Exploring a Career as a Healthcare Assistant: An Essay

This essay explores the author's interest in becoming a Healthcare Assistant (HCA) within the health and social care sector. It highlights the role's responsibilities, which include providing direct patient care in various settings like hospitals and clinics, under the guidance of healthcare professionals. The essay emphasizes the author's personal characteristics, such as caring, kindness, communication skills, and observational skills, as crucial for the role. It also discusses the potential for career growth and the rewarding aspects of positively influencing patients' health and well-being, from admission to discharge. The essay mentions the various tasks, from helping patients with daily activities to assisting in clinical procedures, which contribute to the overall care provided by HCAs, highlighting the importance of the role within the NHS and other healthcare environments. The author expresses a desire to contribute to patient care and make a difference in their lives.

Personal Tutor Essay

INTRODUCTION
Health and social care refers to services provided for treating ill health and medical
conditions in health centres, hospitals and in community. Social care is the support and care
given to vulnerable persons within community (Healthcare-Assistant, 2018). Healthcare
Assistant works within an extent of various NHS hospitals or in community settings, under
guidance of healthcare professionals. They work alongside nurses in hospitals or midwives in
maternity services or in mental health, community or General Practice (GP) surgeries.
MAIN BODY
I am interested for being a Healthcare Assistant, in health and social care sector. This
area interest me because I like to help others and being a healthcare assistant I could work under
hospital or in a community setting, under the guidance of qualified medical professionals. It can
be a gateway for me to begin my journey into medical field. This could be greater
accomplishment for me to caring people. Healthcare industry is a rapidly growing sector and due
to which it has many career opportunities. I can work in a variety of different medical settings,
like in clinics, hospitals, ambulatory care and in private practices. Medical assistant's skills are of
highly demand throughout the nations hospitals and clinics. It helps me to be a better human,
helping patients at hospitals, by washing or dressing patients, helping them to move around,
interacting with patients for making them feel comfortable, monitoring their conditions, etc. In
Health centres and GP surgery, I can help or assist surgeons or professional practitioners in doing
health checks, sterilise equipments, take blood or process lab samples, promote health or provide
health education to others, etc (4-Reasons-To-Become-A-Medical-Assistant, 2015). The thing I
would most enjoy would be giving individual patients care. It is very fulfilling for having a direct
influence on their health and I would love to watch their progress or improvement from time of
admission to their discharge. It's rewarding, where I help patient access various medical benefits,
and for our efforts or dedication patients would appreciate me. My skills, training and
compassion can all make a difference in someone else’s life and in the lives of those I love
(Role-Healthcare-Assistant, 2017).
For becoming a Healthcare Assistant I have certain personal characteristics and skills that
are required. I am caring and kind for giving better treatment to patients. I am cheerful and
friendly for making patients at hospitals or clinics more comfortable. I have to be willing to do
1

personal care tasks for washing, dressing, and providing proper care for patients. I have good
communication skills, which includes listening for hearing problems or issues of different
persons and giving them appropriate guidance and support. I have a good observational skills for
observing or perceiving various tasks or activities regarding healthcare. It would help me to
grasp each activities properly.
CONCLUSION
Healthcare Assistant are first and foremost concerned with patient care, and can be put
into action in a number of different settings ranging from working in a large hospital to working
in ambulatory care. Medical assistants also have their fair share of clinical responsibilities. This
includes assisting the physician in taking and recording patients’ vital signs, explaining
procedures, administering medications, drawing blood, sterilizing equipment and conducting a
variety of tests in the lab.
2

REFERENCES
Online
Healthcare-Assistant. 2018. [Online] Available through:
<https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/wider-healthcare-team/roles-wider-
healthcare-team/clinical-support-staff/healthcare-assistant>
Role-Healthcare-Assistant. 2017. [Online] Available through:
<http://www.open.ac.uk/choose/unison/develop/my-understanding/role-healthcare-
assistant>
4-Reasons-To-Become-A-Medical-Assistant. 2015. [Online] Available through:
<https://www.porterchester.com/news-events/4-reasons-to-become-a-medical-assistant/>
3