Health & Social Care BTEC

Adult nurses care for patients suffering from a variety of health conditions, ranging from minor injuries and ailments to acute and long-term illnesses and diseases. They support recovery by using care plans, carrying out care procedures and assessments, and evaluating and focusing on the needs of the patient rather than the illness or condition.

Nurses usually work within a multidisciplinary team but are the main point of contact for patients, often providing the most consistent care. They have contact with the patients’ families, particularly in cases of chronic illness where the patient may be returning regularly for treatment.

Responsibilities

As an adult nurse, you’ll need to:

• gain the trust and confidence of each patient
• write patient care plans
• implement plans for tasks such as preparing patients for operations, treating wounds and monitoring pulse, blood pressure and temperature
• observe and record the condition of patients
• check and administer drugs and injections
• set up drips and blood transfusions
• assist with tests and evaluations
• carry out routine investigations
• respond quickly to emergencies
• plan discharges from hospital and liaise with GPs and social workers
• reassure patients and their relatives and communicate effectively with them
• advocate on behalf of patients
• educate patients about their health – this may include running clinics and education sessions on topics such as diabetes, weight loss and quitting smoking
• organise staff and prioritise busy workloads
• mentor student and junior nurses
• maintain patient records
• make ethical decisions related to consent and confidentiality.

Midwives provide advice, care and support for women and their babies during pregnancy, labour and the early postnatal period. You’ll help women to make their own decisions about the care and services they access and will provide health education and parenting advice until care is transferred to a health visitor.

You’re responsible for the health of both mother and child and will only refer to obstetricians if there are medical complications. Work is carried out in multidisciplinary teams in both hospital and, increasingly, community healthcare settings.

Responsibilities

As a midwife, you’ll need to:

• monitor and examine women during pregnancy
• develop, assess and evaluate individual programmes of care
• provide full antenatal care, including screening tests in the hospital, community and the home
• identify high risk pregnancies and make referrals to doctors and other medical specialists
• arrange and provide parenting and health education
• provide counselling and advice before and after screening and tests
• offer support and advice following events such as miscarriage, termination, stillbirth, neonatal abnormality and neonatal death
• supervise and assist mothers in labour, monitoring the condition of the foetus and applying knowledge of drugs and pain management
• give support and advice on the daily care of the baby, including breastfeeding, bathing and making up feeds
• liaise with agencies and other health and social care professionals to ensure continuity of care
• participate in the training and supervision of junior colleagues

Paramedics provide immediate response to emergency calls that can be both traumatic and medical in origin and also respond to GP referrals and 111 calls

You’ll usually be the first senior autonomous independent healthcare professional on the scene, and the level of care you provide can range from dealing with life threatening conditions to minor illnesses and injuries.

You will need to undertake a full medical and health assessment to determine a patient’s condition, provide essential treatment and transportation to a designated hospital or care facility.

While paramedics treat up to 50% of medical cases in the patient’s home and discuss and negotiate the best optimal outcomes for the patient, sometimes in life threatening situations a variety of interventions might be required such as:

• resuscitating and stabilising patients
• establishing and maintaining an airway in a stepwise approach
• stopping severe haemorrhage
• using high-tech equipment, such as a defibrillator, pulse oximeters and end-tidal oxygen
• applying spinal and traction splints
• administering intravenous drips, drugs and oxygen.
• working with other emergency services such as the police, fire, coast guard and RNLI.

You’ll typically work in a two-person ambulance crew alongside an ambulance technician or emergency care assistant. It’s also possible to work alone, using an emergency response car, motorbike or bicycle to get to a patient.

After one year of post-registration experience it is normal to be developed as a practice placement educator so that you can also support other students who will work alongside you.

You may become an air ambulance crew member with extra training.