Healthcare assistants are almost always associated with care homes. However, they are not exclusive. Employing Healthcare assistants are equally important in general practice. Although their competence, qualifications, roles, responsibilities, and duties are often questioned in general practice, the way they address the needs of the patients is always commendable.
Things You Need To See In Healthcare Assistants For Your General Practice
Patient care isn’t singular. It is a multifaceted job. Patients not only need medicinal and therapeutic assistance but also need emotional and psychological support. Chronic illnesses, trauma, accidents, injuries, long-term infections, and many other diseases can leave patients feeling disturbed and down. In such instances, employing healthcare assistants can help them get back to life and gather themselves up.
So what should you see in a healthcare assistant that you want to employ in your general practice? Well, first of all, you must check their previous work history. A background check is more than essential. You just can’t let your patients be at the mercy of someone who doesn’t have the proper experience. Apart from that you should also check their license. Making sure that they are cleared for work is another thing that you must do before hiring someone.
The next step is to check their DBS status as it is very important in the UK medical industry. You must also evaluate their academic qualification and the courses they have taken. Once you check all that, you can call them for an interview and ask them questions that can help you understand how they would act in different situations. Last, but not least, if you want to be extra sure, you should always put them in a temporary position and after careful evaluation, offer them a permanent role. After all, the best way to assess their abilities is to see them in action.
The Benefits Of Healthcare Assistants In General Practice
- Immediate & Instant Care: One of the biggest advantages of employing healthcare assistants is that they are directly appoint for patient care. In hospital settings, doctors and nurses cannot always attend to patients immediately. With HCAs present by their side, doctors can always ensure instant care for patients who especially need it the most. Bathing, dressing, helping them toss and turn around in the bed, and taking them out for some air, are all little things that are just too important for a patient’s recovery but can only be done by HCAs.
- Emotional & Mental Support: Being in a difficult physical state or a state of dependency can make patients irritable, nervous, anxious, and depressed. When they are in such a state, they need listeners who understand and address their needs. HCAs can help patients by supporting them and giving them the most actionable advice. By being gentle and considerate, these HCAs can ask the most difficult patients to do things that they otherwise wouldn’t.
- Administration Of IVs & Injectables: The most important factor in the recovery of a patient is the timely administration of drugs and injectables. While nurses and doctors are the ones who prescribe and suggest the dose, HCAs can make sure that they are administer timely. Moreover, maintaining clinical records, taking note of the medicines and dosage changes, and making sure that the patient is adjusting well to medicine are all tasks that are includ in a healthcare assistant’s job.
- Personal Care/Elderly Care: Patients who can’t do routine tasks without others’ assistance always need a helping hand. While hospitals do know that patients need help, they can’t always put dedicated nurses or caregivers for each patient. This is why adding healthcare professionals to the staff is essential. They are trainee to take care of elderly patients. They know how to fulfill their needs, understand what they’re asking for, and most importantly, are experience in doing what they must do for older patients. This may include feeding, bathing, dressing, tossing, helping them sit up or stand up, taking their vital signs, and helping them with other things that they can’t do on their own.
Apart from all these benefits, the biggest advantage of healthcare professionals is their compassion. With their empathy and care, they can accelerate a patient’s recovery cycle. They can also help patients regain the confidence to face the world. HCAs are the heroes of our society. However, this is very unfortunate that they don’t get enough appreciation or rewards as they should.