Healthcare Assistant

We are looking to recruit enthusiastic, motivated Healthcare Assistants with excellent communication skills to join our dedicated and dynamic team on Sharp ward. You must have a passion for delivering kind and compassionate care and be willing to learn and develop within your role. Recruiting capable and committed staff is essential to maintaining our high standards of quality, safety and patient experience.

**Job Purpose**:

- To assist in the delivery of care planned and assessed by the Registered Nurses, and other registered healthcare professionals.
- To carry out that care & other duties under direct supervision.

**Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.**

Sharp ward is a 29 bedded Neck of Femur Orthopaedic Unit which provides care for adult patients from across the Peninsula for treatment following often traumatic and life changing events.

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust is the largest teaching hospital trust in the Southwest. We employ almost 10,000 staff that work in 350 different roles, plus hundreds of volunteers. We are not perfect, but we really do live by our values and caring for our colleagues helps ensure, in turn, that they are able to deliver the best possible care to our patients.

We offer great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment, and we offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure.

We are very proud to be the first hospital trust in the Southwest to be rated Outstanding for Caring by the CQC and this could not have been achieved without the hard work and dedication of all our teams.

**PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY**:
1. Provide and deliver a high standard of nursing, care (i.e., washing, mouthcare, toileting), recognising and meeting the specific needs of our Orthopaedic patient.
2. Provide and prioritise own tasks under the direction of registered nurse.
3. To carry out clinical observations on patients, recognising, recording and reporting all changes in patients' condition to senior staff.
4. To support maintenance of fluid balance and dietary charts, recognising, recording and reporting all adverse findings to senior staff.
5. Undertake the escort of patients to Theatre/other departments under the direction of the registered nurse (when deemed competent).
6. To support nutritional needs of patients by assisting with feeding and drinking, reporting on concerns about dietary intake to senior staff.
7. An awareness of skin integrity over pressure points, recognising and reporting all adverse findings to senior staff.
8. To recognise the importance of health education and teaching of patients and carers, and refer patients to senior staff
9. Document and sign for all observations and care given with counter signature from a registered practitioner.
10. To maintain his/her own professional development, attending courses/further training to enhance and optimise his/her role within the work area.
11. To promote and safeguard the well-being of patients, their families and colleagues.
12. To share responsibility in the care and maintenance of all equipment on the ward and stock control.
13. In the absence of a Ward Clerk undertake general ward clerk duties
14. Participate in unit research and audit work to include date collection
15. To respect the confidential information, in line with Trust policy Data Protection Act, obtained in the course of work and not disclose this information.
16. To be familiar with and adhere to Trust and Departmental policies and procedures mindful of responsibilities to self, colleagues and patients.
17. Report untoward incidents, complaints, clinical emergencies to senior staff.