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Healthcare Assistant (healthcare + assistant)
Selected AbstractsVital signs for vital people: an exploratory study into the role of the Healthcare Assistant in recognising, recording and responding to the acutely ill patient in the general ward settingJOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT, Issue 5 2010JAYNE JAMES RN., Ortho. james j., butler-williams c., hunt j. & cox h. (2010) Journal of Nursing Management18, 548,555 Vital signs for vital people: an exploratory study into the role of the Healthcare Assistant in recognising, recording and responding to the acutely ill patient in the general ward setting Aim, To examine the contribution of the Healthcare Assistant (HCA) as the recogniser, responder and recorder of acutely ill patients within the general ward setting. Background, Concerns have been highlighted regarding the recognition and management of the acutely ill patient within the general ward setting. The contribution of the HCA role to this process has been given limited attention. Methods, A postal survey of HCAs was piloted and conducted within two district general hospitals. Open and closed questions were used. Results, Results suggest that on a regular basis HCAs are caring for acutely ill patients. Contextual issues and inaccuracies in some aspects of patient assessment were highlighted. It would appear normal communication channels and hierarchies were bypassed when patients' safety was of concern. Educational needs were identified including scenario-based learning and the importance of ensuring mandatory training is current. Conclusions and implications for nursing management, HCAs play a significant role in the detection and monitoring of acutely ill patients. Acknowledgement is needed of the contextual factors in the general ward setting which may influence the quality of this process. The educational needs identified by this study can assist managers to improve clinical supervision and educational input in order to improve the quality of care for acutely ill patients. [source] Multidisciplinary perceptions of the role of nurses and healthcare assistants in rehabilitation of older adults in acute health careJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 11 2006Anita Atwal PhD, DipCOT Aim., This paper describes the perceptions of nurses, healthcare assistants, doctors and therapists of rehabilitation and the role of nurses and healthcare assistants on an acute older adults ward in a London teaching hospital. Background., The role perception, education and training and attitudes towards the older adults have been identified as barriers that have an impact upon the nurses' role within rehabilitation. However, little is known about the role of nurses and healthcare assistants in rehabilitation of older adults in acute health care. Design., Action research study. Method., Twenty-four semi-structured interviews were conducted and audio recorded about healthcare professionals' understanding of rehabilitation, the type of skills needed and their perceptions of the role of nurses and healthcare assistants in rehabilitation. The interview transcripts were analysed using the thematic content analysis. Results., The findings suggest that the therapists relied on nurses and healthcare assistants for therapy carry-over. Healthcare assistants were perceived as the professional group who could deliver therapy carry-over. There was an evidence of role hierarchy as healthcare assistants perceived that they were not actively involved in decision-making or discharge planning. Conclusion., This paper suggests that healthcare assistants and nurses are viewed as the professional group best placed to deliver therapy carry-over. However, whilst there is an acknowledgement of their role, there remains a reluctance to acknowledge healthcare assistants as a professional group and to involve them within decision-making and discharge planning Relevance to clinical practice., Employers must be seen to advocate, support and implement education and training programs for healthcare assistants. However, whilst nurses and healthcare assistants have an integral role in rehabilitation, there needs to be more research into the how they are supported by therapy professionals. [source] | ||||||||||