A University of Plymouth academic has been awarded Fellowship to the Faculty of Perioperative Care.
Toby Rankin, Lecturer on the University’s MSc Surgical Care Practitioner programme, received the award for outstanding leadership in education, teaching and training of practitioners in surgery.
Toby is one of only eight people to have ever received the award, which is decided upon by the Faculty Executive Committee and approved by the RCSEd Awards Committee. The Fellowship is given to individuals for excelling in areas of teaching, clinical supervision and/or research.
Surgical care practitioners are established members of the surgery team within healthcare organisations. These practitioners have responsibilities across the patient’s surgical pathway, from preoperative history taking and clinical assessment, to assisting the surgeon in theatres performing delegated parts of the operation, to supporting the management of patients postoperatively.
The University’s Surgical Care Practitioner programmes have been specifically developed to enable health professionals to become competent Surgical Care Practitioners in one of three specialist pathways over a two-year full-time programme.
Toby said: “It’s a great honour to support so many trainees to further their career to become Surgical Care Practitioners and know the impact they are having improving the care for their patients. I am so proud to be part of a growing number of health care professionals who are champions of advanced practice across the South West and the wider UK, and I’m delighted to have received this Fellowship.”
Faculty of Perioperative Care Lead, Charlie Auld said: “I am delighted Toby has been awarded the FFPCEd as he has been a great supporter of the Faculty. We have also developed a partnership with the University of Plymouth which will now allow trainee surgical care practitioners undertaking their MSc in Surgical Care Practice free affiliate membership of the Faculty for the duration of their course, which gives them access to the many benefits highlighted here. On graduation, we would hope that they could progress to full membership with the postnominals MFPCEd.”