How to get UK-suitable volunteering/healthcare assistant work...in Ireland

Pet

Hey all,

Considering applying to a GEM course in the UK in 2011 (for 2012) entry. One of the things they absolutely require is a good portfolio of volunteering in a healthcare setting, preferably working as a healthcare assistant or something of the sort.

The consensus seems to be that the NHS will take people on for paid positions and provide on-the-job training.

Does anything like this exist in Ireland, and if not, what are my options? Is it possible to work as a healthcare assistant unpaid and part-time? Have any of you on the wards seen such a thing?

Any and all suggestions welcomed!

crazy cat lady

I've worked in the UK and Ireland and have never seen volunteer healthcare assistants. I have met many medical students who also work part time as healthcare assistants though.

Maybe you could apply for a paid position as a HCA? Great for developing interpersonal and communication skills, and will also give you a good grounding in understanding how a multidisciplinary team works in the healthcare setting - all the stuff they don't teach you in med school

Pet

How and where do you apply to be a paid HCA, though? Surely you need some kind of training course or something before you apply, too? I literally have no idea and can't seem to find anything on the interwebz.

crazy cat lady

No formal qualifications are needed to be a HCA. A lot of training will be done on the job.

I would apply in writing to hospitals individually. Its not the best economic climate to be looking for a job, but you might get lucky!

crazy cat lady

Loadzajobs.ie have a few HCA jobs going (probably agency work but its a start) Just search for 'healthcare assistant' in 'Medical and healthcare'

The Beacon Hospital in Sandyford are also advertising for HCA'a - www.beaconhospital.ie > General > Careers

Hope this helps

Chunky Monkey

Pet wrote: »

How and where do you apply to be a paid HCA, though? Surely you need some kind of training course or something before you apply, too? I literally have no idea and can't seem to find anything on the interwebz.

Haha you would think wouldn't you, alas no we're the cheaper, unqualified alternative to increasingly expensive well trained nurses- lying about respiratory rates because we have no idea why we need to record them or why they are actually very important.

HCA work in Ireland is actually quite a decent job with a decent wage in the public sector, something I didn't appreciate until I moved to the UK. You could try Alliance Nurses Agency though they may not hire you without previous experience. No harm in trying though. Good luck.

rbrbrb

You do require formal training to work as a HCA in a hospital. Nurse On Call are an agency in Ranelagh who get work for HCAs. It costs about 1000 to get setup between bloods and training etc. but you can make that back in two weeks work no problem and you can get about 3-4 12hr shifts a week without too much difficulty. It's also really good experience for working in hospitals as a doctor. I'm a med student at the moment and it's great to know the type of work the HCAs do because they're definitely underrated (most of them anyway)

Vorsprung

rbrbrb wrote: »

You do require formal training to work as a HCA in a hospital. Nurse On Call are an agency in Ranelagh who get work for HCAs. It costs about 1000 to get setup between bloods and training etc. but you can make that back in two weeks work no problem and you can get about 3-4 12hr shifts a week without too much difficulty. It's also really good experience for working in hospitals as a doctor. I'm a med student at the moment and it's great to know the type of work the HCAs do because they're definitely underrated (most of them anyway)

1000?!!?! I did HCA work with NoC back in the day, cost me about 500 to get started!

But yea, as you say it's good work, though I would avoid doing more than 2 12 hour shifts in a row. If you get to know friendly with the people in a particular place, you can get the pick of the shifts. And as you also say, it's good experience it terms of learning what other professions (in this case nurses) actually do. Being able to make beds can also get you free coffees in years to come

Chunky Monkey

rbrbrb wrote: »

You do require formal training to work as a HCA in a hospital. Nurse On Call are an agency in Ranelagh who get work for HCAs. It costs about 1000 to get setup between bloods and training etc. but you can make that back in two weeks work no problem and you can get about 3-4 12hr shifts a week without too much difficulty. It's also really good experience for working in hospitals as a doctor. I'm a med student at the moment and it's great to know the type of work the HCAs do because they're definitely underrated (most of them anyway)

:eek: Are you serious?? I never had to pay anything but then again I only got manual handling and infection control training.

I know a few years back they were considering training HCAs to do obs etc...have they put that in place yet?

We do all that in England, yet we get paid less than half of what HCAs get paid in Ireland. You know, I had to co-sign for MSTs once because there were only two trained nurses working on a 34 bedded surgical ward and one of them was at break. And I got asked to do neuro obs on a guy with a head injury and to do ECGs...with no training. I mean it's great experience for me cos I'm a med student but probably not so great for the patients.

I really love my job and love the idea of the NHS but that's a bit of a joke.

rbrbrb

Yeah they use the courses for making loads of money. The course costs about 750 and then between bloods and vaccinations it's another about 150. The course is a rip off but you have to do it.

I've never been asked to do anything more than HCA or non-skilled work and wouldn't do obs or anything like that because it could land you in serious trouble.