Health Care Assistant – Kaiāwhina Haumanu Hauora

“I actively sought jobs in the healthcare sector and I landed my current job in the Taranaki Base Hospital Emergency Department which so far has been a privilege.” 

– Miah Hoet, Health Care Assistant

 

About the Career

Health care assistants support nurses and care for people in private homes, hospitals, general practices or rest homes.

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

 

Qualities you need

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

 

Career Pathway

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.

Find out more about Gateway here: https://www.careerforce.org.nz/high-schools/for-students/

 

Our Whānau Career Story

Miah Hoet – Health Care Assistant

Where do I work and what do I do?

Healthcare Assistant, Emergency Department, Taranaki Base Hospital

What was my career pathway to get where I am / and what led me to this?

In 2021 I managed to obtain a qualification in Health and Wellbeing Support Work. Originally, the plan was to attend my gateway placement once a week and get credits by doing booklets through Careerforce; but me being competitive with my peers made me decide to take on the full qualification!  I grew curious about the content I was learning and decided it would be something to look at getting into during my gap year.

I felt that I needed to make use of the qualification rather than letting it go to waste. My interest developed and I decided if I was going to make use of my qualification before going away to university, this would be my chance. So, I actively sought jobs in the healthcare sector and I landed my current job in the Taranaki Base Hospital Emergency Department which so far has been a privilege.

“My why” for doing this job and making a difference for Māori

During the progress of my qualification, I had the support of many people.  Like Jo Hitchner from Careerforce. Jo would visit my school to check in with my progress (never failing to put a smile on my face). I also had huge support from the VP team at Spotswood College; Ra Cottom, who would help organise my booklets and folders (that I would lose and misplace a lot-sorry!) and Scott/y Manson, who dedicated his time and energy to sit and work through the booklets with me. His unique teaching skills made the booklets fun and fast to complete.Because of their contribution which I will forever be grateful for, I felt that not only did I owe it to myself, but to them also.

I plan to go to university in 2023 to study sports and exercise science, which is a three-year course. Once I have obtained that qualification, I will be getting my secondary degree in teaching. These degrees can get me back into a high school environment where I will be working as a Physical education teacher. Although I stopped participating in PE in the later years of high school, I still have always been passionate about keeping active and fit. This is one of the main reasons why I have been motivated and still am to take the steps necessary to making that a reality.

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