Bank healthcare assisstant

[lreed5nr6]

I applied for a bank hca at my local hospital in September last year. I have no previous experience of working in a hospital environment but because I have passed my level 3 health and social btec with the top grade I'm being trained up for the care certificate ect. I was meant to go on the march and December induction with the Trust but I didn't go because of personal reasons so I'm booked on a May one. I'm worried because I've come on it so late than planned the staff or my line manager will not like it. I'm slightly concerned about the hours I'll be working as I know its on Bank but it's going to be my main job.

Also I know I'm probably overthinking now, I have found out what ward I will subsequently be working on which is AMU. The question is what sort of ward is it like and what sort of illnesses roughly would I encounter? Another question is how can I stop overthinking things like this and the probation period and stop putting pressure on myself leading up to my induction and going into my new job as a hca? Many thanks.

Sorry for all the questions in advance :)

The whole point of Bank is that you can be called upon to go anywhere at any time. So you won't have regular hours, and you can end up on any ward. One day you might be on a respiratory ward, and the next you might be on the gynaecology ward. If they've said you'll mainly be on AMU that's an acute ward, so it will be anything that needs further investigation.

The managers won't care, to be frank as a bank HCA they won't even know you name yet. All HCAs have to complete the care certificate whatever qualifications you have, it's normally 2 weeks full time training /induction, then you have to fulfill all your competencies which get signed off on the ward while your working.
With regards to hours there are likely to be plenty of shifts available but they will be all over the hospital in different wards, I would always advice a new HCA to stick to a couple of ward at first to find your feet, but you will soon get a feel for which ones you like best.

AMU will be very busy with a fast turnover of patients. Usually they’ll come to you from A&E for further investigations or to await results and get stabilised before being admitted to a speciality ward, e.g. they might move to cardiology or gastro or endocrinology. So you’ll see all kinds of patients with all kinds of illnesses, with medical rather than surgical pathology.

It’s a baptism of fire kinda of place but once you’ve done a stint on there you’ll be ready for anything.

On this ward you’ll be doing LOTS of vital signs and assisting with personal care. If you work there long enough you might get trained up on some clinical skills such as cannulation, venepuncture and performing ECG’s.

I did that for a while - I delayed my induction and start due to a prebooked holiday and no-one even knew! They will train you in the basics and the rest will be on the job. I found it hugely rewarding and after working in a large variety of specialities I found one I really liked and ended taking a contract there.

I wouldn't get too hung up on types of illness you could encounter - it literally could be anything.

Thank you, is there any other tips or advice you could give me before I start.

My tip:- There is no such thing as a stupid question!

I'm a permanent hca on AMU, I triage new patients when admitted, patient care, obs when due, I also do ECG's, bladder scans, I can also do vennaputure and cannulation. I thoroughly enjoy my role, AMU is a very fast paced with high turnover of patients.
I also agree with there is no such thing as a stupid question, they want you to learn as much as you can, always have at least 3 pens as well!

I have just been offered an apprenticeship hca in a different Trust in an outpatient eye clinic studying for the level 2 healthcare support worker. I'm 18 so when I finish I will be 20 ish but I'm wondering whether the career progression is the same because would I get the same opportunities to process if I was to bank hca in amu.