THE IMPACT OF HEALTHCARE ASSISTANTS AND SUPPORT STAFF ON PATIENT CARE

Abstract

Patient care is primarily provided by registered nurses (RNs), but in the National Health Services (NHS) system, healthcare assistants (HCAs) also play an important role. In acute hospital settings, HCAs deliver personal care and basic nursing tasks such as assisting with eating and drinking, bathing and washing, changing the position of patients, taking vital signs, and monitoring of incontinence, as well as clerical work. HCAs can also make observations and report potential concerns about patients to RNs. HCAs carry out the majority of direct care provided to older adult patients in NHS community hospitals and freestanding NHS rehabilitation hospitals. In addition to these tasks, HCAs also perform simple observations, such as checking vital signs and measuring blood glucose levels, which require minimal training. Though an essential part of the nursing and patient care team, HCAs are a group that often goes unrecognised and under-researched. Despite the established role of HCAs in patient care, little is known about their impact on patient care. (Barnicot et al., 2020) Temporary reduction in the number of available HCAs leads to a significant reduction in the total number of patient care hours delivered by all staff. The involvement of HCAs in the nursing care team improves the quality of patient care, which is frequently enhanced by their closeness to the patients. Prior to the escalation of the COVID-19 pandemic, HCAs reported high levels of job satisfaction, and patients rated better quality of care when HCAs were present in higher numbers. Though healthcare services are largely sanitised, there is still resistance to HCA interventions in some settings. Perhaps this resistance stems from a tight focus on the highly technical aspects of patient care, and a belief that anything other than medical interventions and pharmaceuticals are minimalist care. Research prioritisation conducted by the United Kingdom’s Academy of Medical Sciences found a wide discrepancy between what the public believes is most vital research and what funders fund. In brief, the public’s priorities centre around care, nursing, and comfort, while funders focus on infection and drug trials.