Healthcare Support Worker

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Working Relationships:Ward/Department staff

Patients and their relatives/carers/significant other

Staff in other departments

Risk Assessment:

The post involves manual handling activities, exposure to bodily fluids and exposure to high noise levels.

It may also involve exposure to emotionally distressing situations and challenging behaviour

Job Purpose:

The Health Care Assistant is a member of the department team who implements prescribed care and/or undertakes some higher-level clinical activities as directed by a registered nurse. The main dimensions of the role are to:

To support registered health care staff to deliver high quality, compassionate health care to patients in accordance with assessed needs and care plans.

To support the clinical team with day to day supervision of junior staff and students.

To have the ability to use your own initiative, independently and as part of a team, in order to accommodate changing demands on the wider clinical team.

To support the ward/department staff to provide a high quality service.

Undertakes a range of delegated clinical care duties, acting on own initiative where appropriate, supported by accessible supervision.

Key Duties:

Your delegated daily duties will include: Assist with the maintenance of patient hygiene, including washing bathing and mouth care.

Assist with serving meals and feeding of patients, including reporting patients intake and recording on charts as appropriate. Escalating to registered staff any concerns relating to nutritional intake.

Assist with patients elimination needs, including recording outputs where appropriate and collecting and testing urine and stool samples.

Supporting registered staff by undertaking delegated clinical tasks.

Assisting with the recording and safe keeping of patients property/valuables.

Moving and repositioning of patients.

Dressing/undressing of patients.

Making of occupied and unoccupied beds, tying up of dirty linen bags and despatching to laundry and replenishing of linen and stock cupboards.

Cleaning and tidying examination rooms/clinic areas.

Assist with patients mobilisation, ensuring safe environment and using appropriate techniques.

Assist in the care of relatives and visitors.

Assist with the care of patients in isolation.

Chaperone professional staff where appropriate and accompany patients to other departments as necessary.

Be involved in patient booking in/admission procedures by introducing patients to ward/department area as directed by registered nurse.

Be adaptable and flexible to working in various areas of the department/ward as required.

Assist the multi professional team to prepare and support patients undergoing treatment and/or investigation maintaining privacy and dignity at all times.

Assisting in the care of the deteriorating patient, which may include exposure to distressing or emotional situations.

Communication and relationships

The Healthcare Assistants relationship with both staff and patients should be discreet, bearing in mind that all information regarding patients must be kept confidential.

Report to the nurse in charge of the ward/department matters of concern relating to patients and the ward/department environment.

Answer the telephone, refer to appropriate person.

Attend to ward/department reports and meetings when appropriate.

Be aware of the need to greet visitors to the ward/department and ascertain the purpose of their visit.

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of health and safety at work in order to maintain a safe environment.

Undertake duties outside your working area (e.g. delivery and collection) to assist in maintaining good communication.

Participate in patient handovers.

Follow trust and national policies, participating in discussions on proposed changes to procedures as appropriate.

To use a range of verbal and no-verbal communication strategies to support patients, including potential occasional exposure to patients exhibiting challenging or aggressive behaviour.

Clinical Support

Assess patient condition through observations, test result, assess comfort of patient and instigate emergency procedures as indicated.

Where training has been provided and competence assured, your delegated daily duties will be varied depending on area in which you are working. These may include (but are not restricted to):

Taking and recording and monitoring of patient observations to include, blood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturations, temperature and respirations. This includes accurate calculation and recording of NEWS 2 (early warning score) and escalation to registered staff as indicated by score.

Blood glucose monitoring.

Support registered staff and the ward team in responding to emergency situations

Measuring and recording of patient height and weight.

Apply a simple range of dressings using both clean and aseptic techniques and taking of wound swabs as indicated.

Undertake ECG recordings.

Collect blood samples (peripheral or venous) as directed by a registered nurse, ensuring its safe storage, transport or disposal as appropriate.

Collection of sputum samples.

Undertake insertion and removal of venous cannula.

Removal of simple wound drains

Removal of sutures and clips

Undertake an associate link/link nurse role where appropriate.

Recording actions accurately and contemporaneously in relevant IT systems

Undertaking in bladder scanning and document findings, escalating if necessary.

Setting up and assisting in minor operations.

Knowledge and good practice in ANTT.

Cleaning

Maintain tidiness and cleanliness of areas and equipment as instructed.

Clerical duties

Undertake a range of clerical duties service, this may involve:

Reception/telephone duties

Basic computer skills

Filing

Education

To engage in and complete relevant short courses to support patient care and clinical duties. This should include the completion the National Care Certificate and any other internal development opportunities.

To support other health care assistants and junior staff through mentorship and local induction.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working as a Healthcare Assistant or equivalent

Desirable

• Knowledge of the local community and understanding of a multi-cultural, racially diverse population
• Awareness of health and safety issues in the workplace
• Knowledge of dressings and would care.
• Experience in an Outpatient Department.

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSE grade A to C in English and Maths
• Literate and able to perform basic numerical calculations
• Fluent in spoken and written English
• Ability to accurately receive, record, and relay information both verbally and written
• Computer skills
• Ability to work on own initiative
• Ability to organise delegated work

Desirable

• Phlebotomy experience (valid phlebotomy training certificate required)
• To have worked within a practice setting
• Understanding of the need to keep and maintain accurate records
• Understanding of equal opportunities
• Understanding of the importance of patient confidentiality and the consequences of breaking confidentiality
• Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary, multi-agency primary care team
• Polite and helpful manner
• Enthusiasm to learn

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

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Address

Charles Hastings Way

Worcester

Worcestershire

WR5 1DD

Employer's website

https://www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)