Sonographer shortlisted for award for international recruitment and training work
A sonographer has been shortlisted for an award in recognition of her work recruiting and supporting international sonographers.
Anita Cavell, Sonographer Recruitment Lead at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is in the running for the Workforce Transformation Award at the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer (CAHPO) Awards 2023.
Sonographers use ultrasound to provide a vital diagnostic and therapeutic imaging services across obstetric and other specialties.
The nomination recognises Anita’s work in recruiting skilled Internationally Educated sonographers to the Trust, implementing the new career framework, and creating a training hub to enable them to progress.
Anita recognised that many internationally educated sonographers had many years of clinical experience and skills that could strengthen the sonographer workforce, but lacked the academic qualifications required in the UK to take up a post as an Advanced Practitioner Sonographer.
She was instrumental in devising the new role of Practitioner Sonographer within the directorate, which enabled international sonographers to join the team and perform routine, non-urgent clinical examinations, with more complex cases escalated to advanced practitioner sonographers or consultant radiologists.
She set up an off-site training hub, where she and colleagues could assess, develop, and support the new sonographers.
Internationally educated sonographers have now been working at STH as Practitioner Sonographers for a year. All now have individual lists scheduled, with two recruits currently completing the post-graduate university course which will enable them to progress to Advanced Practitioner roles.
The recruitment has helped the ultrasound service to meet national targets, and established the Trust as a leader in adopting the new career framework for sonographers. The temporary training hub has now been approved for long-term use to improve training facilities for all trainees, from Apprentice Sonographer to Specialist Registrar.
Anita said: “It has been very rewarding to be able to lead a project which has had such benefits for staff and the department.”
The CAHPO Awards take place on 12th October 2023.
Photo: Anita Cavell (left) with colleagues at a training day
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