Job responsibilities
Job title: Health Care Assistant
Band: 3
Purpose of post: To provide a support service to our nursing team, specifically to include phlebotomy and patient chaperone.
This is a developing clinical role under the supervision of our nursing team.
Main duties and responsibilities:
- Main duties
- To take blood samples as directed by clinicians
- To administer flu vaccinations as directed by clinicians
- To act as a chaperone if required by other clinicians
- To carry out a blood pressure checks and apply/remove blood pressure monitoring equipment To perform minor dressings and removal of sutures/clips
- To perform learning disability and mental health reviews
- To perform electrocardiograms as directed by clinicians
- To perform spirometry pre and post medication
- To perform urine analysis and act accordingly to results
- To ensure that infection control guidelines and local protocols are followed at all times.
- To ensure all actions are correctly documented
- To work inside of own competence, all clinical work to be assessed by a qualified nurse prior to undertaking it independently.
- To undertake any other reasonable tasks appropriate to the level of the post.
2. Medical records
- To be competent with computerised systems in use across the organisation.
- To ensure correct documentation in patient records following each patient contact.
3. Special requirements of the post
- A complete understanding of the meaning of confidentiality and a thorough knowledge of how to handle confidential patient medical records, taking care to become aware of who and who may not have access to the records.
- To offer the highest level of customer care to our patients and their relatives/carers.
- An ability to use own judgement in working situations when they are alone. To be resourceful, apply common-sense and local patient knowledge in responding to patient enquiries and requests, but not to work outside ones own knowledge and capability.
- Good communication skills and a neat, tidy and presentable appearance at all times, to maintain the uniform supplied by the medical centre, giving an all round ability to put patients and visitors to the medical centre at ease, whilst giving a very good impression of our efficiency and good procedures.
4. Confidentiality:
- In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately.
- In the performance of the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential.
- Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.
5. Health & Safety:
The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the practice Health & Safety Policy, to include:
- Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
- Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
- Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
- Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards
- Reporting potential risks identified.
6. Equality and Diversity:
The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:
- Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
- Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
- Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.
7. Personal/Professional Development:
The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:
- Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
- Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.
8. Quality:
The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:
- Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
- Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
- Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance
- Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
- Effectively manage own time, workload and resources.
9. Communication:
The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:
- Communicate effectively with other team members
- Communicate effectively with patients and carers
- Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.
10. Contribution to the Implementation of Services:
The post-holder will:
- Apply practice policies, standards and guidance
- Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
- Participate in audit where appropriate.