Health Care Assistant job

Hi,

Having recently been successful in applying for a job as a healthcare assistant on the bank system, I had my induction yesterday. I had expected this to give me an insight into what I would be doing on the wards and giving me any necessary training so that I could go away and start booking my shifts to start as soon as possible.

However, yesterday was actually just a day sat in a conference room getting all the generic safeguarding, fire safety and general health and safety talks and discussions. While I appreciate how important these are I have come away feeling no more prepared for my role on the wards!

I have never worked as a HCA before. I have been on many wards as a volunteer and also volunteered working for Barnardo's and at a hospice etc etc so I am not new to the healthcare system, although I have never had any real training (other than basic life support, CPR etc).

After the session yesterday I brought this up with the training manager but she said that the induction was all I needed and that I would be fine learning on the job.

This is all well and good and I am very excited to start asap but I was wondering if anyone has any advice and tips for me.

I have a fairly good idea of a lot of the jobs I will be asked to do, but I am more concerned with the fact that I don't really know the correct procedures or the right way to do everything and when.

Especially working on the bank system where I will be working on many different wards with many different members of staff (who are probably expecting somebody who is perfectly well experienced to be turning up claiming the shifts!), how will the nurses and other HCAs take to me if I turn up the first few shifts and have to keep asking what to do?

Has anyone else been in this position and just had to get on with it? How did you cope?

Sorry for the long post but any help would be great! Thank you!

Reply 1

deviant182

Are you going to be employed as a band 2 or a band 3?
There's a difference in roles.
In my experience, as a band 3 you will be required to do clinical observations, assist with personal care, changing beds if needed, helping to mobilise patients to prevent pressure sores. Document this where / if needed (if the nurses dont). Use your news charts to documents observations and report any changes or concerns to the nurses. You may be expected to assist with helping to move patients to other wards with porters if they're stable (otherwise a nurse usually accompanies them).
You may also assist to do venepuncture and or ecg's. (training permitted)
Band 2 will help with personal care and changing beds etc but no such observations.
If you explain that you are new to the job and that you just need some clarification then other staff will help so don't worry too much!
Good luck.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 2

BlackHorse19

Original post by deviant182

Thanks for your reply!

Im going to be working as a band 2 HCA so that clears a lot up. I hadn't realised there were two levels of HCA, I was expecting to be just sort of thrown in at the deep end with all these responsibilities and people expecting me to know what to do and when.

I figured I would just have to explain on my first few shifts that I'm still new and ask for help when I need it but it sounds like they should be happy to do so.

I feel better about it now thank you!

Reply 3

KatieBlogger

Original post by BlackHorse19

I've done this job (band 2).

Basically the fire safety/health and safety etc is just the usual run-of-the-mill box ticking exercise that has to be done to cover their backs and give you a basic understanding of what to do in a fire etc. It's not to prepare you for the job.

When I started as a HCA I thought - like you - that I'd have a few days where they show you everything that you need to know before you work 'properly'. I thought this because I previously worked in retail where that is what happens. But healthcare is different - there's too much to be shown to do that.

I was put on 'shadowing shifts' where you basically shadow a HCA around (not necessarily the same one - depends who's on shift) for 2 weeks - you watch what they do and you help them and hopefully they're give you tips and explain things. But how much they help you out depends entirely on them as a person. I had some lovely colleagues who showed me things and explained everything clearing and were patient with me whilst I was learning but I also had some colleagues who just acted like I was part of the furniture and didn't explain anything that they did and were short with me if I didn't know what to do.

So my number 1 piece of advice is - be proactive, ask questions even if you feel like they're stupid questions (everyone has to start somewhere) and don't rely on people telling you what you need to know - observe carefully, pay attention and get involved. If you've done your manual handling training then get involved ASAP - if you haven't then don't get roped into moving and handling because if something goes wrong it's on your head.

Be confident, proactive, observant and ask questions. It's definitely a 'learn on the job' kind of a role - you can't be expected to know what you're doing for a while. It took me about a month to settle.

Good luck and well done on getting the job.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 4

lifeistoff

Hi, I have just finished my first week of Bank HCA training!

I'm slightly emetophobic and I am most worried about looking after vomiting patients and dealing with vomit. Does anyone have any tips on how to deal with it until you get used to it?

Reply 5

koolkat95

Hi all!

This may seem a little off topic but you all seem to have started your jobs. I've been applying for HCA jobs and recently got offered an interview and I got a call the next day that I had the job!! I'm so chuffed and excited however, I've been reading various stories were people didn't actually start working until 3 months later. In some cases is was 6 months!! Just wanted to know what all your experiences were like? Did you have to wait long after all your references, DBS/CRB and occupational health forms were in?

Any info would be great, thanks :smile: