It takes resilience, physical and emotional stamina, and a clear understanding of how to provide safe and effective patient care. A demanding patient may take up more of your day than you planned for. Flexibility, adaptability, and emotional stability. Honesty. Although they may not always work in hospitals, HCAs are very important members of the patient care team, and must know how to speak the "language" of medicine. The second (soft skill) communication component is the ability to build rapport with patients and families. Flexibility, calm under pressure, and quick thinking are key assets in this role. Health care aides must strive to understand different cultural practices and norms, and treat every patient with equal respect and consideration. Compassion and patience. Social acceptance and open-mindedness are key pre-requisites to work in this field. Physical and emotional self-care is essential for health care aides. They support families struggling with the illness of a loved one, offer companionship and emotional support to patients, and do everything they can to ensure the highest possible quality of life for those in their care. It is inevitable that HCAs will sometimes encounter challenging patients, who either do not wish to, or simply cannot, follow instructions or participate in their own care. Read on to discover 10 of the most important hard and soft skills you'll need to succeed in this career. Accepting of different cultures. safely moving, positioning, and transferring patients with or without equipment, dressing wounds, changing bandages, and applying topical medications, noticing and recording changes in patient behavior, correctly administering medication as prescribed by a doctor. Training takes just 5 months to complete and includes an 8-week internship. This skill has both "hard" and "soft" applications, which are equally important. Health care aides must master several technical and mechanical skills in order to safely and effectively care for their patients. Chronic fatigue and burnout can occur when HCAs do not dedicate enough time and energy to replenishing themselves. It is impossible for HCAs to do their job well if they harbor prejudice toward patients from different backgrounds. Successful health care aides have regular routines in place for burning off stress, coping with loss, and re-energizing the mind, body, and spirit. HCAs spend many hours on their feet, are usually required to lift, move, and otherwise support patients—and in busy nursing homes, often care for six or more patients at once. Considering becoming a health care aide (HCA)? Effective team-player. Strong work ethic. Given that they often work closely with chronically ill patients, and families who are coming to terms with a loved one's illness, health care aides must know how to cope with grief, anxiety, and the consequences of loss. The “universal” skills you’ll need as a healthcare administrator Communication. They must also be able to read and follow instructions and procedures, and write clear observations of patients under their care. Looking for a reliable, top-rated health care aide college in Winnipeg? Newcomers to the field can expect to receive a firm grounding in medical terminology during health care aide training. Identify your strengths and social style plus the training and positions you're best suited for. HCAs often work closely with older patients who suffer from debilitating cognitive diseases, such as Alzheimer's and dementia. A big part of the health care aide experience is coping with unpredictability. Your peers may need you to pick up a shift or stay late. Interested in learning more about starting a health care aide career? HCAs are a shoulder to lean on for families and patients, but must also know how to look after their own emotional well-being. Expert advice to help you choose the right training program and succeed in your career. Proactive, ethical, and responsible nature. Health care aides do so much more than provide basic daily care. For example, it is quite common for a patient emergency to arise, throwing off the day's schedule of home visits. You can book a campus tour, personal advising appointment, and get help with your application. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(386626, '3e66ecd2-e5d6-4d2c-a724-d4b80720ba40', {}); The fun, online quiz takes 3-minutes to complete and you'll get a personalized report. HCAs must be able to communicate easily with patients, family members, and other members of their patients' health care team. Health care aides are welcomed into homes, hospitals, and the personal lives of the patients they serve. Or, a fellow HCA may call in sick, leaving the residence shorthanded on the floor, and the remaining health care aides must pick up the slack. No matter what unexpected events take place during the work day, HCAs must be ready to adapt and re-group. Many healthcare administration candidates love to mention “teamwork” as a … No surprise here—communication is a must-have ability for nearly any industry. Beyond just dealing with your schedule, you also need to be adaptable so as to handle new, different, or changing environments. Consider Herzing College's Health Care Aide Program, delivered at the Winnipeg campus. These are crucial patient care techniques and procedures HCAs learn first in health care aide training, and then continue to refine through practical work experience. Effective communication is the cornerstone of a successful health care aide career. Whether working in a long-term care facility, or directly in patients' homes, health care aides encounter people from all walks of life. Examples of personality skills include: Excellent communication. When delivering patient observations to a head nurse, for example, or reviewing a patient's condition and prescribed medications, HCAs must be comfortable working with relevant medical and pharmaceutical terms. Or, they may work with children and young adults coping with intellectual or physical disabilities. But working as a health care aide is challenging. Compassion and patience are fundamental soft skills for health care aides, who must find ways to support each patient with care, while ensuring all relevant health and safety needs are met. The first is a practical (hard skill) component: the ability to speak, read, and write in English. Communication for health... Teamwork. This knowledge spans anatomy, physiology, names and symptoms of common disorders and illnesses, common prescription drugs, etc. Families and patients put a great deal of faith in HCAs. Health care fields deal with something different every day. Health Care Aide Skills List: 10 Hard & Soft Skills Every HCA Needs. Whether working in a long-term care facility, or directly in patients' … Emotional fitness is just as important as physical fitness for HCAs. Honesty, good judgment, and reliability are absolutely crucial for maintaining the bond of trust and ensuring patients feel safe and protected. Working as a health care aide requires physical stamina. The personalized support HCAs offer patients makes this career path particularly rewarding—and increasingly important. Visit the program page to request free information, or chat live with an Admissions Advisor. Time management. Get started today! As Canada's population ages, demand for in-home and daily health care support is on the rise.