“The main thing I love about being a HCA is the connection I have with the patients,” according to Elaine Clifford, Health Care Assistant, St James’s Hospital, Dublin. In her post almost 28 years, Elaine has been outlining how much she enjoys the role and in the interaction with the patients:

“It means so much just knowing that during a very difficult time in their lives that you have made a difference and hopefully made things a little bit easier for them during their stay.”

Explaining the vital role played by Health Care Assistants (HCAs), Deborah Cross, Assistant Director of Nursing, Surgical Inpatients, outlines how “Health Care Assistants are at the heart of our teams. Their roles go beyond bedside care. They actively contribute to fostering a person-centred culture within our hospital. They provide quality care to our patients day-in, day-out.”

Noting how ongoing learning is a key part of her experience, Elaine explains how “there is a real satisfaction that comes with developing skills. Once I received my Major QQI award, this allowed me to complete my basic HCA competencies, which included checking vital signs, catheter care and stoma care.”

For Conall Fitzgerald, Consultant Otolaryngologist, Head and Neck Surgeon, the HCA is an “integral part of our head and neck surgical service. Having a HCA with extra training in how to manage patients with tracheostomies during transfers and on the ward is hugely important to looking after these complex patients.”

Outlining how Elaine and HCAs generally contribute, Joanne Coogan, Clinical Nurse Manager lll, Surgical Inpatients, notes how “through the HCA Council, the HCAs collaborate with their peers to share knowledge and identify improvements and contribute to quality projects that enhance care delivery.”

Describing HCAs as “the cornerstone of our patient care,” Sharon Peers, Clinical Nurse Manager ll, Surgical Inpatients, explains how their skills allow them to perform varying functions from “monitoring vital signs, and ensuring accurate fluid balance documentation to supporting personal care.

“These essential skills, often unseen but critical, ensure patient safety and dignity. The HCAs’ balance of precision, empathy and adaptability ensures the highest standard of care for everyone they support.”

Director of Nursing at St James’s Hospital, Sharon Slattery , sums up their important role by emphasising how “Health Care Assistants are key members of the nursing team.”

Overall, Elaine stresses the satisfaction and reward she experiences in her role and concludes that she would “encourage anyone thinking of working in healthcare to become a Health Care Assistant.”

Acknowledging the great work done by Elaine and the many other Health Care Assistants across the country, Anne Marie Hoey, HSE Chief People Officer notes that “Health Care Assistants (HCAs) working in our Acute Hospital Services are an integral part of the multidisciplinary team providing care of the highest quality, whilst showing respect, kindness, consideration and empathy in their communication and interaction with their patients. I would encourage anyone interested to consider the option of becoming an HCA and further information on this can be accessed via https://careerhub.hse.ie/pathways_hca/

 Watch Elaine and the team talk about the role of HCA in this video on YouTube.com