In this section, I am going to be focusing on two main professions; a Nursery Nurse, and the other a doctor. I will be looking at the skills and qualifications needed to fulfil these roles. Then, I will look at the advantages and disadvantages that are involved in these important roles. To get full marks, I will need to include their daily routines, qualities and skills in detail. Doctor’s daily routine: General practitioners (GPs) diagnose and treat a wide range of health conditions that can have physical, emotional or social causes.
They talk to and examine patients to help to diagnose their condition. They can give patients advice on health issues, prescribe medicine or treatment, perform minor surgery or, where appropriate, refer patients to other healthcare professionals. They also educate patients about healthy lifestyles and have responsibility for preventative programmes, such as health screening and flu vaccinations. For most people, GPs are their first point of contact with the National Health Service (NHS). Most GPs work Monday to Friday, starting at 8am or 8.30am and finishing by 6.30pm. Some run Saturday morning surgeries and provide out-of-hours cover. Part-time work is becoming increasingly common.
GPs work indoors in doctors’ surgeries, but also travel locally to visit patients at home and to attend meetings. Here is an example I got from the internet of a GP’s daily routine: Professor of Primary Care, Azeem Majeed, arrived at Imperial in February 2004 and holds the position of Head of Department of Primary Care and Social Medicine. Professor Majeed is also a part-time general practitioner in the Clapham area and currently spends one day a week in this capacity. He said: “I get tremendous satisfaction from my work as a GP and it’s great that I get to combine it with my time spent at the College.” Reporter’s Alex Platt headed to the Charing Cross Hospital campus where Professor Majeed is based to find out about a typical day in his working life.
8.30 Professor Majeed arrives at his desk and works through email and phone messages. He said: “If I’m attending my GP surgery in Clapham, I have to drive and be there for 7.45 so it really makes me appreciate the fact that I can walk from my house in Fulham to the Charing Cross. However, I don’t escape public transport all week, as I’m often over at the South Kensington and St Mary’s Campuses.”
9.30 Professor Majeed spends time briefing his PA and Departmental Administrator about any issues that may have arisen in the Department. He said: “This time is invaluable. I rely on my PA to keep me organised and my DA to ensure the smooth running of all the essential aspects of the Department, for example this morning we went through the budgets for the next few months. This is crucial, but something that I don’t have enough time to complete myself”
10.00 Meeting with research staff. The support of PhD students, public health trainees and research is a large part of Professor Majeed’s job. He said: “Today we met about a study into the treatment of diabetes within London. I really value the chance to interact practically with junior staff.”
11.00 Professor Majeed gives a seminar on research methods in the area of health research. He also gives clinical lectures, usually on medical conditions that are common in general practice, for example, heart disease. 12.30 Lunch is a sandwich at his desk. Professor Majeed explained: “I usually have a chance to catch up on my correspondence over lunch.”
13.00 Faculty of Medicine meeting at South Kensington. Professor Majeed said: “Today’s meeting was to discuss our response to a government document about the future of health research strategy. This will have been sent to various organisations for comments. We also discussed the training of junior doctors who would like to become academic clinicians, and how the College can support this effectively. It feels good to be able to make a real difference in national initiatives that I feel strongly about.”
15.00 Professor Majeed spends some time revising a research grant application to be submitted by one of his staff. He said: “I’ve done my time as first author of papers and grant applications and it’s great to be able to be in the position to support others who are just starting out. I find that my own research is squeezed in around management these days, but I will always make space for it, as it’s how I started and it’s important.”
16.30 Professor Majeed’s last task of the day is to meet with a local Primary Care Trust, which has approached him to ask for advice on a new health centre it is building. He said: “I am working with health professionals to try and configure the best supply of health services for this particular area. Contributing to something like this is really rewarding. After all, we’re all going to need these services eventually.” 17.30 Professor Majeed spends the last hour of his day at work dealing with emails. 18.30 Professor Majeed leaves for his 25-minute walk home.