My CUH Story - Nneka Smith

4 min read

Nneka Smith is a diagnostic radiographer currently working as the allied health professional (AHP) practice education facilitator.

Listen to Nneka's story.

Link: https://youtu.be/y-bYe_4KkLg

Video transcript

00:00:05:11 - 00:00:05:20

So I'm

00:00:05:20 - 00:00:06:26

Nneka Smith,

00:00:06:26 - 00:00:09:06

I'm a diagnostic radiographer,

00:00:09:06 - 00:00:13:23

but currently I'm working as the AHP

00:00:13:26 - 00:00:17:04

practice clinical education facilitator

00:00:17:07 - 00:00:19:20

and I work with the clinical team.

00:00:19:20 - 00:00:22:09

A diagnostic radiographer

00:00:22:09 - 00:00:24:12

is one of the radiographers

00:00:24:12 - 00:00:27:12

who takes x-rays, CTs, MR

00:00:27:18 - 00:00:29:22

and ultrasounds,

00:00:29:22 - 00:00:31:24

I currently work in plain films,

00:00:31:24 - 00:00:32:25

so I take the X-rays

00:00:32:25 - 00:00:36:23

in inpatients, theatres, outpatients

00:00:36:26 - 00:00:38:10

and we also do dental

00:00:38:10 - 00:00:39:29

and other areas as well.

00:00:39:29 - 00:00:41:00

The things I like about

00:00:41:00 - 00:00:45:09

my job are interacting with service users

00:00:45:12 - 00:00:47:14

but also being able to geek out

00:00:47:14 - 00:00:48:17

with the technology

00:00:48:17 - 00:00:52:27

and seeing the x-rays, looking at them,

00:00:52:29 - 00:00:54:05

deciphering them,

00:00:54:05 - 00:00:55:25

working out how to adjust

00:00:55:25 - 00:00:57:15

technique and practice.

00:00:57:15 - 00:01:00:21

Things change all the time,

00:01:00:23 - 00:01:02:12

and that's what I really enjoy.

00:01:02:12 - 00:01:05:04

I came to CUH as a student

00:01:05:04 - 00:01:08:13

in about 2016,

00:01:08:15 - 00:01:09:12

previous to that,

00:01:09:12 - 00:01:12:20

I'd been a science teacher, I’ve

00:01:12:23 - 00:01:13:24

worked in child protection

00:01:13:24 - 00:01:14:16

and safeguarding,

00:01:14:16 - 00:01:17:24

so I’ve done a lot of work at CUH

00:01:17:26 - 00:01:19:19

with the safeguarding nurses

00:01:19:19 - 00:01:20:18

and also

00:01:20:18 - 00:01:22:15

visiting students on wards

00:01:22:15 - 00:01:24:28

and things like that.

00:01:24:28 - 00:01:26:25

I got to know

00:01:26:25 - 00:01:31:02

a lot of what people did at CUH, and

00:01:31:05 - 00:01:32:14

when I was thinking

00:01:32:14 - 00:01:34:23

about a changing career,

00:01:34:23 - 00:01:36:14

I thought about incorporating

00:01:36:14 - 00:01:38:12

my past experiences

00:01:38:12 - 00:01:40:04

with what I wanted to do in the future.

00:01:40:04 - 00:01:42:24

So radiography was a really good way

00:01:42:24 - 00:01:45:06

to incorporate all those things.

00:01:45:06 - 00:01:47:05

What I like about working at CUH

00:01:47:05 - 00:01:50:00

is the diversity,

00:01:50:00 - 00:01:52:09

there are so many different

00:01:52:09 - 00:01:54:29

professionals and clinicians

00:01:54:29 - 00:01:56:11

all working together,

00:01:56:11 - 00:02:00:14

we have admin staff who are amazing,

00:02:00:17 - 00:02:05:01

but also I really enjoy

00:02:05:03 - 00:02:06:28

learning everyday, it's

00:02:06:28 - 00:02:08:08

a real learning environment

00:02:08:08 - 00:02:08:23

and a hot

00:02:08:23 - 00:02:12:27

pot, we've got so many specialist

00:02:12:29 - 00:02:14:27

surgeries that go on here

00:02:14:27 - 00:02:16:04

and treatments

00:02:16:04 - 00:02:18:13

and clinical research,

00:02:18:13 - 00:02:19:19

so there's always something

00:02:19:19 - 00:02:20:07

that's happening

00:02:20:07 - 00:02:21:06

here, it's a real hub

00:02:21:06 - 00:02:22:09

of kind of knowledge

00:02:22:09 - 00:02:24:13

and growth and activity,

00:02:24:13 - 00:02:27:00

and that's really interesting.

00:02:27:00 - 00:02:28:07

So I'm part of

00:02:28:07 - 00:02:29:09

quite a few of the staff

00:02:29:09 - 00:02:30:06

networks,

00:02:30:06 - 00:02:32:04

one of them is the Purple

00:02:32:04 - 00:02:34:18

Network, which is about

00:02:34:21 - 00:02:38:10

disability and inclusion in that sense.

