Any HCA's out there?

[Florence282]

If you trained on the job what did it involve? How long did it take? Did you have to do any classroom based training? Asking for a friend. Many thanks.

Used to be a HCA on an adult ward/HDU .

Only three days of induction - ward based from the start . basic life support and hand hygiene training within two weeks .

I got two days of classroom training six months later - moving and handling, food and fluids, adult support and protection basic life support .

Eighteen months in got trained in violence and aggression; challenging behaviour, complex moving and handling .

Learnt 99% on the job - you pick it up very quickly as you have to, everything’s done so fast you have to learn to keep up or you’re no help at all - I was doing washes within 20 minutes and hoisting within an hour… that was about eight years ago, I think - hope - it’s improved since; it was dangerous frankly !