Healthcare Assistant Fetac 5 Major

dusty207

In the middle of doing this FAS course, very impressed with the quality but I wonder what the job opportunities are when I finish. Anybody done this course and how did you get on afterwards?

(Sorry Mods if this isn't the right forum!)

tfak85

hi, i am a care assistant in the coombe hospital and i absolutely love it, it's hard work and you need the maternity module to work in the field but it's a fantastic job.
since becoming a care assistant i have become a midwifery student, having worked in the HSE for over two years full time i am being paid to study...if you consider this then the possibilities are endless.

as a care assistant you can apply to work in a hospital, you can join an agency and work in lots of hospitals, choosing your days (this can be a bit hit and miss) or you can apply to work in private housing or a private nursing home. there are also other add on modules to the course for theatre and physio etc...

care assistants are a vital part of the hospital machine and often become closer to patients than most nurses/midwives...it's a fantastic job and i wish you the best of luck with it.

RacoonQueen

Your best chances of employment when you finish are with an agency or in private healthcare. As has been said you can go on to study nursing afterwards but you need two years experience beforehand and need to be on a permanent contract, during that you are expected to work during your mid-terms and summer holidays etc then you have to 'give back' 5 years. There's also opportunities now to go on and study physio, OT and radiotherapy via similar routes.

If you're out of work it's a decent course and you have a very good chance of getting work out of it. A lot of wards in hospitals will take on agency staff permanently but they'll still officially be employed by the agency.

dusty207

Hey, thanks to both tfak85 and RacoonQueen (interesting name!)
Great info and appreciated. I am a mature male fella, coming out of a long career in sales but I wish I had done this yonks ago. Have a relation who I've been looking after for a while so when the job went I applied for the FAS course. It's pretty hard going but I'm happier than I've been in years.
Having looked after the aged relation I appreciate the skills needed in the job, I'm now getting them and looking forward to being a good carer in the future. I'm a bit old to take it any further so happy days where I am. Thanks guys.

dusty207

hi tfak85
just reread your response and i love your enthusiasm, thats just how i'm feeling about the course and where it might lead me. having spent ages looking after the relation (father in law) at home and latterly in the nursing home i'm delighted at getting serious training, and putting it into real and worthwhile action. Ta

Laydee

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Your best chances of employment when you finish are with an agency or in private healthcare. As has been said you can go on to study nursing afterwards but you need two years experience beforehand

I agree with the employment opportunities but you do not need to have 2 years work experience to apply to nursing. There is a FETAC entry to nursing http://www2.cao.ie/fetac/FETACNursingQuota.pdf
You could also apply through mature entry of you wanted to go further.

RacoonQueen

Laydee wrote: »

I agree with the employment opportunities but you do not need to have 2 years work experience to apply to nursing. There is a FETAC entry to nursing http://www2.cao.ie/fetac/FETACNursingQuota.pdf
You could also apply through mature entry of you wanted to go further.

Sorry, I was referring to the sponsorship scheme that tfak85 mentioned. You need two years experience to be eligible for being paid by the HSE to study.

gucciali

hi OP this is a course I am very interested in doing and glad you are so happy doing it . I'm thinking this may be the field for me and was wondering if you would mind giving me some info on this course please?! I have googled a lot of the courses on FAS but cannot find a location or starting date , if you could help with this it would be much appreciated .:) thanks .

dusty207

hi gucciali
i reckon the best bet is to go to your nearest fas centre and register with them.
courses seem to be arranged in a random manner and i wasn't able to figure out what was going on and where, until i was offered my place. there is an interview process involved. since fetac 5 is obligatory for work in nursing homes from next year, i believe, there is a lot of demand for the course. otherwise you can pay for a course in the likes of dorset college, amongst others. this is a lot quicker than the fas course and gives the same results. we are 6 months into the fas course and are going stir crazy with boredom with another 3 months to go! best of luck.

