Healthcare Assistant
Job overview
This vacancy is part-time for 16 hours per week. Please note that we are unable to offer sponsorship as this post does not meet the requirements.
The Breast Clinic in the Treatment Centre offers Breast Screening and symptomatic treatment for Ladies, Gentlemen and Children in the local area.
The successful candidate will be responsible for working 1;1 with Practitioners and Drs on a daily basis, caring for patients who present with a problem with their Breast. This will involve supporting One Stop, Follow up, Results and Plastics Clinics, offering emotional and psychological support, often caring for someone with a possible cancer diagnosis and throughout their cancer treatment.
Main duties of the job
Welcome and orientate patients, carers, relatives and other visitors to the department demonstrating care and compassion at all times.
Provide support to the clinical team as required. Perform area specific clinical duties to enhance the delivery of patient care, which may include: Chaperoning patients, assisting with Biopsies and other Clinical tasks.
Assist in providing optimal conditions for a patient, ensuring their nutritional needs are met. Performing and recording electronically a patient’s vital signs as directed, reporting findings to the registered practitioner on duty when necessary.Perform swabbing, if appropriately trained to do so, as directed by a registered practitioner.
Communicate effectively with patients, relatives, and healthcare practitioners and contribute to effective Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) work. Ensure that information passed to patients, relatives or colleagues is understood using tact, encouragement or empathy as required.Ask for, listen to and value the views of patients and their relatives on their experience and discuss this with registered practitioners in order to improve care and patient experience.
Working for our organisation
We are a small team of Nurses and Health Care Assistants working in a wider team of Breast Care Nurses and Practitioners, Administration and Clerical staff, Doctors and a Radiology team. We work closely, in a fast paced environment, to meet the needs of patients.We are open Monday to Friday.
**Please submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close any adverts before the closing date once we have received sufficient applications**
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest employers in the area.
Our Excellence Values- Compassion
- Accountability
- Respect
- Integrity
- Courage
The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups. We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative.
We recognise the valuable contribution that the Armed Forces community make to our organisation. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and achieved Silver Award under the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme.
We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Welcome and orientate patients, carers, relatives and other visitors to the department demonstrating care and compassion at all times. Report any observed changes or concerns in the patient’s physical or psychological needs to the registered practitioner.Provide support to the registered practitioner, and where appropriate, other members of the department clinical team as required. Perform area specific clinical duties to enhance the delivery of patient care, which may include: Chaperoning patients, respecting religious, cultural and personal preference, ensuring privacy and dignity at all times.
Assisting patients in gaining access to appropriate toilet and changing facilities. Assisting with Biopsies and other Clinical tasks as instructed by the Practitioner. Assisting in the care of patients who attend Clinic in wheelchairs and when using hospital transport Supporting the registered practitioner in undertaking risk assessments (e.g. falls) as required. Assisting in providing optimal conditions for a patient, ensuring their nutritional needs are met.
Performing and recording electronically a patient’s vital signs as directed, reporting findings to the registered practitioner on duty i.e. Temperature, Blood Pressure, Respiration, Oxygen Saturation, and Pulse when necessary. Perform swabbing, if appropriately trained to do so, as directed by a registered practitioner.
Undertake extended skills, as directed, if appropriate education and training has been received and competency demonstrated. Communicate effectively and maintain good relationships with patients, relatives, and healthcare practitioners and contribute to effective Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) team work.
Ensure that information passed to patients, relatives or colleagues is understood using tact, encouragement or empathy as required. Ask for, listen to and value the views of patients and their relatives on their experience and discuss this with registered practitioners in order to improve care and patient experience.
Actively support and assist in alleviating distress and anxiety for patients and carers in line with their personal beliefs and preferences whilst in hospital informing a registered practitioner where any changes and/or concerns are observed.
