With some healthcare experience, you could work as a clinical support worker.
This could be on a ward or in a health centre. You will support nurses and other practitioners in advising and caring for patients, in areas such as diabetes, pregnancy care, nutrition or radiography (x-rays). Other jobs include keeping hospitals and equipment clean.
Example jobs
Healthcare/nursing assistant
Responsible for the personal care of patients on a ward, changing dressings, writing notes.
Outpatient assistant
Assisting at appointments, applying simple dressings, advising patients.
Sterile services technician
Decontaminating and sterilising equipment in a hospital.
Specialised therapy technician
Visiting patients at home to assist in their care, ordering supplies, carrying out admin work.
Phlebotomist
Taking blood samples from patients and transporting them to the lab for analysis.
Things you need to know
Typical working conditions
- You will usually work indoors, in a hospital or health centre, and will wear a uniform.
- You might be required to work shifts.
- The work can be fast-paced, especially in an emergency.
Qualifications needed
You need experience in healthcare and/or a qualification such as health and social care, usually at Level 2. You may need GCSE maths and English. You need to have good communication skills, be caring and able to work in a team.
Career path
You can move on to more senior roles in your specialism. This could mean supervising or managing staff. You could apply to train as a doctor, nurse or midwife (which means further degree-level study). You could decide to use your skills and training to move into non-healthcare work. For example, you could become an administrator in another sector or provide social care in the community.
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