Senior Healthcare Assistant

Job description

Job responsibilities

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Communication Skills

Assist and support clinical staff with meeting patients physical, clinical and emotional needs whilst attending the Christie@Macclesfield centre. Provide and receive information using empathy, and reassurance skills.

Ensure accurate recording of treatment and planning data.

Greet and escort patients within the centre.

Liaise with the main Macclesfield Hospital site and between all Christie centers, host sites and community where appropriate.

Knowledge, training and experience

Work under the direction of the clinical teams to undertake routine and specifically identified tasks once training and competencies have been completed. This will include but is not limited to: patient observations, phlebotomy, cannulation, urinalysis, glucometer readings and changing simple dressings.

Data input and radiotherapy completion tasks.

To provide cover for Reception and have knowledge of the different clinical systems used within the centre. Booking in patients, outcoming appointments, and making further appointments as required.

Knowledge and understanding of the Cancer Support and Information services offered within the centre, and refer patients as required.

Use knowledge of integrated clinical information systems for case note tracking and collation of data for referrals.

Personal Skills

Liaise with the multi-disciplinary team to ensure that adequate information and support is available to patients.

Use analytical skills to make judgments on patient situations such as deciding when issues need to be escalated and support provided.

Answer internal or external telephone calls.

Responsibilities

Provide clinical support for all teams in the Christie @ Macclesfield Centre.

Provide specific support for radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Provide support with pre-treatment assessment.

Prepare patients for diagnostic procedures.

Organise and provide relevant medical equipment ready for use, including sterilisation.

Prepare clinical area for safe practice by ensuring cleanliness is maintained, including cleaning area afterwards.

Assist with and promote patients mobility as appropriate.

Maintain patient flow by utilising Patient Flow System

Be responsible for stock control in areas of work including ordering supplies as directed by manager.

Support patients in relation to meals and nutritional needs.

Provide escort and transfer for patients with low dependency.

Recognise and respond appropriately to urgent and emergency situations.

Provide continuity of support during the absence of other clinical support workers.

Maintain accurate patient details in all patient systems, following correct procedures to ensure information is up to date for future reference and complies with the Data Protection Act.

Comply with policies, procedures, rules, regulations and departmental protocols.

Patient Care

Undertake a range of different delegated duties across Outpatients, Phlebotomy, Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy as allocated by the relevant team manager. Record patient information and data and contribute to the implementation of patients clinical care packages.

Freedom to Act

Will be required to utilise own initiative but work within defined SOPS, Procedures and Policies. When there is doubt or the post holder is unsure then there will be more senior members of staff available to raise issues with and receive guidance from.

Effort

Patient transfer

Manual handling tasks as required

Working Conditions

Working hours must be flexible to the needs of the service, this may include working weekends.

Expected to participate in all shift patterns

The postholder should be aware that treatments involves frequent exposure to bodily fluids, and that there is a risk of exposure to cytoxic drugs and other harmful substances.

Teaching/Training

Attend all relevant mandatory training courses.

Maintain own personal development.

Participate in relevant training and meetings.

Assist in the training and/or orientation of clinical support worker and any students.

Complete the Care Certificate as mandated by the Christie NHS Foundation Trust.

Demonstrate tasks and duties to new and less experienced members of the team.

This is not an exhaustive list and additional duties may be required as requested by the Outpatients Nurse in Charge, Lead radiographer, Chemotherapy Nurse in Charge or their deputies.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Vocational healthcare qualification at level 3 or equivalent experience.
• Evidence of competency in band 3 clinical skills.
• Basic literacy and numeracy skills.

Desirable

• Speciality specific training

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working within the healthcare environment
• Evidence of recent training within the healthcare setting

Desirable

• Knowledge of NHS procedures
• Knowledge of Healthcare Clinical Systems

Skills

Essential

• Effective communication, team working and customer care skills
• Good literacy, numeracy and IT skills
• Able to work using own initiative, following instructions from a Registered professional
• Ability to work under pressure coping with frequent interruptions/requests.
• Clinical skills and competencies to support the patient pathway
• Competent in clinical skills appropriate to the job role (including taking and recording vital signs, ECGs, phlebotomy, cannulation)

Desirable

• Ability to demonstrate care skills to more junior healthcare support workers.
• Evidence of formal communication skills training.

Knowledge

Essential

• In-depth understanding of the healthcare support worker role.
• Participate in personal development.
• Experience of working within the healthcare environment
• Evidence of recent training within the healthcare setting

Desirable

• Knowledge of NHS procedures
• Knowledge of Healthcare Clinical Systems
• Evidence of recent training.

Values

Essential

• Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours.

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Committed to delivering high standards of patient/ customer care.
• Empathetic and caring.
• Professional outlook and positive attitude.
• Honest and trustworthy.
• Able to meet the flexible needs of the role and duty roster (including nights and weekend working)

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

The Christie NHS FT

Address

Chemotherapy Macclesfield - E00907

Macclesfield

SK11 8PZ

Employer's website

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