Nursing Assistants Recruitment Campaign

The role of a Nursing Assistant is absolutely critical to our overall workforce as it provides direct patient care so without our amazing team of Nursing Assistants; we wouldn’t be able to offer the outstanding care we do in each of our 10 hospitals and across our communities.

That’s why we want talented people from all backgrounds to choose to join our diverse team as a Nursing Assistant or as a Trainee Nursing Assistant whether you already have a level 2 NVQ or apprenticeship, have substantial work experience, or want to do an apprenticeship programme. You’ll need to have a passion for people with a caring and compassionate disposition, have strong communication skills and be a great team player with a responsible and hardworking attitude and not be afraid to support patients with personal needs and mobility so demonstrating patience, dignity and respect will come naturally to you.

A fully supported training programme will be provided for you, both on and off the job. To join us as a Nursing Assistant, you’ll already possess a Level 2 or higher qualification in Health Care Support or equivalent or carry the relevant work breadth of work experience and we’ll assess this at the time of your application.

If after reading the Person Specification for the job you’re really interested in taking up this rewarding role and don’t have the relevant qualifications or work experience, then don’t worry, we are able to offer you a role as a Trainee Nursing Assistant undertaking an apprenticeship which will be fully funded by the Trust.   You’ll be assessed to establish which programme would be suitable based on your health related experience and previous qualifications. The programme consists of 15-21 months intensive training in order to prepare you for the role and on successful completion of the programme, you’ll be a qualified Nursing Assistant.  What’s more, you’ll make great friends with new colleagues and enjoy the buzz of team camaraderie and all that comes with that.  We have great staff benefits too which include:

• a permanent contract
• a comprehensive induction programme
• full and part time career development training
• a minimum of 27 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time staff)
• access to a range of employee benefits including childcare vouchers
• discount rates at our on-site nursery
• staff discounts and salary sacrifice schemes
• the opportunity to join the NHS Pension Scheme
• cycle to work scheme (subsidised costs for purchasing bikes)
• starting salary for a Trainee Nursing Assistant: £17,004 per annum
• starting salary for a qualified Nursing Assistant starts at £18,005 per annum
• opportunity to progress onto higher level training programmes

As a minimum, you’ll need to have level 1 functional skills in Maths and English or equivalent, however, if you don’t have these we can signpost you to organisations who can support you in attaining these.

Given these roles are working in a care setting, you’ll be expected to work early, late and complete night shifts which will be paid at the appropriate enhanced rate. You’ll be supporting patients who are both poorly and heavily or solely reliant on you for their care which means you’ll need to have an open, empathetic and caring nature with strong personal resilience and not be put off by working on your feet throughout your shifts.

You’ll also need to help to patients with eating, drinking, washing and toileting which is a key part of the role in order to provide the very best of care. To summarise, here are some of the key tasks you’ll be expected to do in the role and this varies depending on where you’re based but mainly involves:

• washing and dressing patients
• serving meals and helping to feed patients
• helping patients to move around
• toileting patients
• making beds
• talking to patients and making them comfortable
• monitoring patients’ conditions by taking temperatures, pulse, respirations and weight

You’ll also need to be:

• caring and kind
• cheerful and friendly
• willing to be hands-on with patients
• willing to do personal care tasks (washing, toileting, etc.)
• able to follow instructions and procedures
• able to work in a team but use your own initiative
• prepared to work on your feet for a full shift

And finally, you’ll also need to have strong skills in:

• communication – i.e. – be able to speak confidently and clearly including listening
• organising and recording information
• observation of people
• personal resilience
• team working
• time keeping
• reliance

We’d really encourage you to watch our talking heads video above of one of our dedicated  Nursing Assistants’; Kayleigh, to offer you an understanding of the role and the rewarding career this opportunity can give you. Our dedicated careers site will also give you some really helpful information about our Nursing Assistant Open Days and events where we might be attending in the city centre of Manchester to give you a chance to come and meet some of our team and talk to us about the job in more detail, ask those burning questions – maybe even take a tour – click on this link to find out more mft.nhs.uk/careers/