Is anyone a blood donor carer?

[Marybennet]

I'm very interested in doing this. I can find general info about what the job entails/pay etc but can't find how to actually get started.
Do you have to be trained then apply for jobs or do you get the job first and then they train you?
Any info about the realities of the job would also be helpful. Thanks 😊

www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/careers/career-spotlight/donor-carer-opportunities/

I don’t work for the blood and transplant services but I do work in the NHS so I did a quick search and I don’t know if you found this already but if you click through to the donor carer job pages you can download the job description and person specification which should give you more information about what exactly they are looking for. Hopefully someone with more experience of the role will be along soon but hopefully that helps!

Thanks Spuriouser Yes, I have seen that page. There don't seem to be many vacancies though (and none where I live). Is it a massively popular job and no one leaves? One of the reasons I am interested is that when I give blood most of the donor carers are older. I am currently in teaching where it seems that once you got your 40s you are considered a dinosaur ☹️

*hit your 40s

I went for a job interview for one a few years ago if you have any questions? I would imagine the process is the same.

Excellent captainprincess, thank you.
Did you go for the job without being trained? Is training only done for successful applicants?
Can you tell me a bit more about the interview process please? Eg. Did you have to role play a first aid scenario?

I'm also really interested in this

Oh ok, not very helpful then! That’s a shame about teaching, but if you do decide to leave I’m sure you’ll have heaps of transferable skills that would be great in a healthcare setting.

What about applying for a phlebotomy job in a clinic or hospital.

Thanks Spuriouser 😊
HappyHammy I am off to investigate that!

Phlebotomy is a nice job. You get full training and all the NHS benefits and daytime hours

So, firstly I got invited for interview along with about 7 other candidates. They talked us through being a donor carer and what it entailed and we all got questioned individually about it was something we really wanted to do. If you wanted to go ahead you got invited back for a second interview.
Second interview was more of a test scenario. We got split into groups and one of you was the donor carer and the other the patient. You had to role play as both.
They talked you through it first and told you how to act. So basically, you called the 'patient' in checked Name, DOB etc then proceeded to take blood, but used the artificial arm for this. It was a bit nerve wracking! You then got feedback.
The second 'test' was using the computer and checking patients details matched the form they had filled out.
The third one was being presented with a large number of blood bottles and having to document how many their were. Either by physically counting each individual one or multiplying by lines. I found this bit the trickiest as maths is not a strong point.

That was the entire morning. They then called each candidate individually into another room to let you know if you had passed that part. If you hadn't you went home.
The afternoon was much more interview based. Questions, scenarios, normal sort of interview questions.
I was offered the job but after some thought decided not to take it as it wasn't full time.
Someone I knew was also successful and she said it was then training on the job. Where I live there is donor centre where the patients travel to it, so you are based there for the first 3 months then you go out into the community, like where people come to blood donors.
Sorry that is so long!

captainprincess thank you so much. That's really helpful 👍👍👍

Also thank you