Health Care Assistant

Are you compassionate, caring and communicative? Would you like to work at one of the Countries leading teaching hospitals? If so, NHS Professionals are currently recruiting for Health Care Assistants to work at Southampton General Hospital. As a Health Care Assistant, you will work under the guidance of a Registered Nurse on one of the hospital’s busy wards. Being on the bank at University Hospital Southampton gives you full flexibility on both when you work and on what wards.

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust provides services to around 1.9 million people across Southampton and South Hampshire and with their specialist services including neurosciences, cardiac services and children’s intensive care unit they care for more than 3.7 million across Southern England and the Channel Islands. The trust is also a major centre for teaching and research in association with the University of Southampton and partners including the Medical Research Council and Welcome Trust.

UHS gained foundation trust status in 2011. Every year the team of 11,500 treats around 150,000 day and inpatients including 50,000 emergency admissions.

Main Duties

Offer enhanced care with a flexible learning approach for all our patients.

Work in the hospital area, providing guidance and encouragement to patients through physical and emotional support.

Maintain a safe, clean and enjoyable environment.

Assist patients with their medical and welfare needs, and report as required.

Safeguard patients.

Learn about individuals’ specific needs and provide help in the most appropriate way.

Patient Observations including heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturations.

Washing and dressing patients and aiding in their personal care

Assisting patients to access and use toilet facilities

Serving meals and helping to feed patients

Helping patients to safely move around

Assisting with bed making, cleaning tasks, errands, or general duties

Collecting pathological specimens e.g., Urine, faeces, sputum

Making patients and their families feel comfortable

Monitoring and reporting patients’ conditions by taking temperatures, pulse, respirations and weight measurements

In return for your hard work and commitment NHS Professionals (NHSP) can offer you some fantastic benefits: -

Competitive Pay Rates - work this week, get paid next week!

Allocate on arrival enhanced pay rate

First choice of shifts at your Trust – Access to shifts before they are available to agency.

Flexible working to suit your lifestyle – Take control of when you want to work.

Build holiday allowance for every shift you work.

Book and manage your shifts on the go – Access shifts anywhere, anytime online or through your smartphone.

Support when you need it – 24/7 365 days – Call us anytime on 03332 407 552.

Stakeholder pension scheme

Job Description

We have flexible Bank shifts and long-term placement opportunities for Health Care Assistants available at University Hospital’s Southampton. Health Care Assistants are required across the hospital on a wide range of wards.

These wards include:

· Surgery

· Medicine for Older People

· Trauma & Orthopaedic unit

· Acute Surgical Admissions

· Acute Medicine unit

· Emergency Department

· Child Health

· Cancer Care

· Intensive Care Unit

· Ophthalmology

· Theatres

· Neuro

University Hospital Southampton has a rich tradition of developing Nursing and Midwifery practice, and of delivering excellence in patient care.

Whilst proud of their heritage, their focus is the future, and central to this vision is providing evidence and value-based individualised care to the people supported.

We are looking for high calibre individuals with good interpersonal and communication skills. The successful candidate should relish the challenge of a fast paced and exciting environment whilst wanting to deliver the highest standard of care.

Excellent transport links mean their location is commutable from:

· Southampton

· Portsmouth

· Winchester

· New Forest

· Bournemouth

· Oxford

Skills/Responsibilities:

It is important that personal limitations in knowledge and competence are acknowledged by the healthcare assistant (HCA). The HCA should be aware of and concerned with the essential needs of patients and assist the health care team by undertaking the following under direct supervision of a registered nurse/practitioner:

Assessment of Care:

Acknowledge personal beliefs and wishes of patients.

Communicate with individuals in ways, which are appropriate and take account of individual needs and requests.

Recognise vulnerable adults including safeguarding and report to registered nurse/practitioner.

Undertake, record, report and escalate information relating to care accurately and in timely way.

To be involved in review of all patient risks including falls, nutrition, pressure ulcer prevention, infection prevention and manual handling.

Assist with dietary and fluid intake, monitor and record as appropriate Adhere to nil by mouth and pre-operative fasting instructions when enforced.

Receive patients and their relatives in a calm, courteous and reassuring manner, providing appropriate information and support.

Ensure that all documentation is appropriately completed.

Maintain accurate fluid balance monitoring and report any changes to registered nurse/ practitioner ensuring accurate record keeping is maintained.

Provide literature on health promotion and support of healthy living

Planning of Care:

Handover care of patients both formally and informally

Delivery of Care:

Respect and always maintain the patient’s privacy and dignity.

Undertake a range of duties involving direct patient care, as instructed by experienced practitioners’ and ensure delegated nursing care is completed safely and effectively: e.g., Washing patients’ Shaving patients’ Caring for deceased patients’

Assist patients to access and use toilet facilities and dispose of body waste. 4. Assist in the collection of pathological specimens e.g., Urine, faeces, sputum

Following appropriate training, safely escort stable/non acute patients to/from wards/departments as per current Trust policy.

Ensure that correct use of moving & handling equipment, personal protective equipment and personal hygiene standards are maintained.

Take appropriate action in an emergency, as per current Trust policy.

Collect any requested specimens, label correctly and send to the appropriate department, advising the registered nurse/practitioner.

Undertake and report basic observations.

Record patient’s personal property, clothing and valuables.

Assist patients with menu choices, taking account of any dietary requirements and offer alternatives depending on medical condition as appropriate. Adhere to nil by mouth policies and procedures.

Provide physical, emotional and spiritual support to individuals and their relatives/friends during emotional distress and offer appropriate support from other members of the multidisciplinary team e.g., chaplaincy.

Assist with bed making, cleaning tasks, errands or general duties appropriate to the clinical area as required.

Ensure that all equipment is in good working order and ready for immediate use. Report any faults to registered nurse/practitioner in charge

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Temporary contract

Salary: £10.90-£21.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Company pension

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Night shift
• Weekend availability

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Southampton: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Experience:

• Care: 1 year (required)

Licence/Certification:

• Level 2 Health & Social Care / Care Certificate (required)

Work Location: In person