Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Newborn Hearing Screener

This job is now closed

Job summary

A part time vacancy has arisen in the Newborn Hearing Screening Service, which is part of the Audiology Department of Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust. This is an exciting opportunity to join our team of dedicated Newborn Hearing Screeners working on busy maternity wards and in outpatient clinics.

The Newborn Hearing Screening service is a national programme that offers hearing screening to families of all babies at birth. The role involves explaining and performing screening tests, imparting results to families, as well as accurately entering data into the National Screening database.

We are looking for a motivated, conscientious individual with a flexible, adaptable approach to join our established team of screeners. The successful candidate will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills and will be self-motivated with good attention to detail. You must be methodical and well organised, and it is essential that you are able to prioritise your workload. You must be able to remain calm when under pressure as you may be required to cover busy postnatal wards and clinics alone.

You must be qualified to GSCE standard (or equivalent) in English and Maths, with good computer skills. Deaf awareness, experience of working in a healthcare setting and handling newborn babies would be beneficial.

Main duties of the job

Full training will be given this involves direct contact with babies and parents alongside self-directed learning, computer-based learning and assessment as well as an external clinical assessment. You may be required to travel to attend training. Registration for an NVQ Level 3 Diploma will be required after a probationary period and this will require some study outside of work hours.

You will be based at Queen Alexandra Hospital but may also be expected to cover outpatient clinics in Portsmouth, Gosport and Petersfield and the Isle of Wight. Shifts are 6 hours each and require flexibility to work at weekends and Bank Holidays and may be subject to change in response to the needs of the service.

As an NHS Employee, you'll be entitled to a whole range of discounts with retailers and other organisations. Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust has a beach hut which is available for staff to hire free of charge. The Trust operates a Tax Efficient Saving Scheme to purchase a bicycle, protective clothing and locks etc. The Oasis Wellness Centre is an on site facility compromising of a gym, indoor heated swimming pool and a series of health and treatment services. Trust employees have the opportunity to opt into the staff lottery there is a monthly draw where you can win a prize up to £600! Tops Day Nursery offers staff discount and is based at Queen Alexandra Hospital and caters for children from 3 months old until they are ready to start school.

About us

The Trust is committed to driving excellence in care for our patients and communities and was rated good by the Care Quality Commission report published 2020 and became a University Hospital. We are ranked as the third in the country for research; embedding education and training across the organisation and we continuously strive to achieve our core values which are at the heart of everything we do. The Trusts main hub is the Queen Alexandra Hospital, starting life as a military hospital over a century ago and now one of the largest hospitals on the south coast and you may have seen us on the TV series Nurses on the Ward. The Trust provides comprehensive secondary care and specialist services to a local population of 675,000 people across South East Hampshire. The Trust employs over 8,000 staff and are #ProudtobePHU; our patients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because its the right thing to do, but because it makes our hospital stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for providing outstanding care and support for patients, colleagues and our community you will find a home at PHU. In recruiting for our team, we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veterans status, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation and beliefs.

Date posted

06 July 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£11,864 to £12,654 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

C8192-SD-23-0707

Job locations

Queen Alexandra Hospital

Southwick Hill Road

Cosham

Portsmouth

PO6 3LY

Job description

Job responsibilities

Band 3 Newborn Hearing Screener.

Working as a member of the Newborn Hearing Screening Team within the Audiology department, the post holder will participate in the hearing screening of newborn babies under the supervision of the Newborn Hearing Screening Local Manager. This post involves gathering and accurately recording clinical and test data relevant to the screening process. The post involves direct handling of newborn babies as well as contact with the parents and other medical professionals. Screening takes place on wards and in out-patient clinics; ideally within the first 4 weeks of life. The post holder will be based at Queen Alexandra Hospital, but will also be required to work at out-patient clinics away from the base location.

