Silly i know Student v's HCA

[reah87]

Hi all, hope ur well :) I know this sounds like a silly question but i have trained for 18months as a student nurse and i have to take a break due to personal circumstances but i want to carry on in healthcare and have applied to a number of HCA jobs. My problem is i know they will ask me the difference between the two roles and im struggling with my answer. I understand there is a difference thou!! I Was thinking something like this, a student nurse i was supernurmary and there to Learn, whereas in my role as a HCA i will be assisting the nurse with the care of patients taking direction from the trained nurse. I'm really struggling with my answer as most the time i felt like a HCA as a student nurse!! :s Any help would be great!!! Thanx Guys :)

[Zana2]

as a student you're allowed to give medication, under supervision. As a HCA you're not.

Anything to do with any IVs, pumps, cannulae etc, little as the student is allowed to do, I've never seen an HCA going anywhere near (apart from the ones with years of experience that can do phlebotomy).

On my application i said something like working within my professional boundaries, i can't quite remember, but I know from the lady who interviewed me, that she really liked me mentioning not being allowed to administer any medication.

[JamesMorgan]

I guess I would describe a Nurses role as actively managing a patient where as a HCA role is more investigation based as they take BP, bloods BMI but they dont actively manage a patient. If a HCA takes a BP and its too high they refer to a GP or Nurse they dont management the patient themselves. If they dip some urine and it contains protein they refer to a nurse or GP. The Nurse will also have more clinical knowledge than a HCA therefore will have more responsibility. A Nurse can do everything a HCA can do but a HCA can not do everything a Nurse can do.