Secondment opportunity boosts PCA’s nursing aspirations

A patient care assistant (PCA) has progressed his nursing career thanks to a secondment offered for the first time at a nearby referral hospital.

After completing his PCA training at Animal Ark Veterinary Centre in Ilford, Essex, Mohammed Aqib Ashraf was keen to develop his skills in theatre. He successfully applied for a new secondment opportunity at Southfields Veterinary Specialists in Basildon, becoming part of its theatre nursing team for six weeks.

Mr Ashraf said: “I had worked at Animal Ark for just over three years and wanted to gain experience at a referral hospital before training as a student nurse.

“I have a particular interest in theatre, and was keen to advance my skills to support our patients and the nursing team at Animal Ark. It was very exciting to have the opportunity to challenge and empower myself by testing my knowledge and abilities in this way.”

Mentor support

Mr Ashraf was supported by mentor Kayleigh Bowen, an RVN working as part of the surgical team at Southfields. He completed a theatre support skills list during the secondment and has since started his Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing.

Laila Liakouras, clinical director at Linnaeus-owned Animal Ark, said: “It was the perfect time for Mohammed to boost his knowledge and confidence with a secondment at Southfields, and we’re so pleased it was such a success.

“Mohammed’s commitment to skills development is enabling him to provide excellent patient care, support our nursing team and progress his career. By working together with referral centres, we are able to share best practice in patient care – Mohammed has certainly brought back a wealth of insights that we have implemented here at Animal Ark.”

Emma Hill-Gowing, nurse team leader for learning and development at Southfields, which is also owned by Linnaeus, added: “It was a pleasure to host Mohammed for his secondment, which also enabled us to build a closer relationship with colleagues at Animal Ark. This is the first PCA secondment we have hosted at Southfields and we are glad the opportunity is helping Mohammed to thrive in his veterinary nurse training.”