Jade Smith (PA-R)

Background  Undergraduate Degree: BSc (hons) Radiotherapy and Oncology  Worked as a Radiotherapist/registered Radiographer  Graduated as Physician Associate from University Herts and SGUL 2010  1 year Internship in General Practice  Continued in same General Practice until Dec 2013  Now working in a Large Practice in Baintree

PA Training: The course  Developed skills in a number of areas including: taking medical histories performing examinations diagnosing illnesses analysing test results formulating a management plan  Slightly different approaches between universities, but each works well PBL Lectures – university staff and guest speakers Pharmacology Assessments

PA Training: Challenges  New course & unknown profession  Support from adequately trained staff at university  Amount to learn is daunting at times  Clinical placements  Cost

Clinical Placement: Experiences  Placement areas: Primary care Acute medicine Obstetrics and gynaecology Mental Health Cardiology General medics  Variable depending on placement  Supervisors and wider team  Timetables

Clinical Placement: Acquiring competencies  Taught most in university skills sessions prior to placements  Clinical skills passport / logbook Venopuncture Cannulation ABGs oxygen therapy injections male and female catheterisation Insertion / removal of NG tube Suturing Interpretation of imaging  Basic Life Support and Immediate Life Support

Clinical Placement: Challenges  Not many  What worked vs what didn’t  Lots of students  PA role and where it fits in  Being accepted by the wider care team

Student Elective  Not done on all courses – allows students to experience more of what they enjoy or a little something different  Won a scholarship and undertook an elective in Emergency Medicine at Abington Memorial Hospital, Pennsylvania, USA.  Gained valuable experience working with established practicing Physician Assistants and acquired additional skills in suturing, incision and drainage of abscesses, and casting.

Current Role - Jade  See routine and urgent caseloads, as well as work on call  Treated as registrar and allocated work to this grade  I see patients from all areas of medicine and am trusted to work within my limitations. My mentor is available should I be faced with something outside of my remit  Do urgent / routine home visits  Make all my own referrals for both acute and chronic illness  Mark all my own lab tests including blood and imaging results

Current Role - Jade  Lead ward rounds in all nursing home  Extra qualifications in family planning, diabetes and anticoagulation  Minor surgery to insert/remove contraceptive implants  Solely set up in house POCT for anticoagulation and will initiate NOACs  Lead in diabetes: Initiate insulin and GLP1 analogues  Train nurses and nurse practitioner in house

Recruitment & Employment  Securing employment once qualified  Managed Voluntary Register  CPD and recertification  Challenges: prescribing lack of awareness of the role wider care team

Thank you for listening Any questions welcome

 address:  UKAPA: