Healthcare Support Worker

Role Overview

The Healthcare Support Worker will be an integral member of the nursing team, delivering personal nursing care and clinical support to patients admitted in inpatient hospital settings. The role involves assisting in assessing care needs and executing care plans under the supervision of a Registered Nurse. Accurate documentation of physiological observations and clinical changes is a key responsibility, alongside adherence to Trust standards and working within defined professional competencies.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver patient-focused care tailored to individual needs in compliance with Trust policies, including assistance with personal care such as washing, dressing, oral hygiene, toileting, and continence support, while encouraging patient independence.
• Develop and maintain strong interpersonal communication skills, ensuring the effective exchange of accurate information and employing alternative communication strategies like visual cues, reassurance, empathy, and persuasion to overcome barriers.
• Engage in regular training to competently perform clinical tasks such as physiological observations, blood glucose monitoring, urinalysis, venepuncture, urinary catheter management, peripheral cannula insertion and removal, ECG, and BMI calculation. Additional clinical interventions may be required depending on the practice area.
• Assess the patient's clinical status within one's competency using tools such as the NEWS2 scoring system, pain assessment methods, and non-verbal signs of deterioration, with the ability to promptly escalate concerns when necessary.
• Manage workload independently or collaboratively, prioritizing clinical demands and patient care effectively.

Work Environment

This position is based at Dawlish Community Hospital, a 16-bed unit specializing in care for older adults. Services include continuous holistic care encompassing rehabilitation, end-of-life support, dementia and age-related condition management. The hospital operates within a multidisciplinary framework involving Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, General Practitioners, and other healthcare professionals.

Additional Information

The Trust delivers a broad spectrum of emergency, specialist, and medical services, integrating health and social care across inpatient, community, and outpatient settings. Candidates with recognised 'Priority' or 'At Risk' status, including NHS staff in Devon, will be prioritised for this opportunity.

For informal enquiries, contact Helen Thatcher, Matron, via email or phone at 01626895270.