what is a healthcare assistant?

Healthcare assistants work to create a comfortable environment for patients and to assist them in their daily activities in different healthcare settings ranging from hospitals to clinics and residential homes. As a healthcare assistant, you will have to be ready and willing to work alongside healthcare professionals in different working environments such as surgery, maternity, community, and mental health to ensure patients' safety, comfort, and firsthand care. It would be best if you had the required qualifications to work as a healthcare assistant.

support professional nurses

As a healthcare assistant, you will be providing support to medical nurses, associates, and healthcare professionals. You will also be working under the direct supervision of the above professionals. You will have a direct influence on a patient's life, watching their progressions and improvements. You need to be patient enough to attend to all the needs of the patients.

healthcare assistant jobs
1

average salary of a healthcare assistant

Working as a healthcare assistant earns you an average salary of £22,534 a year according to glass door. The salary may also differ depending on experience and working in the private or public sectors. Top earners receive an annual pay of £50,580 with those in the lower level an average of £26,930 annually.

2

types of healthcare assistants

Healthcare assistants have the same roles and duties, but they differ depending on the specific work environment. Therefore, they can be classified according to where they work, such as:

  • maternity, 
  • surgery, 
  • mental health, 
  • community 
  • the general population 

Others work in nursing homes and patients’ homes as opposed to hospitals and clinics. These jobs can be classified as:

  • birth assistant
  • patient care assistant
  • nursing assistant
  • psychiatric assistant
3

working as a healthcare assistant

Your main concern will be the well-being of patients in whichever working environment you work by attending to patients and assisting them in their daily activities. The key duties of a healthcare assistant may vary depending on the work area and the type of assistant. You have to be patient enough to relate well with the patients and to care to attend to their needs.

Close up - Smiling female looking away
Close up - Smiling female looking away
4

education and qualifications

To become a healthcare assistant, you will want to have a certificate or an associate's degree from a community college or vocational school. This takes about one to two years to complete. You'll become proficient in medical terminology and anatomy. In some cases you can become a health assistant after high school through by getting on-the-job training. The more education you have, though, can lead to a career as a nurse or physician assistant.

skills and competencies

Working with patients is not for every person; not everyone can help clean patients, dress them, wash their rooms and bedding, and even feed them. The healthcare assistant job is only for those who are patient, caring, compassionate, and, of course, interested. If you feel you can do this job, then read to find out some of the skills and competencies that the job requires.

Being a healthcare assistant needs you to be:

  • Friendly and cheerful
  • Caring
  • Kind
  • Patient
  • Willing to be hands-on with patients
  • Able to follow procedures and instructions
  • Able to efficiently conduct multiple tasks
  • Good at interpersonal skills
  • Calm, especially in stressful situations
  • Able to work well with other staff
  • Able to show empathy and understanding
smiling female looking away
smiling female looking away
5

FAQs

Here are the most asked questions about working as a healthcare assistant.

6

working with Randstad as a healthcare assistant

Working as a healthcare assistant guarantees you fair and competitive pay. Other benefits to expect include:

  • Opportunities of awards and recognition
  • Remote and flexible working conditions
  • Being granted access to extensive insurance covers
  • Access to health programs that will ensure the health security of both you and your family
  • You will have great opportunities for training and development to advance in your career path
  • You will have a great opportunity of building strong and positive relations
  • An opportunity to work with advanced technology
  • Opportunity to work with different industries and companies

thank you for subscribing to your personalised job alerts.