Most commonly reported Work Activities

• Assisting and Caring for Others Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Performing General Physical Activities Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Handling and Moving Objects Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events Identifying information by categorising, estimating, recognising differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Organising, Planning, and Prioritising Work Developing specific goals and plans to prioritise, organise, and accomplish your work.

The Work

A hospital porter has to make sure that patient's, equipment and records are in the right place at the right time. They help patients get from place to place. They use wheelchairs and trolleys to move patients who cannot walk to their X-rays or to have tests performed.  
 
The duties of a porter depend on individual hospitals and departments. In general, porters move patients around the hospital from ward to ward, or to and from various departments. This might be done with the patient on a stretcher, a trolley, or in a wheelchair. Porters also help to transfer patients to and from trolleys and beds, using equipment that minimises lifting.  
 
Porters transport and deliver equipment, blood samples and medical records, as well as moving and fitting medical gas cylinders. Other tasks include sorting and handing out laundry, helping nurses with linen and bedclothes, tidying up, removing rubbish and clinical waste, cleaning trolleys, delivering mail and running general errands.  
 
Porters can be attached to a particular department such as the X-ray department or operating theatres. They keep in touch with their supervisors via radio paging 'bleepers'. Sometimes, porters are involved in the care and comfort of distressed relatives.  
 
The work can be strenuous, dirty, heavy and stressful and there is an unpredictable workload.

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Lift or assist others to lift patients to move them on or off beds, examination tables, surgical tables, or stretchers.
• Transport patients to treatment units, testing units, operating rooms, or other areas, using wheelchairs, stretchers, or moveable beds.
• Disinfect or sterilise equipment or supplies, using germicides or sterilising equipment.
• Clean equipment, such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, or portable medical equipment, documenting needed repairs or maintenance.
• Respond to emergency situations, such as emergency medical calls, security calls, or fire alarms.
• Change soiled linens, such as bed linens, drapes, or cubicle curtains.
• Carry messages or documents between departments.
• Transport portable medical equipment or medical supplies between rooms or departments.
• Clean and sanitise patient rooms, bathrooms, examination rooms, or other patient areas.
• Collect and transport infectious or hasardous waste in closed containers for sterilisation or disposal, in accordance with applicable law, standards, or policies.

Further Information

• Hospital Porter - from: N.C.S. [UK]

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

Administrative

Administrative people are interested in work that offers security and a sense of being part of a larger process. They may be at their most productive under supervisors who give clear guidelines and while performing routine tasks in a methodical and reliable way.

They tend to enjoy clerical and most forms of office work, where they perform essential administrative duties. They often form the backbone of large and small organisations alike. They may enjoy being in charge of office filing systems, and using computers and other office equipment to keep things running smoothly. They usually like routine work hours and prefer comfortable indoor workplaces.

Realist

Realists are usually interested in 'things' - such as buildings, mechanics, equipment, tools, electronics etc. Their primary focus is dealing with these - as in building, fixing, operating or designing them. Involvement in these areas leads to high manual skills, or a fine aptitude for practical design - as found in the various forms of engineering.

Realists like to find practical solutions to problems using tools, technology and skilled work. Realists usually prefer to be active in their work environment, often do most of their work alone, and enjoy taking decisive action with a minimum amount of discussion and paperwork.

Social

The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.

Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.

The HSE recruit hospital porters and provide on the job training for hospital porters and other support service employees.

Applications should be made by Curriculum Vitae to the Personnel Department of the Hospital, when vacancies are advertised. You will need to be at least 18 years of age and may be required to undergo a medical examination, which would include a test of physical fitness, before commencement of employment.  

Hospital Porters are generally given a brief induction course covering procedural information about the hospital, health and safety regulations and lifting techniques.  

Key skill certs 

Patient handling 

Manual Handling 

SOVA Supervision of vulnerable adults 

Infection control

Fire Safety, HazChem/ Hazmat 
 

These courses may be available at low or no cost in FET centres nationwide. You can search for these key skills certs, just add the key word via Search our FET Coursefinder

Training & Development 

FET Centre Traineeship Health Care Assistant Courses (Level 5) in Further Education and Training Colleges Search our FET coursefinder  

There are other adult education training programmes such as 'Community Health Services' (Level 5) that are VTOS courses and aimed at unemployed adults over the age of 21 who are unemployed for over 6 months.

The Healthcare Support Certificate is the Department of Health's recommended qualification for all Healthcare Assistants working in the public and private sector. See Course Search Here.

Last Updated: March, 2023

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €32k - €41k

Salaries vary by employer, location, duties, role, experience, and sessional shift pattern & conditions.

Data Source(s):
HSE/ Indeed

Last Updated: February, 2024

* The lower figures typically reflect starting salaries. Higher salaries are awarded to those with greater experience and responsibility. Positions in Dublin sometimes command higher salaries.

View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

There was a large fall in employment levels between 2021 and 2022, declining by over 9.000 persons. Employment for this occupation is across a number of roles (e.g. sales supervisors, window dressers, street traders and debt collectors).

A shift in business models, particularly to online selling, may reduce the demand for in-person sales related activities (e.g. van sales persons or window dressers) in the coming years.

• Health Service Executive (HSE)

  • Dr Steevens' Hospital, Steevens Lane, Dublin, 8
  • 041 685 0300
  • Click Here