Working as a healthcare assistant involves a variety of skills related to medical care and communication. A care worker job is hard work, but it can be really rewarding. You will be a key part of improving a patient’s quality of life and making them feel valued. It is also a great place to start if you are considering going into another healthcare job.
We have put together a list with some of the main things you will do as a healthcare assistant. This will give you an idea of what the job involves and whether or not it is the right job for you.
Being a healthcare assistant involves supporting the practical needs of patients. Your tasks will include things like washing and dressing patients, serving meals, helping patients to eat, cleaning and tidying. The work will vary depending on your patients and their needs.
Some of these tasks can be challenging or uncomfortable for both the carer and the patient. It is important that in all these tasks you aim to make patients feel comfortable, supported and dignified.
Many patients will have limited mobility, so part of a care worker job can be helping patients to move around. Gentle movement or exercise are essential for the health of patients and it will be your responsibility to facilitate this.
In some cases, equipment will be required and in others, patients may just need an arm to lean on while they move.
Regularly checking the health of patients on a regular basis will be one of your main roles, and you may at times be the first person to flag up any medical concerns. You will do things such as checking body temperatures, blood pressure and the healing progress of injuries (especially after surgery).
A health care job involves working with a range of vulnerable individuals across different settings and you may be required to work with an unifiliar patient at short notice. You will need to be able to adapt, be flexible and provide the best possible care in each situation.
Understanding and attending to individual needs is essential, there is no “one size fits all” approach in a care worker job. This can be daunting but also rewarding!
Communication is a major part of a care worker job. Caring for patients requires listening to their needs and helping them to understand as best as possible what care they are receiving. It is also important to communicate with patients on a more personal level to reduce potential feelings of loneliness and isolation.
A healthcare assistant needs to share information about patients with relatives and other care workers clearly and sensitively.
Good communication involves more than words. Things such as body language, facial expressions and active listening are important.
Healthcare workers will sometimes need to provide emotional support for patients. For some people, needing a healthcare worker can be a big transition and they may feel like they have lost a sense of control in their lives. A healthcare worker will likely be someone that they trust and want to talk to. Emotional support does not always mean giving advice, it is often simply listening and asking them questions about their experience.
While it is important to support a patient’s emotional wellbeing, make sure to set boundaries to protect your own mental wellbeing. A strong support network both in work and outside of work can help with this.
While a care worker job will require you to assist patients with their daily lives, it also involves enabling patients to do things independently. You can do simple things like moving a patient’s hairbrush within reach so that they can brush their hair themselves or keeping their walking frame next to them.
A healthcare worker should help to ensure that patients have a say in their own care plan. Personal agency can be crucial for the mental wellbeing of patients.
It is important that people requiring care are valued and treated with respect and dignity, regardless of their background, social context, race, gender or condition. Speaking to patients in respectful and not condescending language, being non-judgemental and keeping their information confidential are some of the ways that you can promote people’s equality, diversity and rights.
It can be helpful to approach a healthcare job by thinking about how you would like a family member to be treated and treat patients in the same way!
Like any job, as a healthcare assistant you will gain and develop skills as your experience and confidence grow. It is important to continuously look for areas where your knowledge and skills could be improved further. This will enable you to provide quality care, advance your career development, and be an example to others.
In a healthcare job, you will be part of a team but you will also be working independently and without supervision a lot of the time. This will involve learning quickly and taking initiative. You may make mistakes at times, so it is important to ask for help if you are unsure or worried about something.
Working independently requires keeping high personal standards. Not only will this this contribute to improving the overall quality of care but it will benefit your personal career development and progression.
If becoming a healthcare assistant sounds like a good fit for you, please get in touch with us!
