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As a Healthcare Assistant (HCA), you will work under the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional, usually a Nurse. You will have a lot of contact with patients. The work varies depending on where you are based.
In a hospital for example, you may be washing and dressing patients, serving meals and helping to feed patients, helping people to move around, toileting, making beds, talking to patients and making them comfortable and monitoring patients’ conditions by taking temperatures, pulse, respirations and weight.
In health centres and GP surgeries you may sterilise equipment, do health checks, restock consulting rooms, perform ECGs, take blood samples, basic wound care, health promotion or health education work.
You treat people with dignity, you’re caring and compassionate, you’re good at listening and have good observational skills, organisation skills and the ability to follow company policies and procedures such as health and safety.
Anyone can be a Healthcare Assistant. There are no set entry qualifications. Employers expect good literacy, numeracy and IT skills and may ask for GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and Maths. It can be helpful to have a qualification in Health and Social Care but it is not essential. You could also enter through a Level 2 Apprenticeship in Health & Social Care. Your training as a HCA will include basic nursing skills. In the first few months after starting your job as a HCA you will be required to demonstrate your learning and competence and achieve the Care Certificate. This gives you a great start point to take your career forward. To make progress you will need a Level 2 qualification in Health and Social Care. Many local education providers offer a variety of qualifications.
We'd love to hear from you. If you'd like to talk to us about apprenticeships and traineeships, email hyp-tr.apprentices@nhs.net
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