Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Healthcare Assistant to join our Renal Dialysis Team.

We are seeking a hard-working, caring and compassionate individual who is committed to delivering high-quality patient care within a specialist renal setting.

You will assist in maintaining a safe and clean care environment, preparing for and supporting the delivery of dialysis treatments, and ensuring that equipment and work areas are cleaned and maintained in accordance with infection prevention and control standards.

Under the supervision and guidance of registered nurses, you will contribute to the delivery of care that promotes dignity, sensitivity and respect for each patient’s individual needs and beliefs.

Applicants without previous dialysis experience are welcome to apply. Successful candidates will be appointed at Band 2 and progress to Band 3 upon successful completion of the renal and generic competency frameworks.

Comprehensive training will be provided in all aspects of renal care relevant to the role, including hands-on experience within the dialysis unit, structured classroom-based sessions, and the support of a dedicated mentor to guide your development. Training will support achievement of NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care.

If you are motivated, compassionate and eager to develop new skills within renal services, we would welcome your application to join our friendly and supportive team.

Main duties of the job

• Support registered nurses in the assessment and delivery of patient care.
• Perform clinical baseline observations, reporting any abnormalities promptly to the nursing team.
• Orientate patients and relatives to the ward environment, ensuring they feel comfortable and informed.
• Follow the plan of care and report any changes in the patient’s condition to the nurse in charge.
• Contribute to team discussions by offering suggestions and ideas for service improvement.
• Report and document the results of interventions accurately in accordance with Trust policies.
• Record and maintain clear, accurate, and timely documentation of all care episodes.
• Prepare haemodialysis machines prior to commencement of therapy, ensuring safety checks are completed.
• Use the eMed (Renal IT) system to obtain the correct haemodialysis consumables for each patient based on their individual treatment plan.
• Undertake daily quality control checks on glucometers and other monitoring equipment.
• Ensure adequate stock levels are maintained within the haemodialysis treatment area.
• Maintain a clean, safe, and organised clinical environment at all times.
• Participate actively in training, supervision, and competency assessments as part of ongoing development.

Working for our organisation

The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS) brings together key health, care, community, and voluntary sector organisations from across our area. Our aim is to work together in partnership to join up health and care services, improving our populations health and wellbeing and reducing health inequalities. One such example of this collaborative work is the launch of our HCA Academy, an ICS initiative between Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) and Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSEFT) to support the incoming Health Care assistant (HCA) workforce. The academy models a ‘one workforce’ cross system approach to the onboarding, induction, education, and experience of Healthcare Assistants.

Successful candidates to this role will be able to access the additional support provided by the HCA Academy following their induction with MSEFT. This includes development opportunities, pastoral support, staff rewards and access to HCA exclusive resources such as HCA App.