00:02:38:12 - 00:02:43:15

I'm also part of the LGBTQ+ group

00:02:43:17 - 00:02:46:17

and that's looking at

00:02:46:21 - 00:02:49:21

wellbeing and incorporating

00:02:49:21 - 00:02:52:16

LGBTQ+ rights and roles

00:02:52:16 - 00:02:53:16

and responsibilities

00:02:53:16 - 00:02:55:22

within what we do at CUH and

00:02:55:22 - 00:02:57:18

making sure that we have allies as well

00:02:57:18 - 00:02:59:07

as supporting those members of staff

00:02:59:07 - 00:03:01:16

who are part of those groups.

00:03:01:16 - 00:03:05:11

Also I’m part of the Black, Asian, Ethnic

00:03:05:11 - 00:03:06:27

minority group

00:03:06:27 - 00:03:08:19

and that's also

00:03:08:19 - 00:03:09:22

another form of inclusion.

00:03:09:22 - 00:03:10:06

So inclusion,

00:03:10:06 - 00:03:13:29

is the overall umbrella for all of those,

00:03:13:29 - 00:03:16:02

and it's something that I really am

00:03:16:02 - 00:03:17:02

passionate about.

00:03:17:02 - 00:03:19:21

Making sure that everybody is represented

00:03:19:21 - 00:03:22:06

and that we cater to everybody

00:03:22:06 - 00:03:23:13

who works at CUH,

00:03:23:13 - 00:03:25:09

but also our service users

00:03:25:09 - 00:03:26:07

who might come under

00:03:26:07 - 00:03:27:12

some of these umbrellas

00:03:27:12 - 00:03:30:19

and therefore might have worries

00:03:30:19 - 00:03:31:13

and concerns

00:03:31:13 - 00:03:32:26

about how they're going to be treated

00:03:32:26 - 00:03:34:03

when they come here.

00:03:34:03 - 00:03:35:10

So to be able to see that

00:03:35:10 - 00:03:39:11

there are allies across CCH really helps

00:03:39:14 - 00:03:42:04

improve and makes them settled.

00:03:42:06 - 00:03:43:07

The advice I’d give to

00:03:43:07 - 00:03:44:17

anyone who is thinking

00:03:44:17 - 00:03:45:09

about working in

00:03:45:09 - 00:03:47:14

healthcare is making sure

00:03:47:14 - 00:03:49:11

it's something they want to do,

00:03:49:11 - 00:03:51:04

it's a vocation,

00:03:51:04 - 00:03:53:22

it's about helping other people.

00:03:53:22 - 00:03:56:22

So if you have passions for that,

00:03:56:23 - 00:03:57:25

working in the healthcare

00:03:57:25 - 00:03:59:08

is the way forward.

00:03:59:08 - 00:04:01:12

There are so many different routes

00:04:01:12 - 00:04:03:00

and avenues that you can go down.

00:04:03:00 - 00:04:03:28

You start at

00:04:03:28 - 00:04:07:13

place A and you can end up at X, Y or Z,

00:04:07:15 - 00:04:09:14

there are so many opportunities

00:04:09:14 - 00:04:10:24

and it's really rewarding.

A diagnostic radiographer is an Allied Health Professional (AHP) who takes X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasounds – these are all imaging techniques which help us to see the internal structures of the body and make an accurate diagnosis for our patients. Nneka takes the X-rays in inpatients, theatres, outpatients as well as dentals and other areas.

We asked Nneka what she likes about her role:

I like interacting with service users but also being able to geek out with the technology - seeing the x-rays and looking at them, deciphering them and working out how to adjust technique and practice. Things change all the time and that’s what I really enjoy.

Nneka came to CUH as a student in 2016. Prior to that she was a science teacher, also working in child protection and safeguarding. This involved visiting students on wards and collaborating with the safeguarding nurses at CUH, giving Nneka a real insight into the roles here. When she considered a change in career, Nneka looked to incorporate her past experiences with what she wanted to do in the future, so radiography was a really good way to incorporate all these things.

Talking about CUH, Nneka says:

"What I like about working at CUH is the diversity. There are so many different professionals and clinicians all working together, and we have admin staff who are amazing. I really enjoy learning every day; it’s a real learning environment."

We’ve got so many specialist surgeries here, along with treatments and clinical research, so there’s always something happening. It’s a real hub of growth, knowledge and activity, so that’s really interesting.

Nneka is passionate about inclusion. She comments:

“I’m involved in quite a few of the staff networks, including the Purple Network which is about disability and inclusion. I’m also part of the LGBT+ group, looking at wellbeing and incorporating LGBT+ rights and roles and responsibilities within what we do in CUH, and making sure we have allies, as well as supporting those members of staff who are part of these groups.

“I’m also part of the Black, Asian and ethnic minority group, making sure that everyone is represented and that we cater for everybody at CUH. This includes our service users who might come under some of these umbrellas and therefore might have worries or concerns about how they’re going to be treated when they visit. For them to see that there are allies really helps.”

Nneka concludes:

"The advice I’d give to anyone who’s thinking about working in health care is to make sure it’s something you really want to do. It’s a vocation, it’s about helping other people."

So if you have a passion for that, working in healthcare is definitely the way forward.

"There are many different routes - you start at A and you can end up at X, Y or Z. There are so many opportunities and it’s really rewarding."