Promoting good health A02 Rebecca Tomlin
Firstly I will be looking at the job roles and skills of a care assistant within a residential home.
Their job roles are to be part of the nursing team, whose aims are to ensure that resident’s nursing, personal and psychological needs are met on a daily basis, to help promote as much personal and physical independence and choice as possible, in the activities of daily living undertaken by the residents within the Nursing Home.
To help maintain a stimulating and attractive environment for the residents, to assist residents in washing, dressing and undressing, to participate in the basic nursing care of the residents, under the supervision of trained staff, e.g. bed-bathing, pressure area care, mouth care, eye care, to assist the residents with their toileting needs, including continence promotion, to change beds, tidy resident’s rooms and do light cleaning.
To help in the serving of meals and drinks, feeding those residents who are unable to feed themselves and ensuring that each resident receives the meal or diet that he/she has requested and is suitable for his/her needs, maintain confidentiality regarding resident’s particulars. Assist in activities within the Home, Undertake any other duties as required in order to keep the Nursing Home running smoothly, as delegated by the trained nursing staff or Home Manager.
Care assistant improve the lives of vulnerable people. Within this job you will work with people on a weekly or daily basis assisting them in practical activities such as going to the shops or helping people to bed. You could be working in a care home or visiting people in their own homes depending on the job and assisting care workers in their activities.
According to the care assistant I am studying she said “It is a very rewarding career and can be done on a contract, permanent or temporary basis and there are specific day and night care assistant jobs available. Being a care assistant involves, caring for you clients, who can include: children, the elderly, people with disabilities and families; by assisting with medications to helping with household chores. I love doing this job it is so fulfilling.”
You may be liaising with people from other departments such as; social services, housing officers and GP’s, so you will need to have good communication skills. You will need to be sensitive to people of different backgrounds and be able to listen and communicate well with your clients. This will include the amount of eye contact given, facial expressions, angle of head, and tone of voice, body language, gestures, posture, muscle tension, touch, and proximity and so on. All these skills will make up to how the service user is going to feel all these skills can be used negatively and positively but the service provider has to make sure they use it in a positive way.
A second language may be required in some cases; the reason for this is because every health and social care setting has multi cultural people, for example Punjab, Slovakian, Polish and so on. The reason for this is that they may not speak English so to have a second language it is important and very helpful. A care assistant must be able to speak good English and communicate well.
Care assistants need to be enthusiastic, good team players, caring, patient, and also enjoy caring and helping people. Patience, compassion, tact and a sense of humour are vital qualities, especially if you work with people who do not like to admit that they need help. For example if a service user is feeling upset because they have just come back from the doctors and they have had some kind of treatment it’s the care assistants job to be patient and calm with them. They must give them the support and compassion.
You must understand that every resident has the right to keep as much independence as they can. You will need to treat each resident as an individual, with different physical and emotional needs. You should be able to talk and listen to people from all backgrounds.
You will need to be discreet, and able to ease people's embarrassment when you help them with personal tasks for example washing or using the toilet. You must be able to give help and support with residents' concerns or emotional problems. You must be prepared to learn and develop new knowledge and skills.
Unlike individuals who wish to become healthcare professionals, potential healthcare assistants do not need to hold any specific qualifications or have a scientific background. However, individuals will need to pass a medical check and, because of the amount of close contact with vulnerable patients of all ages, a Criminal Records Bureau check will also have to be carried out. Furthermore, a driving license is useful, since healthcare assistants often need to visit patients in their own homes throughout the day.
Once healthcare assistants have started work, they can study for NVQ qualifications in Health or Health and Social Care. These qualifications will allow employees to learn more about patient care and, once they have been completed, individuals will often be allowed to perform tasks which require a greater level of responsibility.
Previous experience in any caring role will be invaluable for individuals hoping to become healthcare assistants. Previous medical experience is useful but not essential. Volunteer work of any kind will look good on a CV as well.
Secondly, I am looking at the job roles of a nurse.
The job roles of a nurse consist of assessing, observing and reporting on the condition of patients; preparing patients for operations and procedures. Recording pulse, temperature and respiration and keeping accurate records of these observations. To set up drips and blood transfusions, Maintaining and checking intravenous infusions, Administering drugs and injections, To assist with tests and evaluations, Respond quickly to emergencies, Explaining treatment and procedures to parents or guardians, Supporting, advising and educating patients and close relatives. engaging in and promoting teamwork, including working alongside specialist doctors and nurses, health visitors, social workers, radiographers and physiotherapists.
Observing strict hygiene and safety rules and ensuring that visitors also observe any rules on the ward or unit.
Writing reports and updating records before completing a shift.
Adult nurses provide care too, and support the recovery of, patients suffering from acute (short-term) and long-term illnesses and diseases or those requiring surgery. They focus on the needs of the patient rather than the illness or condition.
They also promote good health and well being through education.
Nurses plan and carry out care within a multidisciplinary team but are the main point of contact for patients. Adult nurses work mainly in hospitals and the community, attached to a health centre or general practice and in residential homes, specialist units, schools and hospices. Many nurses work with patients in their own homes.
