Meet Becky, 22, from Wiltshire. She is a healthcare assistant at Royal United Hospitals Bath.
Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
How would you want to be looked after in hospital? That's how I always think of it.
My name is Becky and I'm a healthcare assistant at a hospital.
Becky:
Hi Brian. Are you okay?
Patient:
Fine, thanks.
Becky:
Would you like a cup of tea?
Patient:
Yes please.
Becky:
A healthcare assistant looks after patients and makes sure they're comfortable. I work in a trauma orthopaedic ward, which is broken bones, broken hips or knees. I assist the ed nursing team. We do everything from clinical stuff like taking bloods, we also do tasks like helping make meals, handing out the meals.
If a patient needs a wash or they need help getting changed or something, we can always help with that as well. We have a massive variety of things that we do. It inspires me how resilient people are, like one minute you're on holiday and the next minute, you end up in hospital, and it must be super scary to have to go through that.
How would you want to be looked after in hospital? Is how I always think of it. I really feel like it's important to give people a nice, positive experience, because it could be us one day.
Do you want a biscuit?
Patient:
Oh yes please.
Becky:
Ah what one would you like?
Patient:
Custard cream, please.
Becky:
That one?
Patient:
Yes please.
Becky:
Yeah?
Patient:
Yes, thank you.
Becky:
It can be challenging having to do long hours. However, we do get to go home at the end of the day and a lot of patients don't, like they'll be in here for a few days or weeks or sometimes months.
(to patient) If you need anything else, let me know. I'm just going to pop off and help the others.
Patient:
Okay then.
Becky:
After my GCSEs, I didn't want to do A-levels just for the sake of doing A-levels, so I went to agricultural college. I decided that I wanted to just work locally on farms. I have my own sheep and a horse, and I really enjoy looking after animals and the medical side of animals, but I was never really interested in being a vet, because I'm a really big people person.
Then when Covid hit, my friend actually worked in the hospital at the time, and she was like "have you ever thought about being a healthcare assistant">