Healthcare Support Worker

Main duties of the job include monitoring and recording patients’ vital signs (including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, oxygen saturation) and reporting any abnormal results to registered nursing staff. Performing venepuncture and cannulation after training and assessment of competency. Demonstrating an understanding of infection control issues including attendance at mandatory training; understanding of policy and procedure and accepting responsibility for their own infection control practice and a willingness to challenge others’ practice. Assisting nursing and medical staff where required with various clinical procedures, as delegated appropriately by a registered nurse. Promoting a safe clinical environment for all patients, visitors and staff. Assisting with any local or Trust initiatives to ensure the continuous improvement of the quality of services and safeguarding of high standards of care.

Working Pattern: 5 days per week, 7.5 hours per day, start times between 8:00am and 10am.

Essential Requirements:

• Care Certificate completed in the UK
• Previous experience working in an Oncology Department
• Venepuncture competency
• ECG competency
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Commitment to delivering compassionate, high-quality patient care

Desirable Skills:

• Uroflowmetry experience
• Post Void Residual (PVR) scanning
• Experience collecting microbiology specimens
• Previous experience in a diagnostic or surgical setting

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a welcoming and supportive team
• Make a difference to patients every day
• Gain valuable experience in a specialist cancer centre
• Work alongside colleagues who are passionate about delivering outstanding care and teamwork

Education & Qualifications:

• Care Certificate completed in the UK
• Demonstrable experience of working in a healthcare setting
• Understanding of working with patients who are critically and chronically ill
• Evidence of ongoing professional development
• NVQ in Health and Social Care Level 2

Experience:

• Experience of working in a healthcare setting for a duration long enough to have obtained relevant competencies for a Band 3 position
• Experience of working with computers (keyboard skills, data entry)
• Experience of working with oncology patients

Skills, Abilities & Knowledge:

• Must be competent in venepuncture
• Clinical skills (e.g. phlebotomy etc.)
• Evidence of effective interpersonal skills
• Evidence of good organisational skills
• Self-motivated to work under minimal supervision
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Good communication skills, written and verbal
• Patience and understanding of patient’s needs
• Ability to remain calm and demonstrate tact and diplomacy whilst under pressure
• Awareness of the importance of patient confidentiality
• Literacy and numeracy skills
• Awareness of health and safety at work (e.g. Manual Handling skills, Infection Control measures)
• Ability to use own initiative
• Understanding of working with patients who are critically and chronically ill

Other Requirements:

• Flexibility to meet the needs of the service (e.g. shift work)
• Able to work on both sites and to be flexible to meet the needs of the role

The Royal Marsden values diversity and is committed to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority groups. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are working to create a workplace that enables all staff to reach their full potential. We are committed to this because we know that greater diversity and inclusion will lead to an even greater positive impact for the people we serve.

Flu Vaccination – What We Expect of our Staff: At The Royal Marsden we have an immune compromised patient population who we must protect as much as we can against the flu virus. Each year, seasonal flu affects thousands of people in the UK. Occurring mainly in winter, it is an infectious respiratory disease capable of producing symptoms ranging from those similar to a common cold, through to very severe or even fatal disease. The wellbeing of our staff and patients is of the utmost importance to us, and it is the expectation of The Royal Marsden that all patient-facing staff have an annual flu vaccination, provided free of charge by the Trust.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.