As a nurse you need to have these skills:
Excellent people skills - You will be providing care for people of all ages and backgrounds. You should be able to put people at their ease, gain their confidence and deal sympathetically with their problems and fears.
Good communication and observation, these are crucial to good nursing. You need to be a good at listening as well as talking and you have to be constantly alert to changes in patients' conditions and the implications in terms of care. As a nurse is more frequently in contact with the patients, he/she should have excellent communication skills. These include speaking as well as listening skills. The nurse should be able to openly talk with the patients and their family members in order to understand their needs and expectations. He/she should be able to explain the treatment given to the patient.
Ability to answer questions and offer advice, Nurses are the most frequent point of contact for patients, so you must be able to answer their questions, share your knowledge and skills with patients, their families and friends and make sure their needs are recognised by the rest of the care team.
Happy to work as part of a team as a nurse you will be part of a multi-disciplinary team that includes doctors, physiotherapists, anaesthetists, pharmacists, dieticians’ and many more.
Dealing with emotionally charged situations, nursing can sometimes involve managing distress. You'll play a key part in helping patients and families come through their crises.
A good nurse should be highly qualified and trained. She/he should have a sound knowledge of the nursing profession, obtained from a reputed institute. He/she should always be ready to learn more.
Watchfulness is an important quality of a good nurse. He/she should be alert every moment about the condition of a patient. He/she should be able to notice a minor change in the patient’s health status.
A good nurse should have an emotional stability. Nursing is a very stressful job. Everyday the nurses witness severe traumatic situations, surgeries and deaths. The nurse should be mentally strong and should not get disturbed by such incidences.
Good presence of mind is crucial in the nursing profession. In any critical condition or medical emergency, if the doctor is not there, then the nurse should not get confused. He/she should be confident enough to take the correct decisions. Kindness and empathy are the qualities that every nurse should possess. The nurse should be calm and kind to the patients, even if they are aggressive. The nurse should understand the pains and suffering of patients. He/she should provide comfort and sympathy to the patients, instead of getting angry with them.
A good nurse should be flexible about his/her working hours and responsibilities. Nursing is a time demanding profession. It’s not like that to work for specific hours. Medical emergencies can occur at any time. Nurses often have to extend their duty hours, work in overnight shifts, or work on weekends too. They should not complain about that.
A good nurse should have a strong physical endurance. He/she should be able to perform a number of taxing manoeuvres, stand up for a long period of time or lift heavy objects/people on a daily basis. A nurse should have a respect for people and rules. He/she should be devoted to the professions He/she should be aware of different cultures and traditions and confidentiality requirements of the patients. He/she should respect the wishes of the patients.
A nurse should be active and cheerful. Her/his presence should make the patient relaxed and comfortable. The nurse’s pleasant appearance can reduce the patient’s stress and pains. His/her voice should be soft and gentle
Before working on the NHS, you will need to complete a pre-registration course. There are many pre-registration courses available throughout the UK, and at present there is no set minimum entry qualification across the board. The entry requirements differ depending on the higher education institution chosen. It is generally thought that most entry criteria for a diploma course will require candidates to possess around 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) of Grade C and above including English literature or language and a science subject. Nursing degree courses usually require candidates to have gained at least 2 A-Level qualifications or equivalent.
However, if you're considering changing career and becoming a nurse you should have good numeracy and literacy skills. You should also be an excellent team worker and possess good communication skills. You may also find that you have to work within extremely emotionally charged atmospheres and situations, so an ability to work and communicate calmly, sympathetically and efficiently within such situations is crucial. Observation skills are also vital, as a nurse's role can often include monitoring a patient's progress, as well as the possible resulting care routes.
Julia Bryan, a community clinical nurse specialist who has worked at Saint Francis Hospice for three years, shares her day as a nurse.
9 am – The first thing I do is write up notes about the phone calls I received overnight while on call ready for the morning meeting. I received calls from hospice staff seeking advice and alerting me to a man discharged from hospital and needing a visit.
I then prepare for the day I’m going to visit two teams of district nurses about patients and three patients– two are follow-up visits and one is a new referral. Each hospice nurse looks after 20 to 30 patients at a time in a set area, mine is Romford and Collier Row.
9.30 am – I attend the team meeting and we hand-over patients and discuss workloads for the day. Afterwards we can talk to hospice doctors about patients’ symptoms and medication.
10 am – I drop into the district nurses in Romford for information about the progress of a patient we are caring for. We work closely with district nurse teams and GPs to ensure highest standard of symptom control is given as well as supportive care to patients and their families.
10.30 am – I visit my first patient of the day a 56-year-old woman recently diagnosed with a brain tumour. She is nervous about suffering more fits after being hospitalized following one so we discuss medicine that may prevent them and keep her out of hospital, which she wants. I ask how she feels and about her session with our physiotherapist and she requests another appointment as she has back pain so I will arrange this. I review her medication as both she and her husband asked me about it and I liaise with her hospital specialists to ensure continuity of care. I explain that I will write to the GP for the new prescription.