Emila

Hi, I'm working as a health care assistant in the private nursing home for the past 3 years, recently I've registered with the agency an I absolutely loving being work with them. I've been send to a different hospitals every time when I put myself on call. It's amazing and a big opportunity to see how hospitals are working in Ireland. I'm considering to became a midwife in the future, but to be honest I love the job too. These days care assistant became a very popular profession.

annaxxx

I finished the FETAC Health Car Assistance course before the summer and am now doing nursing in DCU! If you get 8 distinctions or more you have a chance of getting a nursing place in any university you apply for (apart from trinity) and if you're a mature student you have an even higher chance because you can apply through the cao normally AND apply through it as a mature student.
I love that course and I'd advice anyone who is thinking of doing it to go for it!

MARY 116

hi any one out there thats finished a fas aptitude test for helth care assistant or has any hints or tips on test going tuesday really anxious

MARY 116

hi going for aptitude test for health care assistant tuesday do u have any hints or tips for test anxious

MARY 116

hi out there, im new at this, im doin a fas aptitude test in healthcare assisant on tuesday any hints or tips on the test very anious thank you.

dusty207

Relax, if it's the first interview stage just listen to the people who are talking, as they talk, one by one. Take in what they are saying, don't get side tracked by what by the other interviewees are saying, when you get the forms, fill in them properly, if you don't understand any of the questions on the forms ask one of the supervisors, they are nice people, they want you to succeed, really! If it's the second stage, and I trust you will get there, have a very valid reason for wanting the course, experience in helping an invalid parent, relation etc. The FAS people aren't there to trip you up, they just want people with commitment who will complete the course without dropping out and hopefully will get jobs at the end of it. If you complete the course you WILL get work.
Very best of luck, it'll be the best thing you ever did!

dana123

hy. i am currently doing a healthcare assistant course. i am due to start work practice. just waiting for my garda vetting.
about 12 years ago( i was young and stupid) i was caught stealing a swim suit in dunnes stores. i had to go to court but the judge said that because it was my first mistake i got away with no conviction. will this affect my chance of getting a job working in a nursing home?
please help me with some info

Nonoperational

dana123 wrote: »

hy. i am currently doing a healthcare assistant course. i am due to start work practice. just waiting for my garda vetting.
about 12 years ago( i was young and stupid) i was caught stealing a swim suit in dunnes stores. i had to go to court but the judge said that because it was my first mistake i got away with no conviction. will this affect my chance of getting a job working in a nursing home?
please help me with some info

Absolutely not. Garda vetting only shows convictions.

dana123

thanks for that. maybe i'll sleep better now.

gruenchen

Hi there, does anyone know if you need the FETAC Level 5 or is there any other chance you get to work as a healthcare assistant in a hospital?? Im working in Social Care, have manual handling and First Aid certificates, did a Fetac Level 6 in Social Studies and my B.A.
I am starting a Master now and my friend said the hours for healthcare assistants are pretty flexible (as in which shifts you take) which would suit me with the Master as I dont know how time consuming it will be. Now going back and doing a Course that nearly cost 1500 if you wanna do them quick doesnt seem worth my while, so I was wondering if there is any point applying without it. Which leads me to the next question, where to apply beside CPL who want me to pay 30 Euro for registering....


Thanks
K

Bells007

there are also other add on modules to the course for theatre and physio etc...


Can you tell me where you can apply and complete the add on modules? I have the fetac healthcare course done, but wanted to complete extra modules like theatre, Physio, paeds, etc any ideas?

pconn

dusty207 wrote: »

In the middle of doing this FAS course, very impressed with the quality but I wonder what the job opportunities are when I finish. Anybody done this course and how did you get on afterwards?

(Sorry Mods if this isn't the right forum!)

I have just started this course, the feedback is excellent regarding future prospects, really looking forward to it now. I had previously been in sales type role for 16 years, time for a new challenge

Cooldog

Hi all, looking at doing this course myself and as I work part-time (different thours every week) it would have to be an on-line course, does anyone of one and if so which would be the best and best value...Thanks.

raspberrypie

Hi, I guess it's okay to bump this thread as it was bumped previously last year having had no replies since 2012. Just one question, I've heard of Healthcare Assistant FETAC Level 5 courses but someone I spoke with said the salary is essentially minimum wage, I was thinking of doing one with a private provider but then wondered, why pay nearly two grand to work in a minimum wage job? Is it correct that pay is essentially minimum wage? Thanks.