ABOUT THE ROLE
Healthcare assistants (HCAs) work under the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional within a hospital setting or a community practice. Their role can be very varied depending upon the area in which the person is employed.
For example, when working alongside nurses they may sometimes be known as nursing auxiliaries or auxiliary nurses. Similarly, HCAs also work alongside qualified midwifes in maternity services. Some typical duties include:
- Patient washing, dressing and mealtime help
- Helping patients to mobilise, go to the toilet
- Bed making and contributing to record keeping
- Working alongside some healthcare scientists, for example, audiologists, in helping them to investigate and treat disease
- Working as a Clinical Support Workers by being a therapy assistant
- Monitoring patients conditions by taking temperatures, pulse readings, respiration’s and weight for example
EMPLOYABILTY
Like nurses, HCAs work very intimately and hands on with patients and your empathy levels and character to do the job are the most important attributes. Other necessary skills include:
- Excellent interpersonal skills and good communicator
- Demonstrably want to make a difference to patient lives
- Ability to listen, empathetic attitude towards relaxing the patient
- Adaptable to new techniques and sophisticated equipment
- Organisational skills to safely collate patient information and data
CAREER ENTRY
HCAs are usually not graduates but are typically educated to GCSE O Level or equivalent and will have probably left school at the age of 16. It is possible to enter work as a HCA or senior HCA through an apprenticeship at your local hospital or GP practice.
There are also increasing opportunities to work as an Assistant Practitioner (AP) and to work towards an appropriate foundation degree. For those APs who feel they could advance their career further, secondments onto an appropriate pre-registration programme at university to become a nurse or midwife, say.
EMPLOYERS AND SALARIES
Most HCAs will be employed within the NHS somewhere although there will be limited roles in the private sector, for example private hospitals or care homes. Starting salaries within the NHS are usually on Band 2 (13,653) and can go up to Band 4 (18,152) for those who have progressed through educational training to Assistant Practitioner status.
HCAs usually work a 37.5-hour week on a shift or rota system, probably including nights and weekends. Part-time and flexi-working is often available.
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