Healthcare assistants or HCAs are certified individuals who specialize in patient care in hospitals, health centers, and communities in general. The roles and responsibilities of health care assistants are really widespread and they are often referred to as the first line of support for patients.

Becoming an HCA can help you make a real difference in the lives of patients and that is why so many young people are now considering this career path for themselves. 

If you have also been thinking about becoming a healthcare assistant but don’t know what duties and roles it entails then read this article till the end. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know in terms of the job description of an HCA so let’s get started.

Here is what we will cover in this article.

• What is a health care assistant?
• Duties of a healthcare assistant in Hospitals, Care or Nursing Homes, Community Settings, and Doctor’s Surgeries
• Main Roles and Responsibilities of Health Care Assistants such as:
• Supporting Nurses and Doctors
• Maintaining Records of Patients
• Basic Patient Care
• Ensuring the Comfort and Safety of Patients
• Providing Emotional Support
• Keeping the Environment Around the Patient Clean

What is a Healthcare Assistant?

An HCA is an important part of any medical and healthcare team whose job is to provide patients with basic care and assistance. Usually, these individuals work under the supervision of registered doctors, surgeons, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.

A healthcare assistant can provide doctors assistance with medical interventions like giving vaccinations, taking blood samples, checking vitals, etc., and they can provide the patients with support in terms of medication management and other basic tasks like washing and changing clothes, toileting, cleaning wounds, replacing bandages, helping patients move around, etc.

Duties and Responsibilities of Healthcare Assistants in Different Settings

The basic roles and responsibilities of a healthcare assistant can vary based on the settings in which they have to work. In some cases, these responsibilities can overlap while in others they are completely different based on the individual medical conditions of the patients.    

In Hospitals

• Help patients move around the ward
• Getting in and out of bed
• Getting dressed
• Using the toilet
• Bathing
• Help with medication and meals.

Doctor’s Surgeries

• Giving vaccines
• Taking blood samples
• Recording ECGs
• Assisting with minor procedures
• Processing lab samples 

Community Settings

• Providing support with daily activities
• Helping with mobility problems
• Providing patients with mental and physical activities
• Assisting in meals and medicine intake, and monitoring vitals 
• Toileting, bathing, washing, and dressing

 Care and Nursing Homes

• Assisting with walking, medication, and other physical activities
• Cleaning and disinfecting medical tools
• Provide emotional support 
• Assist with walking, dressing, moving around, transportation, etc.   

Main Roles and Responsibilities of Health Care Assistants

Now that you know the main roles and importance of caregivers and HCAs in different settings, it is time we look at the main areas where an HCA can help both the patients and doctors to give  a better idea.

Supporting Nurses and Doctors

It is the role of a healthcare assistant to work closely with doctors and nurses and help them with basic patient care. They can assist in routine procedures such as dressing changes, vitals monitoring, wound cleaning, catheterization, etc. They can also work in a surgery room under the supervision of an experienced and licensed professional. 

Maintenance of Records of Patients

Healthcare assistant jobs involve keeping an accurate record of the medical history and medical procedures performed during the treatment. They can record things like vital signs at different times, medication administration, changes in the treatment plan, and other important information concerning the medical condition of their patient.    

Basic Patient Care

Basic patient care involves taking care of things like toileting, bathing, dressing, grooming, and feeding. A healthcare assistant can do all of these things with utmost diligence and compassion. This improves the quality of life for the patient and helps the doctors get good results fast.

Ensuring the Comfort and Safety of Patients

A healthcare assistant must make sure their patient is not stressed or vulnerable in any way. If for example, a patient is unable to move, they can reposition them after fixed intervals to prevent pressure ulcers.

They can also provide emotional support and pleasant company to patients which reduces their stress and discomfort. A healthcare assistant also takes care of the hydration and nutritional needs of their patients.     

Providing Emotional Support

The healthcare assistants need to be compassionate, kind, and very patient. They must make sure the patient doesn’t feel depressed or anxious. They can keep their patients feeling strong before, during, and after the procedures. Thus, by providing quality emotional support, a healthcare assistant can significantly improve the physical as well as the mental state of the patients.       

Keeping the Environment Around the Patient Clean

A healthcare assistant needs to keep the patient as well as their surroundings clean at all times. They need to clean and disinfect equipment, surfaces near the patient, and their wounds. They also need to keep the room of the patient tidy and organized so that they don’t accidentally hurt themselves while moving about.  

Conclusion

A healthcare assistant provides direct support to patients and they help the doctors and nurses to do their jobs in a much better environment. This makes these individuals a vital part of any medical team.

The vast and varied duties that these professionals fulfill make them a valuable asset. They can provide services like maintaining patient records, ensuring complete safety and better mobility of the patients, and cleaning and maintaining the medical tools.

Healthcare assistants can work in several settings as we have mentioned above and the job opportunities are thus quite a lot. So, get the right training and certifications to become an HCA and be a valuable member of your community.

Visit MediGIG today to connect with a large number of healthcare professionals and find high-paying Healthcare Assistant jobs opportunities in Swansea, Wales.