Karis Longcroft is a second year T Level Health (Adult Nursing) student at Richard Taunton Sixth Form College. Here, Karis reflects on what it is like to study one of these relatively new qualifications, where work experience is a big part.
What’s it like studying a T Level in Health?
Studying T Level Health at Richard Taunton has been an absolute dream. I struggled to be dedicated and interested in secondary school due to the lesson formats and having to study subjects that didn’t interest me.
What’s a class like?
In the T Level Health class we have a variety of different lesson formats with a mixture of theory and practical work which I find helps keeps the class engaged as you are not endlessly writing. During practical lessons we are able to learn clinical skills and practice real life scenarios which helps prepare us for our future careers and placements. I have always found the teachers to go above and beyond to accommodate my needs so that I can get the most out of each lesson. I am dyslexic and struggle with my hearing so all of my teachers ensure that each lesson I have I am sat at the front with the worksheets on coloured paper.
What do you like about the course?
One thing I like about the course is that our grade is not based entirely on exams. We are marked on just two exams: our placement and projects placed throughout our course. I find that this helps take pressure off as it is not all left to one month to determine our grade and instead throughout our course as a whole.
Do you get any visits from people who work in health?
Once a week we get a lesson from Nicola George, a cardiologist nurse and teacher at the Southampton University Hospital. This allows us to gain an in-depth understanding on what studying nursing will be like and further grow our knowledge on clinical skills. Nicola and one of our teachers, who is a former nurse, share their experiences in nursing with us, providing us with knowledge on how to best handle the physical and emotional side of nursing not only benefiting us but all our future placements.
What are the T level work placements like?
My favourite part of the T level course is by far the placements we get to complete. There are a variety of wards and when your ward is being selected your preferences are taken into consideration. By completing placement, you are able to get a grasp of if nursing is the right career for you, make industry connection and gain hands on experience working with a variety of patients and practitioners. Some of the people in my class are now confident in what specialism they would like to work in following their placement. In just one day of placement, you learn so much and it has helped me feel prepared for my future career.
Furthermore, during placements one day a week you are at college, allowing us to stay connected with our teachers, learn from each other’s experiences, talk about any questions we have and document key learning points to help us in our future.
In summary, what would you say to anyone considering studying a T level in Health?
Overall, I thoroughly enjoy T level Health and would recommend it to anyone interested in a healthcare profession. I feel fully supported from my teachers and the college as a whole, leading me to be excited and confident in my future as a paediatric nurse!