Other Statistics: The post holder is an independent clinician integral to the smooth running of the Newborn Hearing Screening Service. They will contribute to the delivery of newborn hearing screening for approximately 700 babies per month, upholding the philosophy of care for the local and national screening process. The role involves working collaboratively with a multi-disciplinary team who are involved in the care and management of the newborn population. It will be necessary to communicate clinical information to relevant professionals in appropriate timescales via telephone, email and directly. All staff members have some degree of financial responsibility in their day to day clinical activities. Staff are expected to monitor consumable stock supply and to take responsibility for the safe use and storage of clinic equipment.

Key Responsibilities:

1. To perform the role competently without direct supervision.

2. Liaise with medical personnel and review pertinent notes to assess whether it is appropriate to approach families.

3. Accurately identify which babies require hearing screening and select the tests required for the individual baby at the time of screen based on national protocols. To undertake routine NHSP screening tests in line with policy and to seek advice from the NHSP Local Manager or Deputy when required.

4. Prioritise and organise workload and work in a flexible manner to ensure that the maximum number of babies are completed as inpatients.

5. Explain the hearing screen and the test procedure to families addressing all queries raised; ensuring that families are able to make fully informed decisions and to give valid informed consent. At times, tact and persuasive skills are required to overcome barriers to understanding. It may be necessary to ascertain whether interpreters are required and to arrange appropriate interpreting facilities.

6. To ensure that a calm, sensitive and empathetic approach is taken when dealing with new parents in potentially emotional circumstances.

7. To maintain a professional approach to Newborn Hearing Screening when exposed to unpleasant conditions which inevitably arise when working with families shortly after the delivery of a new baby.

8. To maintain the mental effort required to undertake numerous routine tests and procedures within a shift. At times, individual routine tests can be lengthy and may require concentration and physical effort to work in a restricted position for a prolonged period of time.

9. Effectively and sensitively inform family of results in an honest and accurate manner as per NHSP protocol. This potentially includes imparting negative test results and then discussing the possible causes of this, the necessity for further testing and making the required referral to Audiology. Inform other relevant professionals orally and in writing of screening results and any further action required.

10. Through parental interview, and liaison with other professionals, identify factors which may influence the requirement for targeted follow up.

11. To accurately record clinical data obtained during the screen onto a complex National Database. Data entry contributes to Key Performance Indicator figures and nationally available records. On occasions it may be necessary to input the screen results for other staff.

12. Maintain and calibrate complex medical equipment and report any faults to the NHSP Local Manager or Deputy.

13. Assess and maintain consumable stock and literature availability.

14. To undertake local and national training to ensure a good understanding of routine NHSP test procedures and accompanying theoretical knowledge. To participate in training to strive to increase personal knowledge and to allow for equipment updates and technical advance and changes to national and local policies.

15. If asked, to comment on proposed changes to local policy to facilitate service development. To assist the NHSP Local Manager with data collection for the purpose of audit.

16. To demonstrate own duties to other healthcare professionals or new/less experienced staff. To participate in the training of new staff by means of supervision.

17. To analyse situations and make judgments as to whether clearly defined protocols have been adhered to. To inform the Local NHSP Manager of any errors or process failures.

18. To take professional responsibility for reporting concerns which fall outside the remit of a newborn hearing screener to appropriate Maternity staff.

19. Attend meetings as designated by the NHSP Local Manager.

20. Any other duties requested by the manager in the general scope of the post.

Other

Job Holders are required to:

1. Work positively with colleagues to maintain effective relationships and to work flexibly as part of a team.

2. Facilitate the smooth running of the service by promptly reporting all incidents and accidents to the NHSP Local Manager. Act in such a way at all times that the health and well-being of children and vulnerable adults is safeguarded.

3. Familiarisation with and adherence to the Safeguarding Policies of the Trust is an essential requirement for all employees. In addition, all staff are expected to complete essential/mandatory training in this area.

4. To promote a professional, welcoming, and caring environment endorsing a family friendly approach to care.

5. Ensure that families retain dignity, privacy and individually at all times.

6. Adhere to Trust policies and procedures, e.g., Health and Safety at Work, Equal Opportunities, and No Smoking.

7. Respect the confidentiality of all matters that they may learn relating to their employment and other members of staff. All staff are expected to respect the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998.