Surgical precision brings a new career for ambitious Patryk

Company news

Oct 27, 2014

From the day three years ago when he began working at Care UK’s Emersons Green NHS Treatment Centre in Bristol, Patryk Kluczkowski was spotted as being bright and ambitious.

Healthcare support worker Patryk aided the medical team in the treatment centre’s operating theatres, opening sterile packages, moving patients into position and acting as a ‘runner’.

Theatre manager Lesley Turnball said it wasn’t hard to see the huge potential Patryk had to offer. “He really is very special. He has a fantastic commitment to providing the best care and support to patients whilst also being very bright and very quick to learn. He quickly impressed the medical and non-medical members of the team and so we looked at ways we could develop his career.”

Within the traditional role of support worker there is very little room for progression so Lesley and the HR team at the treatment centre turned to Edge Hill University’s two-year assistant practitioner course.

She explained: “Care UK is committed to training all team members but we are particularly keen to stretch those colleagues who show genuine empathy to the patients as well as having ability and aptitude. We do this as we hope to foster commitment while also building and maintaining a strong team.”

From the outset of the course, tutors at the university marked Patryk out as a gifted and committed student. Angela Whelan, tutor at the university, said: “Patryk has been an exemplary student. His commitment to the programme was constant and his course work was always of an excellent quality. He demonstrated a keenness to develop the role of the assistant practitioner while applying his ideas intelligently in a way that underpinned his ideas with research and theory.

“Fundamental to all of Patryk's work is its quality and, possibly most important, his attitude to patient care. The hallmark of a good student is whether you would want that student to care for you. Whilst I want to hold on to my health, if I was in need of perioperative care, I would feel relieved and confident if I saw Patryk.”

Patryk is now a qualified scrub practitioner, supporting and supplying instruments to the surgeon throughout an operation and ensuring patient safety and comfort in recovery.

He said: “It was two years of hard work. I attended college every Wednesday, worked at the treatment centre and I have a young family but it was worth it. I learnt a great deal and now I can provide better care for our patients – improving their health and wellbeing.

“I can also provide greater support to my colleagues. I enjoy working in such a positive and dedicated team and if I get the opportunity I would like to train as a nurse.”