I’m Hannah Garnett, a local newborn hearing screening programme (NHSP) manager. In this blog article I’m sharing my experience of completing the postgraduate health screening module at Warwick University, how it has helped me to review my work and how I have been able to apply many of the principles to my own programme in Devon.
Having seen the application form in previous years, I decided to stop making excuses and applied to attend the 5-day course. It wasn’t a lengthy application process, so don’t let that put you off.
I was lucky enough to be awarded the funding. PHE paid my course fees and my organisation funded my travel and accommodation. I stayed on campus as commuting from Devon to Warwick wasn’t an option. It was fantastic being able to immerse myself in a week of ‘student life’: not to the extent I did 20 years ago, but there were a couple of visits to the students’ union bar.
The course itself was exceptional and I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.
Enjoying student life
The atmosphere was relaxing and even fun at times. The lecturers were interesting and engaging and everyone in the room was able to keep up. Despite having worked in screening for the past 11 years, it was surprising how little knowledge I had on how a screening programme is introduced (I shouldn’t admit that!). Having said that, I didn’t at any point feel stupid or inadequate. Everyone had a different background: from medics and PhD students to local managers like me. Everyone brought their own valuable expertise and experience to the group discussions.
The course fired up my thirst for learning and an enthusiasm for all screening programmes, not only NHSP.
Sitting at home in the cold light of a February Sunday trying to complete my 4,000 word assignment was a different story, but a valuable one.
It’s always easy to come away from a course on a new found knowledge high. This may disappear after a couple of weeks, back to the hum drum of daily life. But on doing the assignment, all that new knowledge compounded itself in my mind, making me revisit what I learned and ensuring that I’d really got it this time. Well, I passed, so I must have got the general gist!
Seriously, this is a course for everyone. I really cannot recommend it enough. It has helped me look at my programme with a fresh approach and apply many of the principles I learnt to my service goals and objectives. No more excuses, get applying...
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