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Nicky Guttridge, who works for the Community Health CIC Spectrum, has written a book about her experiences of being a health care assistant, encompassing the highs and lows of the role’s challenges and its rewarding nature.

Currently working as Spectrum’s Clinical Coder and Quality & Outcomes Framework Lead at HMP Preston, Nicky started her health care career as a nursing home carer, aged 18. Following her degree, she then worked for a nursing agency, where she began collating her stories after one horrible night shift.

‘I’m Just An HCA’ has been described as showing ‘what it’s really like to care day after day (or night after night) for older people who may have lost the use of their faculties, and who may treat you as their best friend or their greatest threat, and how you can make lifelong friends – as well as a few enemies – along the way.’

“I started collecting my anecdotes together when I was sent to a large nursing home to help out with a night shift; it was made very clear by the carer I was appointed to work with, that she didn’t want to work with me,” said Nicky. “She did something that I was quite upset about, so I reported her. From the next shift onwards, I started making notes and I found it to be a good de-stressor.

“My favourite thing [about working in healthcare] when I was a HCA was always washing patients, as even on a confused dementia patient’s face, you could tell they felt happier and clean,” said Nicky. “My favourite thing today is home time (only joking!). I think I would say, being part of a really lovely team who do make a difference in the prison.”

Nicky’s book ‘I’m Just An HCA’ has now been published and is available to buy on Amazon for £3.85 (Kindle edition) and £9.99 (paperback).

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