Job overview
We are looking for a Healthcare Assistant to join our team.
You will be working in a small team of specialist nurses and GI services consultants to provide outpatient care and clinics.
This is a varied role including some assisting consultants in clinics and caring for patients undergoing procedures, running outpatient clinic lists and assisting specialist nurses caring for patients in the GI day unit.
Main duties of the job
- To undertake basic nursing activities for patients under the responsibility of a registered nurse.
- To contribute to the provision of support functions for the Day Case Unit and gastroenterology/ colorectal outpatients/ GI Ward
- Participate in the development of self and others.
- Work with the registered nursing staff to maintain a clean, safe and efficient environment for patients and staff
- Assist colorectal and upper GI surgeons in procedural clinics
- To be a flexible member of the team working in all areas of the department as and when required covering the units opening hours with the addition of working in outlying areas, including Allerton ward and endoscopy unit .
Why Work With Us
Hutchings is a day unit and outpatient facility that provides care, infusions, procedures and clinical reviews of patients with multiple GI conditions.
Detailed job description and responsibilities
Communication and working relationships
- Provide and receive routine information
- Exchange factual information with patients and other team members
- Uses tact, persuasion, reassurance and empathy with patients and carers
- Able to overcome barriers to communication such as physical or mental health difficulties, learning difficulties, sensory impairments.
Provide information to enable the effectiveness of care to be evaluated and records maintained.
- Record in the relevant documentation the care that has been delivered contemporaneously
Aware of patients’ emotional, social and physical needs, reporting back to trained nurse responsible for patients’ care.
Participate in team building/communication, and to develop a cohesive, supportive an effective team. To work towards the agreed philosophy and objectives of the ward/department.
- Ensure by clear communication a happy atmosphere, and an effective and safe working environment
- To be able to work flexibly between day unit, outpatient clinics, GI ward and endoscopy, providing cross-cover as needed to ensure safety is maintained in all areas
- Complete and monitor patient clinical observations: ensure own documentation is completed to the unit agreed standard.
- Demonstrates own role to junior collegues and assists with the induction of new starters
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Analytical and judgement
- To contribute to the assessment of patient needs and the evaluation of care program’s within the Day Case Unit and outpatients
- Instigate emergency procedures as requires, alert registered nurses to the condition of the patients under their care
- Report any incidents, accidents or complaints to the nurse in charge of the ward, in accordance with Trust policy.
- To undertake an active role in training student nurses and other healthcare assistants on the unit.
- Recognise and respond appropriately to urgent and emergency situations.
- To be aware of and abide by Trust approved policies, i.e. child protection, infection control, standards and quality initiatives.
Planning and organisation
- To undertake skilled nursing activities for which training and competency assessment has been undertaken (dressings, drain removal, cannulation, cannula removal, Ng tube insertion/ removal, Blood sugar and INR recording)
- Organises own workload and plans own work activities
- Ensures the smooth running of the clinics assigned to them
- Awareness of stock required for clinic and day unit and orders via stock control as required
Physical skills
- Manual dexterity to undertake skills such as venepuncture, cannulation, dressings
- Ability to manoeuvre and handle clients and equipment in line with manual handling procedures
Patient and client care
- To provide patient care as directed by an RGN an in accordance with the specifications of each patients care needs.
- Ability to work, without direct supervision, to safe standards without jeopardizing the care of patients or compromising the health of colleagues
- Undertakes clinical observations of patients and reports abnormalities back to Registered nurses (ie blood pressure, pulse, blood glucose monitoring, INR monitoring). Records and documents all observations.
- Undertake simple wound dressings, acts on own initiative in line with training and experience
- Implement clinical care/ care packages
- Undertakes a limited range of delegated clinical care duties relevant to the services provided (ie removal of drains, venepuncture, cannulation, Ng tube insertion, venesection)
- Responsible for the daily safety checks of Day Unit equipment
- Preparation and cleaning of equipment e.g. patient trolleys
- Undertake short courses to undertake patient and clinical care duties
- Completion of a competency based workbook or equivalent to vocational qualification level 3
Policy and service development
- To have an understanding of infection control safe working practice in accordance to Trust policies and procedures
- Ensure compliance with policies procedures and clinical guidelines for self and others
- Participates in discussions on proposed changes to procedures
- To liaise with ward clerk/clerical staff regarding patients’ ad hoc appointments.
- To be involved with discussions about improvements and changes within the team
- Participate in patient and public involvement activities
- To maintain the highest level of confidentiality at all times, to have knowledge of the confidential nature of duties including access to patients’ notes and medical reports: attend the Trust confidentiality training as directed by manager.
- To participate in IPR programme and attend annual review
- Take responsibility for personal development and education. Maintain professional expertise by attending study days and in service training, i.e. fire safety; manual handling, and NVQ level III or equivalent (Care)as directed by manager.
Finance, equipment and other resources
- To contribute in controlling the use of resources within the budgetary limits
- Liaise with stock control in order to maintain adequate levels of stock for service delivery
Checking and reporting to works department and Ward Leader on environmental conditions, i.e. heating, lighting, and general maintenance.
People management and training
- To provide patient care as directed by an RGN an in accordance with the specifications of each patients care needs.
- Ability to work, without direct supervision, to safe standards without jeopardizing the care of patients or compromising the health of colleagues
- Undertakes clinical observations of patients and reports abnormalities back to Registered nurses (ie blood pressure, pulse, blood glucose monitoring, INR monitoring). Records and documents all observations.
- Observes patients for signs of pain or distress following procedures undertaken on the unit/ward
- Undertake simple wound dressings, acts on own initiative in line with training and experience
Information technology and administrative duties
- Assisting in entering data on computer systems
- Attend mandatory training and relevant study days to develop own knowledge and skills.
- Up date patient IT systems in the absence of the ward clerk
- Use IT effectively on a daily basis in order to enhance patient care (PAS, Infoflex, Cyberlab, ordercoms, datix)
Research and development
- Undertake and assist with audits as part of everyday workload
- Assist with patient feedback in the form of giving out patient feedback forms
- Assist the research and development team with GI research by undertaking venepuncture on selected patients and liaising with the team re: patient appointments
Freedom to act
- To undertake basic nursing activities for patients under the responsibility of a registered nurse.
