Meet Oksana
Oksana Kalinicenko, senior healthcare assistant, shares her thoughts on what it’s like being a support staff member at the trust.
What does a day in the life of a healthcare assistant (HCA) look like?
The day in the life of HCA is always very busy, from the very start to the end. Coffee with colleagues and quick briefing in the lunch room before the shift starts. Greeting early patients and explaining how long they'll have to wait. Preparing your own work station and setting up the clinic (or multiple clinics on some days). Floor walking during the day to make sure all clinics are running smoothly. Sometimes you stop and talk to the patient. Finding time to train my junior colleagues and helping them to develop new skills. Making sure everyone has their lunch in timely manner. Ordering pharmacy stock and dealing with the orders that have been delivered. In the meantime, working in your own clinic.
What makes your job rewarding?
For me personally the most rewarding thing is to see my patients happy.
What are the challenges?
Not enough hours in a day to deal with everything.
When did you decide you wanted to become a healthcare assistant and how did you set about pursuing this goal?
Ten years ago I moved to the United Kingdom and started looking for a job as a HCA.
What is something your colleagues would not know about you?
My colleagues would never know about challenges and problems in my personal life. I never take my problems to work with me, instead I always take my positivity and smile.
What attracted you to a career in healthcare at Moorfields?
Completely new speciality – I never worked with eyes before. At the same time, I could relate to ophthalmology because my son had eye problems in his early childhood.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in healthcare?
If you consider a career in healthcare, you should be absolutely sure that you love what you are doing. You need to be 100% dedicated to it. You need to remember that people will rely on you and expect you to help, no matter what position you hold.
What’s the best/most memorable thing anyone has said to you at work?
To be honest, I have quite a few moments like this. I am very lucky to be appreciated by my patients and my colleagues. Some of my patients call me "a wonderful nurse” and that makes me very happy. My colleagues say I am "a great asset” to our team and that makes me very proud to be part of Moorfields.