200 Health Care Assistants (HCA) are working on the
wards to get a taste of life as a nurse before starting their degree courses in
a new initiative by the NHS.
NHS Careers reports that six pilot areas in England are
involved in the new project, put into place following the recommendations in
the Francis Inquiry (which looked at the problems encountered at the Mid
Staffordshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust).
The aim is to equip future nurses with the necessary skills
they will need to successfully undertake their degree studies after
experiencing life in a real ward or care environment. Of course, it will also
make sure the student nurses feel that nursing is the correct career for them
as they will see the reality of caring for ill and sometimes demanding patients
as well as the need to work as part of a team, whilst being busy and under
pressure.
The universities that the students apply to will be able to
get reassurance from the nursing staff within the hospital that the applicant
has the correct abilities and manner to be successful in their career as a nurse.
The Local Education and Training boards involved in the
pilot are:
- East
of
- North
Central and
- North East
The first cohort of Health Care Assistants are in place from
September 2013 and will not only be working in a hospital environment, but also
in GP practices and mental health units.
Health Care Assistants are normally paid as Band 2 staff
within the NHS, with a salary scale of £14,294 up to £17,425, so the scheme
will allow the aspiring nurses to save a little before they start their course
as well as gain valuable experience!
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