If you are inclined towards working in a supportive role, you may consider becoming a hospital porter.
A hospital porter entrusted with the job of moving patients, equipment and various other medical peripherals between the various sections of a hospital.
Job responsibilities
As a hospital porter, your roles may be varied but your primary job is to help patients of different age groups and from different walks of life.
Your day-to-day activities include:
- Moving patients to and from various locations of hospital
- Delivering patients’ meals
- Giving emotional support to patients and their families
- Moving vital and expensive equipment within different departments
- Distributing files, specimens and pharmacy boxes
- Moving deceased patients to the mortuary
- Delivering clean linen to wards
- Cleaning wards and getting rid of waste
- Restocking of supplies
Working hours and conditions
You usually work around 40 hours a week. The work may include night shifts and weekends.
You may work within different departments and your job will often demand that you move throughout the hospital. You are expected to wear uniform as a part of your job.
Remuneration scheme
|
Mode of Employment |
Salary |
|
Full-time |
£14,294 to £17,425 a year |
Source: nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk
You may earn extra by working over-time or extra shifts.
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Entry requirements
To be a hospital porter, you don’t need any specific qualifications. However, it is recommended that you get a qualification in manual handling or health and safety prior to entering into this profession. When seeking employment, the experience of working with people, especially in a caring service, really pays for you. It may also help you to learn about this job by doing voluntary services in a hospital.
There is no age restriction but only people above the age of 18 are encouraged to apply for this job.
Training
Once employed, you are trained on-the-job by experienced colleagues. To start off your job, you are expected to complete an induction course. It usually covers procedures and practices followed in hospital premises; healthy and safety issues; patient handling and safe lifting.
You may also be encouraged to work towards various industry qualifications such as Certificate (Level 2) and Diploma (Level 3) in Healthcare services.
Interests and skills needed
To become a successful hospital porter, it is vital that you demonstrate the following:
- Friendly disposition
- Impeccable communication skills
- Good inter-personal skills
- Physical fitness
- Be able to follow instruction
- Be able to handle pressure
- Be able to stay calm and act quickly in case of emergencies
- Hardworking nature
- Be able to cope up with sickness and death
Career prospects
As a hospital porter, you may find employment with the NHS and private hospitals.
After gaining significant experience, you may be able to promote to the roles of a team leader or supervisor. You may also consider moving into related areas such as nursing, healthcare assistance jobs and ambulance services.
This profession may only be suitable for strong individuals due to the highly stressful nature of the job. It is important to remember that this job can be both physically and emotionally taxing.
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