Seeing the care given to her mum after being diagnosed with lung cancer inspired research assistant Sheryl Bell to launch her career looking after others.
After starting off in a home for people with dementia, Sheryl began working for the NHS in 2014 as a care support worker. During her time at Salford Royal, she was mainly based in operating theatres, gaining experience in neurology and spinal specialties as well as orthopaedics and trauma and then finding a placement on the haematology unit to learn venepuncture skills.
But she was keen to develop her career and a former colleague suggested a move to research.
Research collection
It wasn’t something she had previously experienced, but Sheryl was so keen she completed her good clinical practice training even before she was interviewed for her new role. She now works in the inpatient research delivery team, mainly on our biobank, the NCA Research Collection (NCARC).
And while there’s been a lot to learn, she says she loves the variety, the patient contact and the chance to be part of improving diagnosis, care and treatment in the NHS.
Sheryl said: “I’ve been here more than three years now and there’s something new to learn all the time. There’s a bit of everything – seeing patients, lab work and the admin side – and I’ve also dipped my toes into other areas like our vaccine trials.
“It’s very rewarding too – patients who are contributing samples to NCARC collections won’t usually feel the benefit of the research themselves but they’re happy to help because we wouldn’t have the treatments we have today without others who have done something similar.”
She’s also thankful to colleagues for the support they’ve given as she’s learned new skills and is keen to progress further by completing her research practitioner training.