Healthcare Assistant - In Patient Unit

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

To support the Registered Nurses in providing evidence based, individualized specialist palliative nursing care to inpatients adhering to statutory regulations and Hospice policies.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Clinical

To work collaboratively with Registered Nurses in the delivery of quality holistic nursing care for patients.

To be responsive and available to the patients needs as appropriate.

To report changes in condition noticed in patients and work with the multi-professional team to adapt care appropriately.

To contribute to the keeping of accurate and relevant records by recording the care provided.

To provide a comfortable, safe and welcoming environment for patients, ensuring privacy and dignity are maintained at all times.

To ensure the patients dietary needs are met by helping patients with their meal choices, issuing meals and feeding patients as appropriate.

To care for the deceased patient by administering last offices and ensuring the safe and timely removal of the body from the hospice.

Communication

To establish and maintain effective communication and working relationships with multi-disciplinary teams within St Barnabas House and in the community.

To communicate effectively with patients, carers and the bereaved to establish and maintain trusting relationships.

To offer a high level of emotional support to patients and/or carers particularly during admission, breaking of bad news and time of death, recognising own limitations and referring to the Registered Nurses as appropriate.

To contribute to bereavement care offered to families by contributing to bereavement interviews and reporting any concerns related to risk assessment to the Registered Nurses.

Specific Interventions

To perform clinical observations i.e. temperature, blood pressure, pulse and respirations, observing for any abnormalities and reporting accordingly.

To take a droplet of blood as part of the measurement of the patients blood sugar, reporting and recording as appropriate.

Under the direction of a Registered Nurse performing simple aseptic dressings.

Under the supervision of the Registered Nurse plan and update care plans as appropriate.

Health and Safety

To act at all times to promote the safety and wellbeing of patients.

To ensure the Ward environment is free from hazards and all nursing equipment is safely and appropriately stored.

To attend mandatory training.

To ensure the safe storage and use of hazardous substances according to COSHH regulations.

To contribute to Health and Safety risk assessments and actions required as a result, as appropriate.

Education

To attend mandatory training.

To develop and maintain own knowledge and skills in palliative care.

To act as a mentor for Ward Volunteers and visiting Nursing Assistants.

To take part in formal educational activities under the guidance of Ward Sisters and the Head of Education.

To contribute to the in-patient unit resource files.

Flexibility

This job description is intended to provide a broad outline of the role. The post holder may be required to carry out other duties commensurate with their banding and competence.

The post holder may have tasks or responsibilities delegated to them, appropriate to their level of competence. They may also be expected to delegate tasks or responsibilities to other employees within the team, as appropriate.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Good standard of general education

Desirable

• NVQ 3 or equivalent experience

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working as a Healthcare Assistant in other settings
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work within a large team.
• Ability to use own initiative
• Ability to respond to changing situations
• Able to identify personal coping strategies
• Able to demonstrate a good insight into palliative care principles and philosophy

Desirable

• Experience of working within a hospice environment/health charity
• Experience of delivering personal care to patients/clients

Personal Qualities

Essential

• The work is physically labour intensive, on feet for most of each shift and sometimes continuously.
• Regular safe manual handling of patients and equipment, including beds, mattresses, chairs and deceased bodies necessary.
• Regular bending and stretching involved, at times in awkward/difficult positions.
• Mentally tiring due to prolonged episodes of listening and support for patients/relatives.
• Job involves initiating own activities.
• Job involves working independently within the remit of the NMC Code of Professional Conduct
• Routinely exposed to patients with infections, infected linen and body fluids.
• Regular exposure to hazardous substances including chemicals, medical gases and medications.
• Recognised protective clothing including aprons and gloves to be worn as required.
• Daily contact with distressed patients, carers and relatives requiring a high level of emotional support.
• Constant involvement with the dying process and death.
• Regular exposure to distressing scenes and occasionally verbal, rarely physical abuse from patients or relatives.

Desirable

• An interest in palliative care

Aptitude and Skills

Essential

• Sound numeric and literacy skills
• Basic IT skills (e.g., able to log-in/out, use email, update information on a database, etc)
• Ability to establish good working relationships with a diverse range of people
• Excellent communications skills both written and spoken
• Reliable, adaptable and helpful
• Ability to articulate factual information accurately
• Understanding of personal accountability and patient confidentiality

Desirable

• An understanding of palliative care in practice

Other

Essential

• Enhanced DBS

Desirable

• A valid UK driving licence and use of own car due to location of role.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Martlets Hospice

Address

St. Barnabas Hospice

2 Titnore Lane

Goring-by-sea

Worthing

West Sussex

BN12 6NZ

Employer's website

https://www.martlets.org.uk (Opens in a new tab)