Healthcare assistant - palliative care

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

·            Communication and relationship skills

·     To be able to communicate effectively, using appropriate methods, both verbal and non-verbal to patients who may have barriers to understanding (e.g. blind, deaf, or English not first language).

·     Using empathy, sensitivity and good interpersonal skills to communicate factual and sensitive information using tact and persuasion, to encourage patients, families and carers to play a proactive role in maintaining a quality of life during their disease progression until end of life

·     To be able to motivate patients to participate in the decision making regarding their wishes for preferred place of care and death

·     To liaise with teams and health and social care professionals as necessary regarding triaging and assessment of patients and care provided, highlighting any variations to expected outcomes from treatment programmes.

·     Internal – Members CPCT, EOLP team, community-based colleagues; administrative, support and data staff.

·     External – Patients, relatives and carers: general practitioners; consultants; external and voluntary agencies; other NHS staff.

 

·            Knowledge, training and experience

·     Grade 4 / C and above GCSEs in English and Mathematics

·     NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social care

·     Experience of documenting and evidence learning.

·     Good knowledge of commonly encountered long term and palliative conditions such as Cancer, Motor Neurone Disease etc

·     Understanding of basic principles of holistic health and social care assessment

·     Flexible, reliable and organised.

·     Good written and verbal communication skills and IT skills.

 

·            Analytical and judgement skills

·             To triage, assess and review patients with their consent, informed or complied consent.

·             To undertake support work e.g. initial interviews and reporting findings to the Clinical Specialist Nurses (CNS)

·             To assess patient’s progress and within the parameters set by the nurses

·             Identify any potential or actual clinical and non-clinical risk within own role according to team protocols and highlight to relevant senior.

·             Using good communication skills, discuss with community teams teams the needs of the patient and any anticipated changes.

·             To handle written and verbal enquiries in a professional manner and to deal with them promptly and effectively.

·             To have insight and awareness into own limitations, personal strengths and areas of development required

·             To be competent in assessing patient/client condition through observations/ test results

·             To competently assess the comfort of patient/client

·             To competently instigate emergency procedures if clinically indicated

 

·            Planning and organisational skills

·     Have initial discussions with referrer to identify the patient’s needs to facilitate clinical triage.

·     To manage and prioritise own patient caseload delegated by the CNS, including the booking of patient appointments if necessary.

·     To participation in general duties within the team e.g. answering the telephone, communicating messages and keeping the working environment tidy.

·     To collect and submit all data and statistics as required in a timely and accurate manner.

·     Maintain clear verbal, written and electronic communication systems for all members of the team, ensuring that communication is clear and effective and cascaded to everyone within the team.

·     Decision making and acceptance of personal accountability for one’s own actions.

 

·            Physical skills

·             To work in a wide variety of settings within the community, residential / nursing homes, primarily working alone.

·             To possess good IT skills.

·             To be able to travel to patients in a timely manner

·             To demonstrate highly developed physical skills obtained through practice, evidenced by manipulation of objects, manipulation of fine tools, materials, people

·             To be aware of the narrow margins for error and the importance of accuracy

·             To possess good hand to eye coordination when using test equipment, e.g. blood glucose monitors, psychometric testing, manipulating wheelchairs, driving/restraint of patients/clients; venepuncture

   

·            Responsibility for patient / client care

·             To maintain patient’s dignity, privacy and confidentiality at all times.

·             Ensure own practice meets the required, legal organisation, team and professional standards.

·             Have a working knowledge of the processes and responsibilities of safeguarding for adults and children including the Mental Capacity Act 2000. Participate in case conferences and transfer of care planning as necessary.

·             To undertake triage and assessment of patients with a wide variety of presentations and conditions: using clinical reasoning skills and assessment techniques without supervision, discussing your findings with the relevant CNS.

·             Undertake the care of patients, as appropriate ensuring individual needs are met through the use of evidence-based practice.

·             Review patients individually without direct supervision

·             To represent the team at MDT meetings when appropriate and to participate in clinical decision making. To work autonomously as well as together with the cluster team.

·             Assist health and social care professionals with assessment of patients to facilitate patients care needs.

·             To undertake skilled and specific work to support the patients journey from diagnosis to end of life.

·             Ensure the patient’s wishes are identified in their end-of-life plan – ReSPECT / DNACPR - and liaise with team if this changes.

·             Using empathy, sensitivity and good interpersonal skills to encourage patients and their carers in an active approach to regaining and maintaining personal independence.

·             To use effective communication tools, verbal and non-verbal to communicate treatment programmes to patients who may have barriers to understanding or communication e.g. blind, deaf, dysphasic or who may not have English as their first language.

·             Implement clinical care/ care packages

·             Undertake a limited range of delegated clinical care duties relevant to the services provided/work area

·             Record patient observations, e.g. taking blood pressure, blood glucose monitoring,
observing patients for signs of agitation or distress, wound observations and simple wound dressings, removal of peripheral cannula, urinalysis, removal of catheter

 

 

·            Responsibility for policy and service development implementation

·     To adhere to the organisations policies in relation to health and safety, including Working Alone policy, and Safeguarding Vulnerable Children and Adult policies.

·     Identify any problems, which may interfere with the smooth running of the team and put forward suggestions and ideas to the team lead consideration and encourage others to do the same.

·     Complies with organisational operational policies and procedures.

·     To be proactively aware of health and safety aspects of your work and implement any policies, which may be required to improve the safety of your work, including your prompt recording and reporting of (near miss) accidents or concerns.

 

·            Responsibilities for financial and physical resources

·     To be responsible for the safe usage of equipment and aids by patients, complying with the organisation’s Infection Control Policy.

·     To be aware of health and safety aspects of work, to implement any policies and to record and report any accidents, incidents or concerns.

·     To ensure that all resources are used appropriately to provide quality care.

 

·            Responsibilities for human resources (HR)

·     To undertake relevant CPD activities to maintain and develop skills and abilities. To keep a CPD portfolio to demonstrate CPD.

·     To actively participate in the organisation’s appraisal system identifying personal development needs and plans to ensure that the team’s key performance indicators are met.

·     To attend and actively participate in in-service training as required.

·     The post holder is expected to act in ways that support equality and value diversity, in accordance with legislation and national local policies.

·     Demonstrates own duties to new starters/ supervises work of students and junior staff 

 

·            Responsibilities for information resources

·     Expected to ensure correct use of sensitive information in line with information governance and Caldicott guidance.

·     To be responsible for maintaining accurate and prompt records of all own clinical interventions in line with legal requirements and local and national standards including the writing of discharge summaries as required.

·     To collect and submit all data and statistics as required in a timely and accurate manner.

·     Record and submit accurate, timely data and information to inform caseload management and service development.