By Julia Stevenson
Healthcare Support Workers play a vital role in caring for patients throughout their time in hospital, and work alongside teams of nurses and other healthcare professionals across a variety of settings. Julia Steven-son currently works at the Trust as a Bank Healthcare Support Worker and has shared her thoughts on what it is like to work at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. “I started working as a Healthcare Support Worker (HCSW) in Paediatrics on the Bank in April 2019 following a career change from corporate communications. It gives me flexibility that fits with family life. Through my Great Ormond Street Hospital volunteering with my therapy dog I became interested in working in healthcare and Ashford and St Peter’s attracted me due to it being a local acute hospital with many opportunities to work in various wards and units. “The HCSW training I was given when I joined the Trust was excellent and was really inspirational to say the least. I met lovely new HCSW starters, one of which I am still friends with two years on; not to mention my good friends I made in the Communications team too! All of the new starters are followed up and supported on the wards by the training team now which makes you feel so valued and cared for. “I have worked on many wards and units and cared for patients with dementia and alcohol dependency, as well as in other areas such as orthopaedic, radiology, paediatrics, A&E, day surgery and even ITU at the height of the first wave of Covid. My role generally involves personal care, changing beds, cleaning equipment, taking patient observations, checking samples, ensuring patients are appropriately and adequately fed and hydrated and provided one to one sessions with those that require close supervision, which I find particularly interesting and sometimes challenging. “The training I have received has equipped me with the transferable skills needed to be able to provide support in so many different areas. In addition to the basic HCSW training, I have been taught how to remove cannulas and am due to attend training on inserting cannulas and taking blood. I am also due to attend training on Change Management and Core People Management at the end of April/beginning of May which will provide me with a better understanding of change and what managers are required to do so I can support my team more effectively. “Whilst working as a Bank HCSW, I have also worked in the Urology and Vascular Booking Team and in the Communications Department at ASPH. The highlight of my HCSW role has to be the shift I completed on one of the medical wards recently when an elderly lady decided she wanted to go to sleep around 7:30pm after getting off the phone to her daughter and telling her she had come over all weary and wanted to go to bed. She sat in her bedside chair and heard an old tune on Radio Wey that was playing in the Bay. As I was getting her ready for bed, she started to sing. After a minute of singing all five patients in the bay began to join in and even the HCSW on duty with me did so too! After about 15 minutes of chorus I asked her if she wanted to get into bed and she said “oh no, I am having far too much fun”. For me, it is it times like that that make being a HCSW worthwhile despite some early mornings and tiring shifts! I truly felt as though I had made a difference to someone that day and many other days as a HCSW working for Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust”.
For more information about current roles at Ashford and St Peter’s, please visit the NHS Jobs website.