaign. As our students are at the point where they are making important decisions about their future career plans, having the opportunity to undertake this quality of placement alongside their course has really given them valuable experience to support their university and employment applications.”
Flu can cause a range of illnesses from mild to severe, even among healthy people. People aged 65 and over, pregnant women, anyone with diabetes, chest or heart conditions and others in at-risk groups are advised to ask their GP about having the flu vaccine.