We are looking for an enthusiastic, motivated, Health Care Assistant who enjoys working within a team of dedicated staff.
This is a Full time post on the Paediatric Outpatients. We require an experienced candidate who is committed to providing holistic care to children and their families whilst maintaining high standards of care. Our Unit consists of (Rose Day Care and Paediatric Outpatients-Clinic 4D), which has six beds. We see children/young people between the age of 0-18 with a varied range of conditions including haematology, oncology, allergy, respiratory, dental/orthopaedic, urology and general surgery. In the outpatients, we run various clinics alongside doctors including nurse-led blood test, immunisation, HIV, jaundice screening and skin prick testing. We work closely with the children’s ward and children’s Ambulatory Unit.
The Senior Health Care Assistant is employed in the Paediatric unit to carry out assigned tasks including direct patient care in support of and supervised by a Registered Nurse.
The post holder will have an NVQ level 3 in care and/or have at least a years’ experience in working with children and young people.
The post holder is expected to:
works as part of the unit team under the supervision of registered nurses, participating in the delivery of patient care. The post holder will be expected to be self-motivated and use their initiative when necessary.
Will undertake the hospital’s in house training for HCA’s and will maintain an agreed level of competence.
work in different areas including the clinic, day-care, CAU
Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Main duties for child and Family
- Acts as an advocate for child and family at all times.
- Facilitates family centred care and provide information and support to families to enable them to continue to care for their child during the period of illness and hospitalisation.
- Patient’s and families are to be treated with dignity, respect and discretion whilst maintaining their confidentiality.
- Ensuring children’s toilet’s needs are met, measuring urine and weighing nappies as required. Recording all children’s output on a fluid balance chart.
- Monitor and record observations on patients including temperature, pulse, respirations and oxygen saturations.
- Monitor and record Blood pressure and Paediatric Early Warning Score.
- To perform monitor and record Blood Sugars as required
- To perform monitor and record capillary blood samples e.g. blood gases and bilirubin levels.
- To carry out routine urine testing, record results and report any abnormalities. Send urine specimens as appropriate.
- To escort patients to other departments throughout the hospital,
- To escort patients as appropriate to other hospitals/areas.
- After undertaking basic life support training, summon help and assist the qualified nurse in an emergency situations.
- To be able to deal with patients/families who have language barriers to enable understanding. Call interpreters as appropriate.
- To deliver meals to patients and families as appropriate.
- Assist in feeding patients as necessary.
- Bottle/spoon feed babies as required.
- Make up baby feeds as required
- Assess feeding requirements and refer to dietician, breastfeeding counsellor and speech and language therapist as required.
- Weigh and height children as required
- Order special feeds as necessary.
- Adhere to Trust policy on moving and handling
- Is one of the designated Moving and handling links for the ward.
- Maintain the comfort of patients confined to the bed using moving and handling apparatus as required.
- Maintain nursing records in accordance with trust policy
- Complete all admission paperwork liaising and asking nursing staff for assistance as required.
- All written documentation must be clear, legible and signed. All entries must be counter-signed by a qualified member of staff.
- To fill in fluid charts and observation charts as required.
- Writing care plans using Clinical care guidelines after having teaching on care plans and been signed off as competent at writing care-plans. All entries must be signed off by a qualified member of staff.
- Be aware of and adhere to the Trust guidelines relating to Infection control
- Take steps to prevent cross infection by using universal precautions and hand washing. This includes wearing uniform in accordance with hospital policy and the use of spirigel appropriately.
- Assist in keeping the ward clean and tidy in accordance to health and safety and Infection control.
- Bed linen to be changed daily. Beds, lockers bed tables and general bed areas to be cleaned thoroughly when patients are discharged or transferred.
- To follow the Trust policy on the safe disposal of sharps.
- To be able to communicate effectively with patients, families and members of the multidisciplinary team as well as other Trust staff and the general public.
- To answer the phone clearly and politely stating the ward name and who you are to relate all messages promptly and accurately.
- To be willing to undergo computer training and PAS training.
- To be able to do monthly Health and Safety checks and liaise with ward manager in doing so.
- Report any accidents and incidents according to Trust Policy.
- To undertake shared responsibility for delivering and maintaining a high standard of hygiene care to children - e.g. bathing, hair and skin care. Reporting to the qualified nurse any changes in the child’s condition.
- To carryout weighing and heighting and recording this accurately in notes and child held record.
- To ensure that children receive an adequate nutritional and well balance diet. Assisting with the serving of children’s meals and drinks and providing appropriate assistance to those children who may require it.
- Taking and recording observations as directed by a qualified nurse.
- Obtaining, testing and labeling routine specimens as directed by a qualified nurse.
- To be aware of the emotional and physical needs of children whilst in hospital and to provide appropriate support in conjunction with and under the supervision of a qualified nurse.
- To be aware of the needs of the families / carers and other visitors.
- To be aware of the importance of infection control and take steps to prevent cross infection.
- To actively participate in family centred care such that all direct nursing duties should be shared with parents if they so wish.
- To maintain accurate and legible records of care given under the supervision of a qualified nurse.
- To report any incident to the nurse in charge or ward manager.
- Making and cleaning of beds, couches, desks and clinic rooms
- Ensuring that the immediate child’s environment is safe, clean and orderly.
- Maintaining the general tidiness and neatness of all areas, being aware of safe requirements.
- Maintaining unit stock at agreed levels, checking and emptying supplies, restocking, cleaning and tidying storage areas e.g. linen, equipment and treatment rooms.
- Answer the telephone, taking messages, dealing with enquiries or referring the caller on to qualified staff as necessary.
- Run errands for staff
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