Health Care Assistant

Post Title: Health Care Assistant 
Post Status: Permanent & Temporary
Department: Various Departments
Location: Beaumont Hospital
Reports to: Directorate Nurse Manager

Salary: Appointment will be made on HCA Pay-scale (€35,434 - €44,539) at a point in line with Government pay policy

**Please note that Beaumont Hospital only accepts HCA verification of service from public service organisations.**

Hours of work: Full Time- 39 hours per week - **Must be flexible to work day and night shifts**

Closing Date: 12 noon on 23rd June 2025

(Please note the hospital reserves the right to close the competition early should a substantial number of applications be received)

The role of the HCA is to support the delivery of patient care under the supervision and direction of qualified nursing personnel (Shannon et al., 2001).

Responsibility
There is a clear relationship between the Health Care Assistant and the Clinical Nurse Manager or their deputy. The Healthcare Assistant also reports to the Assistant Director of Nursing.

Accountability
Health Care Assistants are accountable for their actions in the delivery of patient care and must not undertake any duty related to patient care for which he/.she is not trained, in accordance with the educational qualifications outlined above.

The Health Care Assistant must report to and work under the supervision and direction of a Registered Nurse in relation to their duties/tasks and is expected to work as part of the ward/area/resident’s care team.

Nursing staff will delegate duties in accordance with their professional judgement and within the competence of the Health Care Assistant.

Nursing staff must not allocate any duty to the Health Care Assistant for which he/she has not been trained.

Key Activities
Patient/Residents may require assistance in some or all activities of daily living. It is the duty of the nurse to assess, plan, implement and evaluate the care required by the patient/resident. The primary role of the Health Care Assistant is to assist the nurse in the implementation of the care, as determined by the Registered Nurse.

Duties assigned to the Health Care Assistant will vary depending on the care setting and will include the following functions. This is not an exhaustive list:

• To carry out assigned and delegated tasks involving direct care and all activities of daily living under the supervision of a Registered Nurse (eg to assist patients/residents maintain standards of personal hygiene, laundry, dietary intake, physical and mental health).
• Assisting the Registered Nurse in the provision of quality nursing service by promoting and adopting a philosophy of care within the service area.
• Assisting the Registered Nurse in duties associated with the delivery of care and management of the unit environment and other support duties as appropriate.
• To report any incident or potential incident that may compromise the health and safety of residents, staff or visitors and take appropriate action.
• Engage the residents in a personal and individual way and encourage socialisation and participation in meaningful activities.
• Health Care Assistants should conduct themselves in a manner that conveys respect of the individual and ensures safe resident care. The personal characteristics that indicate principles should include:
o Confidentiality
o Courtesy
o Accountability
o Communication
o Dignity and privacy
o Health and safety

DUTIES:

Communication:
• Communicates appropriately with patients/residents/relatives and colleagues and other members of the health care team.
• Approaches interpersonal relationships in a manner that avoids antagonism, reduces conflict and prevents undue anxiety.
• Recognises self-limitations and requests assistance.
• Serve as an advocate as necessary for residents.

Hygiene:
• Bath, shower, shave, oral hygiene care, dress and undress residents
• Assist with the care of incontinent patient/resident
• Assist with care of the unconscious patient/residents
• Assist patient/residents who are confined to bed with their toilet needs
• Assist in toileting of patient/residents including the giving, removing and emptying of bedpans, urinal, commodes and the use of the bedpans washer disinfectors.
• Supervise residents on commodes, in toilets and bathrooms and assist residents with hygiene needs.

Nutrition:
• Give help and support to patient/resident at meal times
• Assist patient/residents with their meals as directed
• Ensure individual patient/resident’s dietary needs are adhered to including special diets and supplementary drinks under the direction of the nursing staff
• Prepare and serve food/drinks outside normal catering hours and collect crockery etc where necessary
• Assist patient/residents in choosing from daily menu where necessary.
• Assist in bring meal trays to residents at meal times.
• Follow safer swallowing guidelines as directed by the interdisciplinary team.
• Participate in weighing residents under the direction of the nursing staff.

Mobilisation:
• Reposition patient/residents when necessary
• Assist patient/residents with walking and limb exercise as directed by interdisciplinary team
• Ensure patients/residents are comfortable in beds or in chairs
• Supervise patients/residents who have poor safety awareness who are at risk of falls and wandering.
• Become familiar with safety promotion equipment, posey alarms, wander guard system etc.
• Materials Management including Linen:
• Clean, tidy and restock store and linen rooms daily and as frequently as necessary to ensure adequate supply available at unit level.
• Assist with the ordering of stores and linen as requested by the Clinical Nurse Manager.
• Ensure correct laundry bags are used, tied and labelled.

