Health Care Assistant - Powys Ward in Oswestry

Professional and Clinical issues

• Provide a safe and clean environment for patients by having and demonstrating a working knowledge of all Health and Safety issues.
• Ensure due regard is given to the customs, culture, values and spiritual beliefs of the patient, family, carers and staff.
• Uphold the Trust's Diversity/Equal Opportunities Policy.
• Ensure due regard is given to the safety of patients' belongings according to Trust and local unit policies.
• Assist with escort duties as required.
• Chaperone patients during medical examinations, assisting the medic and reporting verbal instructions to the qualified nurse.
• Undertake and record nursing observations, including temperature, pulse, blood pressure, respirations, oxygen saturations, height, weight, blood sugar and urinalysis showing understanding of the normal ranges following training.
• Perform ECGs & Phlebotomy (when appropriately trained) and report any abnormalities/concerns to a senior member of staff.
• Act as a Link Nurse for the ward, with the support of a registered nurse.
• Communicate and liaise well with other team members, contributing to the Safety Huddle.
• Provide information to relatives and family as appropriate.
• Basic life support skills are essential and will be updated at least yearly.
• Ability to call help and support staff in the event of an emergency.
• Be accountable for own practice and take every reasonable opportunity to sustain and improve knowledge and professional competence.
• Attend relevant in-house training sessions which are pertinent to own clinical practice, to enhance knowledge and skill, maintaining competencies and personal training records.
• Participate in a yearly appraisal, setting personal objectives for own professional development plan.

Records Management

As an employee of the Trust, you have a legal responsibility for all records (e.g. including patient records, financial, personal and administrative) that you gather or use as part of your work within the Trust. The records may be paper, electronic, microfiche, audio, videotapes or x-ray images etc. All such records are considered public records (under the Public Records Act 1958). You must consult your manager if you have any doubt as to the correct management of the records with which you work.

Competence

You are responsible for limiting your actions to those which you feel competent to undertake. If you have any doubts about your competence during the course of your duties, you should immediately speak to your line manager/supervisor.

Safeguarding Children and Adults

The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt NHS Foundation Trust takes the issues of Safeguarding Children and Adults very seriously. All employees have a responsibility to support the Trust in its duties by:

• Attending mandatory training on Safeguarding children and adults.
• Being familiar with the individual and Trust requirements under relevant legislation.
• Adhering to all relevant national and local policies, procedures, practice guidelines and professional codes.
• Reporting any concerns to the appropriate manager or authority.

General

This job description does not attempt to describe all the tasks the post holder will undertake. It does indicate the degree of authority, range of duties covered and the flexibility required for the job. This job description may be amended in consultation with the post holder as developments evolve, and as part of the appraisal process. You have a responsibility for ensuring that you are committed to maintaining a high quality service to patients by continual development of practice in the light of research evidence, National Service Frameworks, NICE Guidance and Clinical Guidance and by audit against clinically relevant standards. To suggest and implement improvements to services, exercising professional responsibility, including lifelong learning within an open 'no-blame culture'.