Healthcare Support Worker Week
This week NHS England national Healthcare support Team are running a Healthcare support worker week to celebrate successes and stories of our HCSWs.
Our healthcare support colleagues are a crucial part to our workforce and without them we wouldn't be able to provide outstanding care for our patients and their families.
Throughout the week we've been sharing some of our brilliant HCWs stories as to how and why they chose a career in healthcare support.
David Rock, Nurse POCCU
"Following a 24 year career in banking, at the age of 43 I decided a complete change was needed and I was successful in getting a job with Liverpool Heart and Chest hospital as a health care assistance. I was only working in the critical unit for 2 weeks and knew this would be the place I would retire from.
"Not having worked in health care before I was totally amazed how all the staff worked on the unit as a team delivering care and compassion to the patients. After 3 years and opportunity arose to be seconded and complete an adult nursing degree at John Moors university.
"I have been a Band 5 nurse on the POCCU unit for 7 years now and thoroughly enjoy my role there."
Abbie McVey, Thoracic Care Support Worker:
"My first ever interview for LHCH was back in October 2016 for a band 2 HCA on CCU, however after being successful in my interview, Karen Edgar one of my interviewers who was a sister on Elm ward at the time quickly said she wanted me for the Elm ward. I was delighted as I knew Elm ward would be more suitable for me. I started on Elm ward in January 2017 as a band 2 HCA I quickly worked my way up to band 3 status after completing relevant competencies. I became the Tissue Viability Link role for the ward and completed relevant training to help raise awareness and prevent pressure relief damage.
"During the pandemic there was a lot of change in some of the wards and unfortunately Elm ward was no longer a post operative cardiac ward. I was moved to Cedar ward. Cedar ward was still a busy post operative cardiac ward, which I was used to. I became Freedom to Speak up champion and attended regular meetings and training- I have enjoyed the extra roles I have taken on as part of my HCA role.
"After spending 2 years on Cedar ward, I knew I needed a change I felt I had reached my potential as a HCA over the last six years and I had more to give. I heard about a job which was coming up as a support worker based on Oak Ward working alongside the thoracic surgical team supporting patients who have a diagnosis of lung cancer through their surgical pathway. I knew immediately this job was for me. I waited a couple of months for the job to come out and I put it to the back of my mind, then my friend and colleague Sophie Jennings informed me it was live on NHS jobs. I met with Alex Crane who was previously in the post and Amanda Walthew ANP who gave me great advice and a real boost that I would be well suited for the post, so I applied and was successful.
"I feel my communication skills with patients and their families have improved greatly from my time as a HCA and has really built a solid foundation to help me feel confident about supporting and counselling patients through their pathway here at LHCH.
"I feel incredibly lucky over the last 6 years being in environments at LHCH where I have been able to grow and take on new roles. I have always been supported by the staff here who are very knowledgeable and want to bring the best out of you."
Linda Wilson, Sister:
"My name is Linda Wilson and I have worked for the trust for 26years, I started on critical care as a support worker. I did this role for a couple of years and it was a role that I really enjoyed. I then became an intensive care assistant where I worked alongside a registered nurse to care for patients. I really enjoyed my role of support worker and Intensive care assistant I found the role rewarding and it inspired me to complete my NVQ level 3 and I then applied for a secondment for nurse training and I was the 1st person to be seconded by the trust to complete my nurse training at John Moore’s University.
"When I had completed my nurse training I applied for a staff nurse position back on critical care and I have worked here ever since. The unit is a good place to work I have learnt everything here and I am still learning new things all the time. I have gained promotion throughout the years and I am now a Band 7 sister and I lead our patient and family experience group."
We want to say a huge thank you to each and every member of our HSW department for all that you do each and every day. You really are brilliant!