JOB DESCRIPTION
HEALTHCARE ASSISTANT
PLACE OF WORK: Mamsey House Nursing Home
Priest Street
Williton
Somerset
TA4 4NJ
HOURS OF WORK: FullTime/Part Time
ACCOUNTABLE TO: Home Manager
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR PHYSICAL RESOURCES: Shared responsibility for using resources in an efficient way and equipment safely, and for the safe handling and storage of resident’s property.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: None
MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB: Support and assist trained nursing staff in the delivery of resident care in a safe way and within the competencies of the Healthcare Assistant role.
SUMMARY OF TASKS:
Aid the resident to achieve personal hygiene needs by helping with bath/shower or bed bath, encouraging the resident to be as independent as possible, reporting back to the Nurse in Charge any changes in skin condition.
Assist the patient to achieve their nutritional needs by helping them to eat, and in the event of them not eating, provide alternatives by offering and ordering snacks, toast or by giving supplement drinks under the direction of the trained nurses. Record the food intake of the resident on the food chart if the resident has one.
Help with resident mobility by accompanying residents when walking, supporting with an arm or by using aids and equipment as specified in that resident’s care plan and under the direction of a trained Healthcare Professional.
Assist residents to access toilet requirements, either by walking with them to the toilet, providing a commode or giving a bed pan, maintaining privacy and dignity at all times and undertake washing of residents when they have been incontinent.
Help the trained nurse with the care of the deceased resident by performing last offices as per the Home’s procedure and under the direction of a trained member of staff.
Perform blood glucose, urinalysis tests when required and record in residents notes, informing trained staff of the results.
Perform care of stoma, simple dressings, emptying catheter and naso gastric tube bags and record on residents fluid charts or in the nursing record on a frequent daily basis.
Assist in the change of residents position by using sliding sheets, hoists and other appropriate equipment available for moving the resident, following individual Manual Handling assessments of individual residents.
Undertake and record on the observation chart, blood pressure, pulse, temperature and report back to the Nurse in Charge.
Check controlled drugs as a second checker, with a registered practitioner and sign in the controlled drug book.
Escort stable residents to hospital for appointments, monitoring and observing the residents condition during this time. Stay with the resident during the appointment, and escort back to the Home.
Communicate and pass on relevant information, via the telephone, electronically, or verbally from medical staff, residents and relatives to members of the nursing team.
Ensure that residents charts and nursing records are filled in accurately, legibly and to Home’s policies.
Attend staff meetings in order to gain salient information on a regular basis.
Attend mandatory annual updates as per the Home’s policy.
Alert other professionals in the event of a collapse of a patient or other person within the Home.
Use calm and non-threatening verbal and non-verbal communication skills to manage any abusive and aggressive behaviour.
Ensure the segregation of clinical and non-clinical waste according to the Home’s waste policy when disposing of waste, and ensure that other staff are aware of and follow the policy.
Assist with training a supervision of new support staff while they are being orientated and inducted by showing them around the area, telling and showing them the Home routines.
Collect urine, sputum, faeces specimens from residents when required, put into transit bottles and label.
Contribute to the security of Home and resident property and ensure the safe keeping of property according to the Home’s policy by alerting senior staff to any items of value residents may have in their possession and checking these into the Home property books and signing as a witness.
Read on an annual basis and adhere to all Home policies.
EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL CONTACTS: Residents, relatives and carers, Home staff, Matron, medical staff. Attendance at staff meetings.
WORKING ENVIRONMENT: In frequent daily contact with bodily fluids and MRSA. Requires on an average of 25-30 times a shift bending, moving residents, kneeling/stooping when bathing and using physical effort for frequent short periods of approximately 20 minutes throughout the shift. Will be required to deal with anxious and distressed residents and relatives by directing them to trained members of staff or by making tea.
CHANGES TO THE JOB: This post may be subject to change/review as the needs of the Home’s services changes. Any changes will be made following consultation with the individual.
HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK: It is the responsibility of all staff to be aware of their duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act and under specific local or departmental Health and Safety policies.
CONFIDENTIALITY/DATA PROTECTION: Any matters of a confidential nature, including particular information relating to residents, their treatment and diagnosis, individual staff records, details of contract prices and terms must under no circumstances be divulged or made available to any unauthorised person. It is the responsibility of all staff to be aware of their obligations in respect of the Data Protection Act 1998.
APPRAISAL: Under the Knowledge and Skills Framework, the employee will be entitled to an annual appraisal.
Read and understood:
Signed………………………………………………..
Date…………………………………………
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