Health Care Assistant

Ron Johnson is a highly specialised HIV/ Oncology/ Dermatology ward consisting of 19 en-suite side rooms. We are a tertiary referral unit for HIV and HIV related malignancy.

We are a dynamic ward and provide care to patients with varied nursing needs including, administering chemotherapy for patients as an in-patient, delivering excellent patient centred palliative care while supporting families through this often difficult time, we provide care for HIV positive patients and manage their various health needs.

We have a highly skilled multidisciplinary team who are dedicated to our speciality and pride themselves in excellent diagnostics, treatment, holistic therapies and nursing care. We have a reputation for being a strong team who strive to deliver excellent evidenced based nursing care while also being friendly and approachable.

In this role you will become a member of our highly skilled nursing team and you will work closely with the Nurses and wider multi-disciplinary team .

We strongly believe in supporting our staff to reach their full potential and will be effectively supported in order to equip you with the necessary skills and attributes required to carry out the demands of this role.

Main Duties and responsibilities

• Under direct supervision assist with the delivery of care plan as described by the Registered Nurse.
• Assist patients with their care needs as required & reports any change in the patient’s condition to the registered nurse/ midwife
• Develop awareness of all patients in pain and discomfort including vulnerable patients and their safe guarding needs. Report any changes in the patient’s condition to the registered Nurse.
• Take and record the patients observations (e.g. temperature, blood pressure) as required and inform the registered nurse/ of any changes in the patient’s condition.
• Support the Registered Nurse and other health professionals to provide the patients & their families with safe, excellent, respectful and kind care.
• Work with the Team to engage with patients and communicate with them about their experiences during their stay, eg. providing patients with the Friends & Family Test questionnaire.

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provide services from two main hospitals, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital, and a number of clinics across London and the South-East.

We have nearly 7,000 members of staff that are PROUD to Care for nearly one million people. Both hospitals provide full clinical services, including full maternity, emergency and children’s, in addition to a range of community-based services across London, such as award-winning sexual health and HIV clinics.

We’re one of the best performing Trusts in the country. We’re also one of the top trusts to work for – our staff says they’re engaged, motivated, and would recommend us as a place to work and receive treatment.

Our Trust has been rated by the Care Quality Commission as ‘Good’ in all five of the main domains of safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led, giving an us overall rating of ‘Good’. We’ve also been awarded an ‘Outstanding’ rating for ‘use of resources’ by an NHS Improvement inspection.

Our facilities are some of the best in the country. We have been investing significant Capital year on year in our estate. We have recently completed a £30m expansion of our adult and neonatal critical care facilities at Chelsea and Westminster and are planning an ambitious £60m development of an Ambulatory Diagnostics Centre at West Middlesex.

• Following patient assessment by Registered Nurse, undertake extended skills specific to individual competence under the indirect supervision of the Registered Nurse.
• Assist patients with general hygiene needs reporting any changes in patients’ condition.
• Under indirect supervision take and record the patient’s observations (e.g. temperature, skin assessment) as required and inform the Registered Nurse of any observed changes in the patient’s condition. See Skills Sheet/Competency booklet for further details.
• Report physical and psychological changes in patient’s condition to the Registered Nurse, ensuring pain and distress are acted on promptly.
• To promote and safeguard the wellbeing of patients, their families and colleagues.
• Demonstrate up to date knowledge of the provision of Health Promotion i.e. prevention of deep vein thrombosis, urinary tract infection, chest infections, pressure ulcers, eating healthily (5 a day).
• Work with the Registered Nurses in achieving High Impact actions: Pressure Ulcers, Falls, Urinary tract infections and others as they are implemented.

Housekeeping and Environmental Care

• Ensure the environment is clean, comfortable, safe, and welcoming to patients, relatives and all health care professionals. In inpatient areas this includes preparing the bed space – wash beds, chairs and lockers, making unoccupied beds in readiness for appropriate use, and ensuring specialist equipment is available for receiving a new admission.
• Supervise and share responsibility for the care and maintenance of all equipment on the ward and stock control.
• Keep all storage areas clean, tidy and in good order.
• Report any faulty or broken equipment to the ward manager, label appropriately and send to relevant department.
• Deliver specimens, test requests, notes or any charts as requested.
• Escort patients to other departments as and when requested to do so.
• Promote and ensure safe handling of valuables and patients property as per Trust policy.

Infection Control

• Demonstrate knowledge of infection control techniques
• Demonstrate knowledge of safe disposal of sharps into appropriate container
• Understand universal safety techniques with regard to spillages.
• Dispose of body fluids, soiled linen, clothing etc in line with the Trust Infection Control Policy and Waste Disposal Regulations.

Please see attached job description and person specification to this advert for further details.