The UHCW KLS team know that balancing work and learning isn’t easy. That’s why we teamed up with the Education SDM Council last week to run the first-ever Learners’ Café: a drop-in event for anyone to come and meet other learners, take a break and share their experiences over a cup of coffee.
We're so pleased to share that #TeamUHCW showed up! Over lunchtime, we welcomed a steady stream of colleagues and the atmosphere was buzzing (not just from the coffee) but from the conversations about what it’s really like to juggle studying while working in a fast-paced hospital environment. Some stopped by for a quick chat. Others stayed longer, taking part in the crafting activities as a way to decompress and connect.
We were so grateful to colleagues for sharing their personal stories of returning to study, undertaking challenging CPD courses and trying to upskill in advance of taking on new job roles. So far, we've found that time management is the primary concern for our learners: trying to find quality time to study in amongst work, family life and long commutes to work was a very common thread in our conversations with colleagues on the day. Other key themes included:
- Perceived lack of support / flexibility from colleagues
- Inability to obtain protected time for studying
- Lack of awareness of support services
- Worries about "not being good enough" for higher education
- Accessibility of resources / local ICT provision on wards
The Education SDM Council will be weaving these themes into their future projects, so thank you to every participant who was able to share their story.
If you couldn’t make it - we’re still listening. Share your experiences anonymously here: Balancing Learning and Working at UHCW or drop us an email: Beth.Jackson@uhcw.nhs.uk
What's Next?
The response to the Café was overwhelmingly positive and we've already received several requests to run another one. Would you like to see us run this event again? Should it travel to different departments? Would smaller drop-ins with a specific theme be useful? If you'd like to share your thoughts, please get in contact with the Education SDM Council Chairs:
Beth Jackson - Beth.Jackson@uhcw.nhs.uk
Liz Wilson - Elizabeth.Wilson@uhcw.nhs.uk
If you were able to drop by for the first Learners’ Café: thank you. You helped us start an important conversation.
If you missed it: we hope to see you next time!
