Has anyone else joined the NHS as a HCA and found it wasn’t all it cracked up to be?

[HCA]

I have my 3 month review today and I’m not sure if that’s why I am in an overly reflective mood. I enjoy the job, well at least I think I enjoy the job – I work on a ward where there isn’t much personal care – you just assist patients who are newly out of surgery, I do lots of cleaning – yes I would say I do enjoy my job. I find it incredibly fulfilling and I am proud to work for the NHS.

What I don’t enjoy is being redeployed for half of my shifts to wards I don’t know where I know no one and get treated like crap, don’t know where anything is and the majority of patients are double incontinent dementia patients– perhaps that’s why I am unsure. I don’t want to leave so soon, I will feel like a failure and I can’t take that. I am not sure if I would be more suited to a different department e.g. surgical, radiography or even at a doctors surgery (have checked and there are currently no vacancies).

I dont like the fact that I don't see my child awake for 2 days of the week (I work 2 long days). I'm just a bit overwhelmed with emotion today I think.

Has anyone ever been in the same situation?

I just needed to vent really. Sorry for posting on AIBU.

Interesting.
I work at a surgery and have been looking at a hospital role, but the thought of all the things you have said (personal care, being moved around) has always put me off.

The role I have is a lot bigger than I was led to believe. It was listed as supporting the nursing team, taking blood samples, doing simple dressings, blood pressure and ECG’s.

I do all the above along with:
Ear syringing
removing sutures and clips
more complex dressings & bandaging
vaccinations -flu, shingles, Covid
B12 injections
urine dips
Health checks and cholesterol advice
& quite a bit of admin.

All for less than band 2 pay and with a hell of a lot of stress because the appointment times are never long enough and I feel totally unsupported.
Weekends and bank holidays off though and only working 8-3 so the hours are fine. I’d love to just find a job supporting a clinic that just runs weekdays, such as endocrinology or rheumatology or something, and consists of doing weight, Bp, maybe a urine dip…. although maybe that would be too boring?

I guess the positive in the NHS is the pension & the sick pay if needed, so it really would be worth finding a department that you feel happier on. Good luck!

What? Do you have a different perception? I'm not saying anything bad about HCAs. It's a huge amount of challenging work and not paid at a level which reflects this.

I’d have to agree with this tbh. I’ve always perceived it as being a bit of a general dogsbody for low pay, at least in a hospital setting. Whenever friends or relatives have been in hospital, HCAs have always seemed to be the staff covering all the things that nurses don’t have capacity to do. Perhaps it isn’t intended to be or didn’t used to be, but I think the reality with the NHS as it currently is, is that your experience will be pretty typical.

Have you thought about a similar role in a residential care? You’d have more continuity and familiarity with those you care for and probably more choice in shift patterns.

I've never worked in health care (i have worked in education) but know that at the moment there are a huge amount of people in roles which spill over into something they weren't expecting/aren't getting paid adequately for/aren't trained for. Across most industries.

Everyone you speak to is being asked to go above and beyond what they signed up for (and what they get paid for) these days.

I'm surprised that you're surprised that work at a HCA is an example of the above.

I completely agree with you.

I agree with EightChalk too.

When i read the title i thought - Is work as a HCA ''cracked up'' to be something i didn't know about? I thought i must be missing something!

Sorry OP, my previous comment wasn't helpful at all to your post. I'll ask to have it removed if you prefer.

Please don't feel like a failure if you decide not to carry on with it. It is such a hard job and as you know, especially at the moment everyone is overloaded with work, so it's even more taxing. It says nothing bad at all about you if it's too much; it would be for many, many people. I agree that something like a radiography assistant might be much better, if any vacancies come up.

Have you tried bank work?
You might get a feel for shares that you would enjoy working in?I

I used to be staff nurse and HCA,s do.have a hard job for low pay but there at many different areas that might suit you better .

Somewhere *

I was a hca for 3 years before I went for a band 3 therapy technician job, better pay and much more interesting work, still patient facing.