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Health Care Assistant

Kaiāwhina Haumanu Hauora/Kaimahi Atawhai

Health care assistants care for people in aged residential care, private homes, hospitals and disability support.

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Secondary education

No specific secondary education is required for this job, but English, maths and biology to at least NCEA Level 1 are useful.

For Year 11 to 13 learners, the Gateway programme is a good way to gain relevant experience and skills.

Study fields

Study levels

  • Up to NCEA Level 3
  • Certificate

Useful experience

Useful experience for health care assistants includes:

  • work in rest homes, nursing homes and hospitals
  • work with families, the elderly or people with disabilities
  • work helping people, or customer service
  • first aid
  • cleaning and housekeeping.

What you will do

Health care assistants may do some or all of the following:

  • help patients or clients wash, dress and eat
  • help with laundry, housework and shopping
  • make sure patients or clients take the correct medicine
  • help clients attend appointments
  • help patients rehabilitate in areas such as social skills and walking.

Skills and knowledge

Health care assistants need to have knowledge of:

  • patient care
  • the needs of the patients or clients they work with, such as elderly people, young people or people with disabilities
  • first aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
  • safe lifting techniques and how to use hoists.

They may also need to know about:

  • hospital procedures
  • health and safety procedures.
Pay

Health care assistants usually earn

$23-$34

per hour

Job opportunities
Good
Chances of getting a job as a health care assistant are good due to increasing demand for their services.
Length of training
1-2
years of training usually required.

Industry

Health

Health care assistants care for people in aged residential care, private homes, hospitals and disability support.

Similar jobs in this industry

Entry requirements

There are no specific requirements to become a health care assistant.

However, employers usually prefer you to have, or work towards, a qualification such as:

Aged Care, Home and Community Support:

  • New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 2)
  • New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing – Health Assistance (Level 3), to work in hospitals and rest homes
  • New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing – Support Work (Level 3), to provide care in private homes
  • New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 4) Advanced Care and Support.

Hospitals

  • New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing – Health Assistance (Level 3)

You may also need:

  • a First Aid Certificate
  • a driver's licence.

The Vulnerable Children Act 2014 means that if you have certain serious convictions, you can’t be employed in a role where you are responsible for, or work alone with, children.

Chances of getting a job

High demand for health care assistants

Although over 30,000 people work as health care assistants, vacancies are common due to:

  • a large and growing number of elderly people who need support that allows them to stay in their own home
  • the increasing need for health care assistants in hospitals due to a shortage of registered nurses
  • the ageing workforce – most health care assistants are between 55 and 64. 

According to the Census, 33,513 health care assistants worked in New Zealand in 2018.

Ageing population increases demand for workers

The following roles appear on the Government's Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa: Kaiawhina (Hauora) Māori Health Care Assistant, Disabilities Services Officer, Residential Care Officer, Aged or Disabled Carer, Nursing Support Worker, Personal Care Assistant, Therapy Aide, and Child or Youth Residential Care Assistant. This means the Government is actively encouraging skilled care workers in those roles from overseas to work in New Zealand.

Types of employers varied

Most health care assistants work for:

  • Te Whatu Ora and nursing homes
  • private companies providing home care
  • specialist care providers – for spinal injury patients, for example
  • church and welfare-based trusts
  • home support services run by district health boards.

Find out more about training

Careerforce ITO
0800 277 486 - info@careerforce.org.nz - www.careerforce.org.nz
New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO)
0800 283 848 - nurses@nzno.org.nz - www.nzno.org.nz

Progression and specialisations

Health care assistants may progress into management or administration roles. With further training, they may become enrolled or registered nurses, or phlebotomists (who collect blood samples).

Health care assistants can specialise in a number of roles, including:

Health Care Assistant
Health care assistants support nurses working with patients in aged residential care or medical practices.
Home and Community Support Worker
Home and community support workers help clients with bathing, dressing, eating, laundry and housework in private homes.

Working conditions

Health care assistants:

  • may work shifts, including evenings and weekends (home support workers usually work only during the day)
  • work in clients' homes, clinics, rest homes and nursing homes or in hospitals – in emergency departments and intensive care, maternity wards, outpatient clinics, operating theatres and mental health clinics
  • may be exposed to diseases and body fluids
  • may travel locally to clients' homes.

Physical Requirements

Health care assistants need to be reasonably fit, healthy and strong, with no back problems, as the work can be physically demanding.

Useful personal qualities

Health care assistants need to be:

  • patient and tolerant
  • practical, organised and responsible
  • friendly, helpful and compassionate
  • able to follow instructions
  • able to relate well to people from different cultures
  • skilled at listening and communicating
  • able to cope with stressful and emotional situations.

Related Wintec courses

Industry

Health

Health care assistants care for people in aged residential care, private homes, hospitals and disability support.

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