Corné uses his talents for Intensive Care

Corné Hogenkamp has liked watching medical programmes ever since he was a child. The gorier it was, the more interested he would be. It was, therefore, only logical for him to choose a medical study and a job in the hospital. Corné: “I wanted to work in an ambulance at the time, and the HBO (Higher Vocational Education) Nursing study in Groningen seemed like the most obvious choice initially. But the study did not attract him, and he was not too keen on it. A vacancy for the nurse anaesthetist course did seem very interesting to me. However, after a few discussions and guided tours in the ambulance with acquaintances, I found out that training as a nurse anaesthetist would not get me a BIG-registration, so I would not be able to work in an emergency department. That was not an option.”

Corné kept looking around and eventually came across the Health & Technology study at Saxion. “It immediately caught my attention! The study is similar to HBO Nursing but more focused on technology: very problem-solving and innovative. You learn to build bridges between the care that is needed and the companies that can supply technologies. I started the study enthusiastically, and I found out, after a few weeks, that you could also follow an OR route here with anaesthesia classes. You could also apply for a position in the OR and be trained as a nurse anaesthetist with a BIG-registration. That is exactly what I wanted!”

It has now been 3.5 years since Corné graduated from his Health & Technology study and became a nurse anaesthetist. “I worked in the operating theatres of the ZGT in Almelo during and after my studies. I was born there 25 years ago, and I have greatly enjoyed every day working there. I was responsible to constantly keep an eye on the patient during my work as a nurse anaesthetist. I especially liked procedures that were exciting and risky. I was ready for something new, though, after a while, and I started looking around for further options.”

“A vacancy arose within the ZGT for a Physician Assistant (PA) in training in the Intensive Care Unit, right when I started looking around for other options. I spoke to several ICU intensivists and then decided to apply. I am currently studying in Groningen to become a Physician Assistant, and I work in intensive care simultaneously. A PA is someone who takes over several tasks from a medical specialist, in my case, in the ICU. Think of tasks such as checking all the patient’s vital signs every day and responding to these signs, or drawing up treatment plans.”
 
“The Master’s PA degree takes 2.5 years. I particularly like the fact that the theory and practice are so well matched. I can put the things that I learn in school today into practice tomorrow. This allows me to learn so much. I chose the ICU as my specialisation, but there are many other options. I will also do (short) internships in other departments during the course, such as cardiology, neurology and traumatology.”

Corné started working in the ICU during the second corona wave. “I have only experienced the ICU filled with corona patients. That is kind of weird, but it’s a good way of learning the routines for me. It’s a tough time, and most patients say that they have been so careful not to get corona, which makes it even tougher sometimes.”