There are certain things about being a healthcare assistant that are pretty common, and then again there are several things that go surprisingly unnoticed. Being a healthcare services assistant is one of those occupations that serve you amazingly well. Not only is it morally uplifting, but it is also quite lucrative in terms of flexibility.
The job and your duties can entail supporting health professionals by handling appointments, running welfare programs, and managing the administrative area of patient care also comes under your role. You can become a cert 3 health services assistant by enrolling in one of the patient care assistant certificate courses, as you will be needing fundamental medical knowledge. It will not only equip you with the relevant skills but also give you confidence in handling situations and in your work.
Eligibility for Becoming a Healthcare Assistant
There are no such set eligibility criteria to become a personal care assistant. However, health centres and hospitals expect up-to-mark literacy and numeracy. You should also have a decent score in English and Mathematics in any of the documents you show.
Qualifications and Entry Requirements:
- The applicants must be 19 or above to apply.
- You need to have a healthcare qualification or have done an accredited caregiver training program.
- You also need to be registered with a recognized Health Worker Registry, and this is only possible when you have relevant qualifications or certifications.
- Enrolling in a patient care assistant certificate course will definitely give you a head start as you will already be on the path of receiving your certification. These certifications have various levels. A desirable level can range from anything between certificate iii to a diploma or more.
Qualities and Personal Characteristics:
- As a healthcare assistant, you need to be kind and of a caring nature. Moreover, you will need to be cheerful and friendly with the people around to balance the tone of the setting.
- An individual should be willing to do personal care tasks and be able to follow through the instructions given and procedures to be followed.
- Good communication skills with active listening are a must-have.
- The candidate needs to be a team player but at the same time, should also be capable of using self-discretion and initiative.
Certificate III in Health Services Assistance
There are 10 levels in all ranging from level 1 to level 10 with level 5 being a Diploma. These are standardized by the Australian Qualifications Framework, with level 10 being a doctoral degree from a university.
What is certificate iii in health services assistance? It is a level 3 qualification that qualifies individuals in undertaking skilled work in addition to applying broad knowledge incurred. It also lays the foundation for advancing to certificate IV and/ or diploma.
How long will I have to wait for my cert 3 in health services assistant?
The duration is highly subjective and mainly depends on the candidate. You can study it for a year but at the same time, if you can devote more hours, you can accelerate your learning and shorten the period by doing a six-month course. This becomes all the more feasible with online study and distance learning options.
Roles and Responsibilities
As a healthcare assistant, your tasks and duties are constituted in a wide range. A certain designation could entail reporting to the nurse manager, conducting personal care and nursing procedures, preparing treatment plans according to the policies along with or under health clinicians.
As per your role, you can also be held responsible for monitoring and reporting changes in the health statuses of patients.
Many health care assistants coordinate health and welfare programs or even provide administrative support by the way of filing reports, compiling patient histories or through documentation of various programs initiated or continued.
Where do you get to work?
If you do certain certification courses from GTPS Registered Training Organization, you can be employed in residential settings, complex care facilities and there are also chances that you might get to work at home support agencies.
Your Personal Development and Growth
The best part of pursuing this field is that you will be getting a lot of training before and during the course of your work, and some of these skills are very important life skills. For instance, cognitive skills include communication skills, empathy, emotional intelligence and practical ones consisting of fire safety, health and hygiene, life support, attention to detail etc.
Moreover, the job satisfaction is immense if done properly. As a health care assistant, you will be adding value to individuals and families collectively. The career is as varied and exciting as much as it is an eye-opening experience.
Finally, remember that as lucrative and morally uplifting the job is, it is also emotionally and physically exhausting. The skill you should most possess in such a case is taking care of yourself too.
