What is a Health Services Assistant?

An essential part of any healthcare environment, a health services assistant supports nurses and other health professional staff.

They are involved with patients from when they arrive in the hospital or facility, right up to the moment they are checked out. 

If your goal is to have a positive impact on patients and provide them with the very best in comfort and care, then a health assistance role may be the career for you. In this article, you will learn the profession's different duties and responsibilities as well as how to get qualified.

Duties and responsibilities of a Health Services Assistant

A lot of what you could be doing as a health services assistant depends on what healthcare environment you choose to work in. Health services assistants are most commonly seen in hospitals but can also be an extremely useful part of the team in aged care facilities.

No matter what you choose to specialise in however, the role is very hands-on and physical. You will be required to work across many different patients, each with their own unique medical requirements and personal needs, to provide them the necessary care. Some of the duties and responsibilities to expect in this role include:

Assisting nurses

You will be required to assist nurses as they go about their own tasks. These include basic recordings and observations of patient’s medical data such as temperature and blood pressure.

Infection prevention

All health services assistants must comply with infection prevention and control policies in order to reduce the risk of patients acquiring preventable infections. All general workplace health and safety guidelines will need to be followed.

Clinical cleaning

Making sure beds, sheets and medical equipment are sanitary so they can continue to be used for future patients.  

Providing comfort

Ensuring that patients are comfortable as they undergo their treatments and assist them if they are physically unable to on their own. Providing mental comfort and promoting a positive mood goes a long way for patient's overall well-being. 

Handling patients

Aside from the hands-on medical assistance, helping patients with other needs such as organising transport and preparing food is a major part of this role.   

How to become a Health Services Assistant

For some people, a trip to the hospital can be quite distressing and that makes a career as a health services assistant an incredibly rewarding one. The HLT33115 Certificate III in Health Services Assistance will qualify you for a career in health services assistance so you can provide the kind of service to make their trip as comfortable as possible. 

This course will provide you with the skills, knowledge and practical work placement training to launch your career. These include understanding medical terminology and how to provide assistance for a diverse range of people and medical needs. 

Throughout your time in the course, you will learn to:

•    Comply with infection prevention and control policies
•    Interpret and apply medical terminology
•    Work with people with mental health issues
•    Work with people with drug and alcohol issues
•    Confirm physical health status. 

How much does a Health Services Assistant make?

According to Talent, the average annual salary for a health services assistant is $52.799.  Entry-level positions start at $50.833 per year, while most experienced workers make up to $66.719 per year (Talent, 2023).

What roles are available with a Certificate III in Health Services Assistance?

Completing the Certificate III in Health Services Assistance course opens a variety of career opportunities. Graduates may go on to find work as:

•    Assistant in nursing 
•    Patient care attendant
•    Patient support assistant 
•    Patient services assistant

If you feel the desire to work in a hospital and have a positive impact on patients, becoming a health service assistant may be an excellent choice for you.  

Check out our HLT33115 Certificate III in Health Services Assistance or contact us for further information on this course.

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