Senior Healthcare Assistant

Job overview

Senior Health Care Assistants (SHCA) at James Paget University Hospital provide a range of personal care and delegated clinical duties under the guidance of a registered healthcare professional. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team our SHCAs undertake high quality, caring and compassionate care, contributing to the delivery of high quality healthcare to patients.

Main duties of the job

Working under the direction of a Registered Health Care Professional, HCAs participate in the clinical care provided to patients, prioritising workload appropriately and developing competencies that safeguard practice and effectiveness in role.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key duties and responsibilities

• Developing positive relationships with parents, families and carers
• Be aware of the patient’s needs – emotional, social, physical, and cultural. Respect privacy, dignity and beliefs.
• Acts in a way that supports equality and diversity values.
• Work as part of the team in a co-operative, professional and constructive manner.
• Maintain confidentiality at all times
• Report any information regarding the wellbeing of the patients to the Registered Health Care Professional in a timely manner.
• Manage and organise time and activities to support and meet the needs of individuals
• To empower patients and their families to make their own decisions about health and choices.

• Work as part of a designated clinical and care team delivering care that focuses on the direct needs of the individual
• Assist patients with personal hygiene, toileting and use of continence aids
• Support Moving and Handling, use of mobility aids, correct patient positioning, assess pressure areas and skin integrity
• To undertake a range of clinical competencies, for example safe venepuncture and Cannulation as requested by the Registered Health Care Professional and have competencies checked annually by a Registered Healthcare Professional.
• At the request of the Registered Health Care Professional, perform and record physiological measurements within the remit of the SHCA role and report accurately to the Registered Health Care Professional, the assessment undertaken, on patients.
• Obtaining samples at the request of a Registered Health Care Professional, including wound swabs, eye swabs, urine specimens, MRSA swabs, stool samples and sputum specimens.
• To assist in blood collection.
• Assist the Registered Health Care Professional in maintaining a clean environment
• Following the completion of appropriate training and assessment and under the direction of a registered health care professional undertake clinical activities such as ECG recording, urinalysis, changing of simple wound dressings and capillary blood glucose monitoring.
• Providing female catheter care, removal of catheters, stoma care, measuring and monitoring patient outputs
• Provide and receive sensitive information concerning a patient’s medical condition.
• Work with the registered heath care professional and engage with other agencies and community teams to ensure a safe, individualised approach to the admission and discharge of patients.
• Act in accordance with all organisational policies and procedures and within expected values and behaviours.
• Actively participate in and attend ward/unit meetings.
• Demonstrate good understanding of principles of consent and ensure valid consent is obtained prior to undertaking nursing and care procedures
• Demonstrate good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act / Deprivation of Liberties and applies principles to everyday practice seeking advice / guidance from the registered healthcare professional as required
• Promote health and safety maintaining best practice in health, safety and security
• Share ideas with colleagues to improve care and suggest areas for innovation
• Participate in audit activities being undertaken in area of practice
• Contribute to the improvement of service by reflecting on own practice and supporting that of others
• Adhere to legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines both local and national Regularly attend workplace and staff engagement meetings and contribute positively to discussions about the improvement of care
• Post holders are required to work independently with regard to routine, delegated tasks, following established good practice and refer non-routine tasks appropriately
• Work is supervised and evaluated on a routine basis. To follow treatment plans as prescribed by Registered Health Care Professionals and identify select activities that meet treatment goals.