Libby Driver

What do you do in your current role/area of expertise?

I work clinically with undergraduate radiography students, newly qualified radiographers and apprentice radiographers to support them in their learning journey. I focus on imaging technique, anatomy and pathology to help learners close the gap between academic theory and clinical practice. I try and work with each student on a regular basis and get to know them and their individual learning needs. I can then tailor the learning experiences to best suit the student to the way they learn most effectively.

I deliver tutorials for learners and promote a culture of learning within the department. We have introduced staff CPD teaching sessions whereby staff are given CPD time to produce a teaching session for our learners. This is beneficial for staff as well as learners, who can gain a wealth of knowledge from a range of people, all with different areas of expertise. Topics we have covered include grids and the bucky, professionalism, communication with the elderly, recognising abnormalities, what to expect in the first year of being qualified and preparing for interviews.

My role also requires me to organise the student and apprentice rotations, ensuring we are providing them with the relevant experiences to develop as practitioners. I undertake regular 1-to-1s with students and have progress conversations, providing pastoral and clinical support.

I am actively involved in the recruitment and selection of staff and work clinically with them once appointed in their roles. I have produced and implemented an in-depth preceptorship programme designed to support staff throughout their first year in post. The purpose of this is to ensure they are having a range of experiences and opportunities to reflect on these in order to develop, with a view to improving retention.

What steps did you take to get to this role?

I qualified in 2009 and began working as a band 5 general radiographer. I took on extra responsibilities such as being the departmental Society of Radiographers (SoR) Health and Safety Rep, the student supervisor and assessor. I had a keen interest in supporting learners very early on in my career. As a student I was quite quiet and talking to patients didn’t come naturally, let alone touching them to palpate centring points! I had some great mentors as a student who helped me overcome these challenges and I knew I wanted to do the same when I qualified. 

In 2013 I was successful in gaining a band 6 role in the fluoroscopy and general x-ray department. During this time, I undertook enhanced practice in PICC insertion and barium swallow examinations. This role allowed me to develop my clinical skills to a very high level. I became someone the newly qualified staff members turned to for help and I enjoyed sharing my knowledge and skills to support others.

In 2021 I completed a post graduate certificate in Leadership in Health and Social Care at the University of Bradford, passing with distinction. This qualification helped me to understand the different styles of leadership and how they can be seen in the clinical setting. I explored how effective different styles were in different situations which helped me develop my own leadership skills. I also improved my knowledge of human resource management which has helped me to manage the students and use different methods to achieve the best result for students.

In 2023 I was successful in applying for the Clinical Practice Educator Role and in 2024 I completed a Teaching and Learning module at Sheffield Hallam University. This programme helped develop my teaching skills and understand the underpinning theories for learning, which has helped me support the learners that I work with and improve the learning environment within the department. The module allowed me to apply for Practice Educator Accreditation through the College of Radiographers (CoR). I have been recommended for accreditation by the CoR assessor and I am awaiting final confirmation from the College’s Approval and Accreditation Board.

What support did you have along the way or would have been helpful to have had?

With the role of Practice Educator (PE) being new to my trust, I have faced many challenges so far in getting the role established. I had no predecessor to ask for advice or support which was difficult.

Luckily, my employer was extremely supportive in giving advice wherever possible and allowing me to have sufficient study time and funding to support the training courses I completed. The management team recognise the value of the role, and we work together to improve the student experience and learning environment for everyone.

The radiology department at my trust has some fantastic radiographers with years of knowledge and experience. They are extremely supportive and involved in education for learners. They help with teaching and mentoring and will not hesitate to communicate any positive experiences or areas for improvements to me, which in turn helps me to support the students. We have a great 2-way feedback culture. We are clear with learners about what we are expecting of them, how they can get there and how we will support them along the way. We also welcome feedback from the learners about how to improve their experiences. This only works because of the fantastic staff who are all willing to improve and provide an excellent placement for learners.

Our undergraduate pre-registration students and apprentices have been a huge support to me in this role. Helping me to understand more about their courses and what they require from me. They have been extremely open about what I am getting right and what else I can be doing to support them further.

The Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) I am in contact with have been excellent in supporting any issues I have faced and advising me along the way. The University of Bradford hold practice educator meetings where we can network with other PEs and keep up to date with the programme and any changes. The clinical teachers at the University of Bradford have also been an amazing source of support for me and I know they will help me in any way they can. They have delivered “co-creation” days to help us work together and develop the course programme, not just from an academic perspective, but from a clinical one too.

Together with other PEs in the region we have created our own little support network where we can bounce ideas off each other. The group meets monthly which has been a huge help as often, other organisations have experience with the same issues that we have faced. The network allows us to share best practice and reflect on what has worked well and what hasn’t.

I would like to see the role grow and have a bigger PE team within the department, specifically modality PEs to further improve the learner support team and share some of my ever-growing workload!

What is the most rewarding thing about your role?

The most rewarding part of my role is when I review the placement evaluations, and the students comment on how positive the learning environment is in our department. I take great pleasure reading how supported they feel and how the PE role has made a huge difference in their learning.

Another really rewarding aspect of my role is with the radiography apprentices. The apprentices we have had have been adult learners who have been very nervous about returning to study. I enjoy watching them flourish from being quite unsure and apprehensive individuals to confident practitioners with a great deal of clinical knowledge and experience.

What advice can you give to others who might want to work towards this role or follow a similar pathway?

This role whilst being extremely rewarding, can also be very challenging. It requires someone with a genuine interest and desire to supporting learners and all that entails. There is more to the role than producing rotas and arranging assessments.

I am currently trying to improve my coaching skills and my knowledge of mental health support. This is such a huge part of my role and one I hadn’t really considered. Growing up in the modern world is totally different to how it was when I was a student and they require much more pastoral support than I anticipated.

The role also requires a high level of organisation skills and thinking outside the box. With student numbers increasing to meet the workforce demand, the ability to find innovative placements is imperative.

I would advise anyone considering this role to take any opportunities that become available to you. There is such a wide range of skills and knowledge needed for this role and any experiences you have will come into play at some point, even the ones that seem irrelevant to supporting learners in their journey!