What computer skills would be needed for an admin assistant in a hospital?

[SpringSunshineandTulips]

I really need a job. I haven’t worked for 7 years (except on a casual basis at a restaurant) after having my 3 kids. I really need to work and my industry (pre kids) isn’t hiring anymore. I’ve seen this job advertised and although I can use a computer I guess I just have basic skills. Just wondering what I may need. The job spec doesn’t specify. It also says I need the past 3 years of employment history but I only have 2 years as a casual worker so hoping this is ok. It doesn’t bode well really for this job but it’s the only thing I’ve found that fits in with daily life as it is at the moment. Is it even worth me applying?

It's always worth applying unless you are grossly under qualified. An admin assistant could be anything, some will need better computer skills than others. I would think it will be mostly using what software they have so you'd need trained in that anyway. Some areas might not be specifically patient related so might be more need to make and use spreadsheets for example, others might be mainly moving and filing paper and issuing letters/administering appoint bookings.

Not really anything to lose, if nothing else it's experience.

Probably just want a basic ability to use Microsoft programs and email etc with an ability to quickly learn any particular new software they may use

From my experience of doing that job, I would say that you need to be able to use email, and have a basic knowledge of word and excel as a minimum.

What Band is the job?
I’d expect you to be able to use outlook (emails, meetings, diary organising) basic word (letters, perhaps report formatting) and basic excel.
As PP said, you’d be trained in any specific software eg patient information systems.

Apply, at the very least it's practice filling in an application form.

Find some training you can do at home, there is lots of online training that will give you a recognised qualification using word, excel etc.

What you'll need to do very much depends on the actual role, lots of different Admin roles in the NHS.

It does depend on the role but I work in a band 3 admin NHS role and I use outlook email, calendars and contacts, MS word but not excel, and various software programs, all of which I had some basic training in and were easy to pick up.

Apply. I'm about to go for an interview for a job I dont meet 2 of the essential criteria for. One is easily solved - update my first aid certificate, because its 5 years out of date. The other I can sort of bodge job together, but I've not done exactly what they want - say they want experience of delivery high priority mail, I have delivered leaflets, and dealt with high priority hospital samples, making me believe I could quickly get upto speed on delivery high priority mail, iyswim.

Anyway, if you dont apply, you definitely wont get it!

Do some online courses to make you "stand out" and upskill yourself.

Some are free but my son recently did 10 courses for £50, all health care related.

Makes you Look like you are "interested" in the job.

Computer skills wise , general word /email , very basic excel maybe.

You will be trained in their own hosp systems if you get the job.

At this stage knowing how patients "flow" through the hosp would be more of an advantage e.g. gp referral > triaged by cons > first outpatient appt etc .

Thanks all. If anyone else has any tips that may help me with the application form / interview it would be fantastic. I think I will apply and see what happens. I’m ok with word - not amazing and they’ll be more to learn but I’m ok with that. I don’t remember much about excel. Fine with sending emails. I would be fine with filing and customer service type skills. I just need to get my foot in the door and learn their systems and I know I’d be fine. It’s just getting in.

Oh and it’s pay band 2 if that helps anyone in helping determine what I may need to know computer wise.

When completing your application make sure you specifically reference all the essential and desirable skills required in the job spec and make it easy for the recruiter to pick them out. When shortlisting these are what they are looking for, and from experience I’ve had over 100 applicants for a band 3 role in the past - the easier it is to pick our these skills and shortlist for interview the better!

As pp, highlight the requirements.

I make a list / table , easy to see / well laid out

_

Your req :
Confidentiality

My skills :
Recording/ keeping secure customer credit card details

Etc

I'm in process of being made redundant legal secretary with advanced IT skills and general admin qualifications beside legal ones , applied for these jobs and just keep getting rejections i don't even get interviews. Wonder if go to internal applicants

I’m an admin manager for the NHS and I recently recruited to a band 3 post.

Not to be negative @SpringSunshineandTulips, but don’t be disheartened if you don’t get shortlisted, as we had over 200 applications and only shortlisted those that met the essential criteria, one of which included x amount of experience.

I’d still apply - but in the meantime the best advice I can give you is do some basic IT courses (Vision2Learn do a free one) and make sure you are very confident in IT even at a basic level. Outlook, Word, Excel are the 3 I’d concentrate on from MS Office. You also need to have good attention to detail and accurate data entry skills as Band 2 tend to do a lot of the basic inputting of referrals onto the patient database etc.

Good luck - and don’t give up.

The Skills Toolkit includes free IT training. Well worth a look.

They will be very hot on confidentiality and computer security, ie always closing or blocking computer when leaving it even if going to the loo.
Good luck.

Just your basic Microsoft packages and state that you're keen and willing to learn to use new software. Hospitals often to use different programs so all new starters have to learn even if they have years of NHS experience.

@tortoiseshell1985

I'm in process of being made redundant legal secretary with advanced IT skills and general admin qualifications beside legal ones , applied for these jobs and just keep getting rejections i don't even get interviews. Wonder if go to internal applicants

Sadly sometimes this is the case. However we recruited an external candidate over two internal ones as she was much more qualified and suited to the role based on her experience, so still worth applying.

In your case it may be that you’ve not worked in an NHS/healthcare environment; we had this as very high on our list of essential criteria as anyone who’s worked in the NHS/healthcare/public sector will tell you it’s a very different beast to industry/private sector (and not in a good way if we’re being honest...). It really does help to have someone come in who has an idea of how things work, e.g. referral process, patient systems etc.

I agree with you, think lack experience in sector is an issue. Worrying time as legal is not recruiting in fact it's the total reverse

Haven’t really got much to add that others haven’t said, but if you don’t get the job (hope you do though), have you thought about joining the bank. You would get experience and foot in the door to apply for permanent contracts.

Read up on GDPR as well, not just useful for a medical type job do definitely not wasted time.

Thanks all. Some really good advice. It is actually for a bank position which is what I need as one of my children has a disability so would be good to be able to be flexible with work hours to accommodate hospital appointments etc.

OP, I would say that if you can use a computer to get onto Mumsnet you probably have enough computer know-how for that role. It will probably involve using the hospital computer system to look up patient files, send/receive letters and emails, potentially looking up test results, and general emails to other colleagues. I have worked in various roles in the NHS including admin and reception roles. I now work part time as a clinical coder in the NHS whilst studying medicine. I have never been formally assessed on my computer literacy, you just need to be able to work you way around the system.

You can PM me if you want more personalised advice! Happy to help!

@CherryBlossomPink

When completing your application make sure you specifically reference all the essential and desirable skills required in the job spec and make it easy for the recruiter to pick them out. When shortlisting these are what they are looking for, and from experience I’ve had over 100 applicants for a band 3 role in the past - the easier it is to pick our these skills and shortlist for interview the better!

Absolutely this. I structured my whole application around giving specific examples of where/when I met the person criteria. I've just started in a Band 3 role and I'm using the computer for Word, Outlook and Excel. I'm receiving specific training for any other software packages.