General Duties:
• Distribute sputum and denture carton to patient/residents as required
• Take care of patient/residents dentures, glasses and hearing aids
• Assist patients/residents to attend out patient appointments and A/E under the instruction of the Clinical Nurse Manager/ Nurse in Charge as necessary.
• Remain with patient/residents who require custodial supervision
• Participate in providing activities for patient/residents.
• Assist in maintaining a record of patient/resident’s personal property including clothing and electrical equipment etc.
• Assist in the collection and delivery of residents laundry
• Assist with the Last Offices and in the preparation of the deceased for transfer to the mortuary.
• Receive relatives to the unit with courtesy.
• Answer telephones and locate appropriate personnel as necessary
• Assist patient/residents to make telephone calls
• Answer call bells promptly and assist resident or inform nursing personnel as necessary.
• Check call bells are in working order and are in within reach of the patient/resident
• Assist with washing and disinfecting beds, lockers and wardrobes as required
• Clean and assemble equipment as required eg trolleys, drip stands, commode etc
• Ensure sluice room is kept clean and tidy and that daily checklists are signed.
• Assist with the disposal of clinical waste and clean procedures trolleys after use.
• Make occupied and unoccupied beds
• Move beds and furniture within the unit as necessary
• Attend to spillages immediately to reduce the risk of accidents
• Assist in keeping unit, bedrooms, dinning, day room and activities room tidy.
• Change unit curtains as required.
• Perform other duties appropriate to the post that may be assigned to her / him from time to time.
• Demonstrate flexibility by assisting in other units as required.
• Report broken items in need of repair to Clinical Nurse Manager.

Other responsibilities:
• Be familiar and comply with the Hospital policies in relation to Health and Safety, Fire, Major Disaster, Infection Control, Waste Disposal including disposal of soiled linen Smoking Policy, Health Act 2007 and the Health Information and Quality Authority (National Quality Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People in Ireland).
• Participate in audit collection as part of the interdisciplinary team to ensure the Raheny Community Nursing Unit meets HIQA Standards and Regulations.
• Report all complaints, incidents and accidents involving self, residents or visitors to Clinical Nurse Manager or Staff Nurse in Charge promptly.
• Assist with emergency first aid as directed.
• Ensure Mandatory training is kept up to date (Manual Handling, CPR, Fire Drill, Major Disaster Planning, Hand Hygiene, Standard Precaution and Elder Abuse)
• Attend in-service instruction as required.
• To perform such other duties as appropriate to the post as may be assigned to him / her from time to time by the Chief Executive or such other Officer designated by the Beaumont Hospital Board.

THIS JOB DESCRIPTION INDICATES THE PRINCIPAL DUTIES OF THE POST AND IS SUBJECT TO REVIEW AND AMENDMENT

In exercise of the powers conferred on me by Section 22 of the Health Act 2004, I hereby approve the qualifications, as set out hereunder, for the appointment and continuing as a Health Care Assistant in the Health Service Executive.

Statutory Registration, Professional Qualifications, Experience, etc.

Eligible applicants will be those who on the closing date for the competition:

1

Possess a relevant* Health Skills qualification as outlined in the Quality and Qualifications

Ireland (QQI) formerly FETAC on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) of not

less than QQI Level 5.

2

Possess a relevant Healthcare qualification at not less than QQI Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).

3

Be currently undertaking a relevant Health Skills QQI Level 5 qualification on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) with a commitment to complete the appropriate health skills QQI Level 5 qualification within 2 years of taking up post.

4

Be currently employed as a Healthcare Assistant, Care Assistant, Attendant, Multi-Task

Attendant or in a comparable role for at least 2 years and give an undertaking to acquire

an appropriate Health Skills qualification at not less than QQI Level 5 programme on the

National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) within 2 years of taking up post.

AND

Candidates must possess the requisite knowledge and ability, including a high standard of

suitability, for the proper discharge of the role

Health

A candidate for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service

Character

Each candidate for and any person holding the office must be of good character.

Note:

With regard to Criterion (i), the listing below is considered relevant health skills QQI (formerly FETAC) Level 5* qualifications

QQI Level 5 Healthcare Support

QQI Level 5 Nursing Studies

QQI Level 5 Community Care

QQI Level 5 Health Service Skills

QQI Level 5 Community Health Services

*(A full QQI/FETAC 5 Major award requires a minimum of 120 credits/8 Modules - Please note a

Component Certificate will not suffice.)

With regard to Criterion (ii), a relevant Healthcare qualification at not less than QQI Level 5 on the

National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) is considered to be a qualification with applied patient

care modules / placements typically but not limited to qualifications in: Social Care Work, Nursing,

Therapy Professions etc.

If your Health Skills Qualification or Healthcare Qualification does not include the module activities of daily living as a minor award this will have to be completed within a defined timeframe as specified by the service, upon taking up post.