At Fresenius Medical Care UK & Ireland (FME UK&I), we attach great importance to sharing the journeys of our colleagues who have accomplished significant career milestones in their time with us. Today, we are very enthusiastic to recount Kane Drew’s story and his professional development over the six years he has spent at FME UK&I.

Kane joined FME UK&I straight out of school in August 2018 as an Apprentice Administrator within the Technical Operations team. Thanks to the apprentice scheme, he was able complete qualifications in Business Administration and Law as well as engineering alongside his role at the workshop. 

His dedication and curiosity led him to explore new opportunities, eventually transitioning to a full-time role as a Workshop Technician in May 2020. As FME UK&I’s tech services grew, Kane took on more responsibilities with the NxStage machine, a portable haemodialysis device. Just a month ago, Kane was promoted to Workshop Supervisor and has made his first strides transitioning to a more strategic and broad-focused role within the organisation.

Reflecting on his journey, Kane said, “It feels like I just blinked and suddenly found myself in a supervisory role. The time has flown by, and I'm excited about what's next.”

A Day in Kane's Role

Kane's days are filled with meetings, strategic discussions, and exploring how technical advancements can be integrated across the business. His technical knowledge allows him to guide the company in achieving its goals from a technical perspective. His role also involves administrative duties, maintaining machines, and expanding Fresenius Medical Care's offerings in the home haemodialysis market.

“I’m still adapting to the new role that involves more meetings and speaking to a range of different people at FME UK&I, as well as thinking more strategically about how we can take the technical side of things through the business.” Kane shared. “I love that every day is different. New challenges come up, and it's never monotonous.”

The Best Part of the Job

Kane said, “the ability to connect with other departments and understand their needs is invaluable. It helps us all move forward together.” His previous hands-on experience with machines allows him to contribute significantly to various aspects of the company.

Patient-Centred Care and Sustainability

Kane emphasises the importance of patient-centred care in renal treatment. For him, it’s vital to offer support to patients, ensuring they feel confident in their treatments. While his focus is more on the technical functionality of devices rather than clinical aspects, he recognises the critical role this plays in patient confidence and care.

“Our technical support can really make a difference in patients’ lives,” Kane said. “It’s all about making sure they have a seamless experience.”

Patient interaction and teamwork

For Kane, the most engaging part of the renal care industry is the direct contact with patients. “Knowing that I can help improve someone’s day-to-day life is incredibly rewarding. Being in contact with the patients helps me appreciate how we can make their experiences on the devices as comfortable as possible.” Kane expressed.

The ever-changing challenges of his role keep Kane motivated. He thrives on solving diverse problems and values the teamwork within his department. 

“Teamwork is huge,” Kane emphasised. “We have a good network in the department, and people with more experience can share knowledge across the team. We all learn from each other, and that makes solving problems much more achievable.”

Future Developments and Challenges

Kane is excited about the future of the Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) workshop, where our technical team works on improving the performance of FME UK&I machines. He highlights the importance of learning from and collaborating with other countries to improve hardware and software for patient devices.

“PD devices are our bread and butter so it’s exciting to take onboard improvements on the hardware and the software in terms of experience for patients. We pass on our findings to the R&D team, which allows us to interact with other branches on a global scale. The mutual learning with other countries is fantastic,” Kane mentioned. “Sharing knowledge helps us all reach our goals.”

Looking Ahead

Although new to his supervisory role, Kane is eager to face upcoming challenges and progress in his career. At just 22 years old, he is enthusiastic about the future and the opportunities that lie ahead at FME UK&I.

“I'm still new to the role so I’m excited for the challenges and progression that lie ahead,” Kane said.

Kane's story illustrates our drive to encourage and support skills development and career progression at FME UK&I.