Undertake clerical duties, including filing, as directed by the registered nurse practitioner in relation to all verbal and written communications. Ensure that messages and communications are passed to other team members, as required. In accordance with training, ensure safe and effective infection prevention and control (including waste management), handwashing and wearing of Personal Protective equipment are adhered to at all times.
Maintain cleanliness in the work environment in line with Health and Safety and Infection Prevention policies and guidelines. Prepare and maintain environments for clinical procedures in line with current policies. Organise the supply and maintenance of materials and department equipment ensuring they are in working order, placed in the correct area and present no hazards to colleagues, patients or visitors.
Assist with the checking and recording of deliveries to the clinical areas against original orders. Assist with stock, minimising the risk of equipment being out of date. Use IT systems where appropriate and trained to do so, to record patient information.
Recognise and consistently works within boundaries of the role. Maintain responsibility for own mandatory/role specific training and continuing professional development needs and take part in the annual appraisal process to help identify future development requirements.
This post involves treatment to children and/or adults at risk, as defined by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). It will therefore be necessary for the post holder to apply for and be in receipt of a satisfactory Enhanced DBS check.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- Educated to Vocational Qualification/NVQ Level 3 or equivalent level of education, training or experience
- Holds National Care Certificate or equivalent level of education, training or experience (e.g. able to demonstrate the skill and competency to undertake the clinical duties as described in the job description)
- Holds Functional Skills Level 2 Maths and English or education equivalent
- Speciality specific training and competencies achieved and ongoing development
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria- Experience working in as a Healthcare Assistant in an healthcare, social care organisation/setting or service industry requiring people contact
- Knowledge of Infection Prevention and Control and Safeguarding processes
- Experience of working in a healthcare team and patient settings
- Experience of dealing with patient/relative verbal complaints
Skills
Essential criteria- Good communication and listening skills (written and verbal)
- Able to work on own initiative, following direction/close supervision by a Registered Practitioner
- Able to work as a team
- Able to relate well with patients, relatives, visitors, colleagues, the multi-disciplinary team and wider Trust colleagues
- Taking and recording Vital Signs and other clinical skills with evidence of appropriate training within scope of job role
- Able to carry out routine and non-routine duties/tasks
- Computer/keyboard skills for entering/updating patient records
- Able to meet the flexible needs of the role and duty roster
Important Information
Applications will be transferred to TRAC system, by completing an application your are giving authorisation for the transfer of your data.
Correspondence regarding your application will be sent to you via a TRAC system account.
We are an equal opportunities employer, which aims to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons from all backgrounds.
We welcome applications from members of our black and minority ethnic (BME) communities, especially in relation to senior posts within at KGH.
Applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria for the job will be interviewed if you indicate you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme. If you require a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process please make the recruitment services team aware as soon as possible.
Appointments will be made on merit.
In submitting an application form, you authorise Kettering General Hospital (KGH) NHS Foundation Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process. Including factual reference, occupational health clearance and statutory and mandatory training record.
If you need to have a Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check, as a requirement of the role, you will be required to repay the cost of obtaining a DBS check (£49.50) and this amount will be reclaimed from your first salary. From 1st February 2019 all new starters to the Trust are required to join the DBS update service as per Trust DBS Re-checking Policy which has an annual cost of £16.New employees who do not join the update service will be required to pay £49.50 for a new DBS check in 3 years time.
Please note that news starters with KGH are subject to a six month probationary period.
Please ensure that the information you provide on your application form is correct, accurate and that nothing has been omitted. Any information that is stated in your application form in relation to qualifications/training courses/work/education experience/references must be able to be evidenced.Failure to do so may result if your offer being withdrawn.
"Safeguarding is everyone's business. KGH considers Safeguarding a priority amongst its citizen's and a key value for all employed to the service."
We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone’s full potential. As an organisation, we value how we communicate and promote our vacancies to all communities.The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, especially those from BAME, Disabled and LGBTQ+ backgrounds as these are underrepresented in our hospitals. We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative.
We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.