difference between healthcare assistant and a nurse!

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:o difference between healthcare assistant and nurse

could u please you mail back your differences

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Specializes in midwifery, ophthalmics, general practice.

em actually quite a lot of differences............ most noticable would be that a HCA is mostly untrained though there are now NVQ courses and a registered nurse undertakes 3 yrs training..! slight difference that!

Karen

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

I agree with Karen, alot of differences and in the training,

alot of hospitals are increasing their health care assistants as a way of addressing the qualified nurse shortfall but it isn't enough as the qualified nurse is still accountable for any care deligated out.

I really think it was a wrong thing to stop training enrolled nurses as atleast the RN had another qualified nurse (although been through slightly less training)to help them and be accountable for their actions without risk to patients.

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Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.
I really think it was a wrong thing to stop training enrolled nurses as atleast the RN had another qualified nurse (although been through slightly less training)to help them and be accountable for their actions without risk to patients.

I agree that HCA's don't make up for trained nurses but I think it was good to phase out enrolled nurses. The two tier system led to nothing but bitterness. Experienced enrolled nurses were exploited; used as RGN's without getting the pay or the recognition. The snobbery from some RGN's towards EN's was untrue, and likewise the bitterness from some EN's who would make the newly qualified RGN's life hell was also horrific.

Nursing has evolved and I think we will have to accept that as we take on more and more techincal roles we can't do everything else as well. In France the concept of "nursing care" is quite different from in the UK. Here it's the technical things - drug administration, IV's, dressings, venepuncture and cannulation, ECG's etc. The "nursing care" we think of in the UK has become the domain of the Aide Soignante (care assistant - who is also a trained person with a qualification). Like it or not that's the way modern day health care is evolving. I think it's very important to keep that distinction between nurse and care assistant. Give care assistants every opportunity to undertake nurse training if that's what they wish, but don't give the care assistant role 'nurse' status or we will be back to the RGN/EN wars.

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when i took my entrance exam in 1982 most the group got offered enrolled nurse training, it turns out that most of us scored high in the exam but there was a shortage of enrolled nurses at the hospital so we were given the chance to train as EN not RGN, anyway having worked as EN for years! we suddenly became RN level 2, now i am at the end of my conversion course, have been a Egrade for over a year. I think the care assistance have a hard time, they are asked to do more roles, venepuncture, ecg's, plastering etc, but are offered no higher grading. It seems to me that the Care assistance will be given higher grades eventually, including grade C, which is the grade that most EN's got when the grading came out! Are we going round in circles? ohh yeah, and we now have matrons back in hospitals.

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Specializes in medical with other stuff chucked in!.

Healthcare assistants attend to the patient's personal care, answer buzzers, make beds etc.

This might not sound like much, but I truely believe that they are the backbone of the ward. They get very little recognision for the hard work that they do. The ward would stand still if it wasn't for them as the trained nurses are usually busy else where.

I am a student nurse, but was a healthcare assistant for ten years before I started training so I can see both sides of the coin.

What do others think?

Emma

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Healthcare assistants attend to the patient's personal care, answer buzzers, make beds etc.

This might not sound like much, but I truely believe that they are the backbone of the ward. They get very little recognision for the hard work that they do. The ward would stand still if it wasn't for them as the trained nurses are usually busy else where.

I am a student nurse, but was a healthcare assistant for ten years before I started training so I can see both sides of the coin.

What do others think?

Emma

:rotfl:Our Outpatients Dept is multi speciality, encompassing everything from med, surg (of various disciplines), paeds, gynae, ent, eyes, derm, oncology, orthopaedics and trauma. Our NA's work behind closed consulting room doors for most sessions and are responsible for specimen recording and assisting with various invasive procedures, as well as efective communication. Trained nurses are available at all times for checking or reassurance, but are in the minority. We rely on our NA's for the smooth running of clinics. We provide extensive 'in house' training for them, but as far as NVQ is concerned it is ward based and unsuitable for them. Our workload and areas of experience and capabilities are so different.

All I can say is they are undervalued, our Department is indebted to them!

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Specializes in medical with other stuff chucked in!.
:rotfl:Our Outpatients Dept is multi speciality, encompassing everything from med, surg (of various disciplines), paeds, gynae, ent, eyes, derm, oncology, orthopaedics and trauma. Our NA's work behind closed consulting room doors for most sessions and are responsible for specimen recording and assisting with various invasive procedures, as well as efective communication. Trained nurses are available at all times for checking or reassurance, but are in the minority. We rely on our NA's for the smooth running of clinics. We provide extensive 'in house' training for them, but as far as NVQ is concerned it is ward based and unsuitable for them. Our workload and areas of experience and capabilities are so different.

All I can say is they are undervalued, our Department is indebted to them!

Good for you :) . What part of wales are you from? I'm originally from Pembrokeshire, but doing my training in Surrey. I miss home soooooooooo much :crying2: .

Emma

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Good for you :) . What part of wales are you from? I'm originally from Pembrokeshire, but doing my training in Surrey. I miss home soooooooooo much :crying2: .

Emma

valleys girl (loosely speaking me!)

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:o difference between healthcare assistant and nurse

could u please you mail back your differences

Iam a health care worker and i work within a multi disciplinary team on a busy rehab ward. I feel very much part of the team. I am a very active support worker. Ibelieve everybody within the team appreciates the work that we all do. On our ward all support workers work together with the trained nurses. WE ALL LEARN FROM EACH OTHER. THAT IS ONE OF THE NICE THINGS FROM WORKING WITHIN A MDT. :)

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
Iam a health care worker and i work within a multi disciplinary team on a busy rehab ward. I feel very much part of the team. I am a very active support worker. Ibelieve everybody within the team appreciates the work that we all do. On our ward all support workers work together with the trained nurses. WE ALL LEARN FROM EACH OTHER. THAT IS ONE OF THE NICE THINGS FROM WORKING WITHIN A MDT. :)

I couldnt agree more

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I couldnt agree more

Well thanku very much for that reply, its nice to know that some people agree with me. R u sure i dont know you?

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