Job responsibilities
Communicate effectively with all staff, patients and carers.
Develop good working relationships with other departments both within Cardiology, the wider Trust and external companies whose business we utilise.
Participate in multidisciplinary team working. The post holder will require excellent verbal and written oral and communication skills to enable clear explanation of procedures to a variety of patients from all different backgrounds, including some patients where there may be barriers to understanding. The post holder will also need to be able to communicate effectively on matters relating to patients with staff in other departments in the Trust. This patient information will routinely be complex.
The post holder will be required to contact manufacturers of equipment as necessary and establish a good working relationship in order to secure a good service for the unit.
A rota is in operation within the cardiology department. The post holder will be required to adhere to the rota and plan the day-to-day activities within the rota constraints.
Provide support for all members of the physiologist team within cardiology.
Attend meetings as required, departmental, Trust, professional body and any other meetings relevant to service provision
Assist with organising timetables and clinic lists to fully utilise available resources.
Plan and prioritise workload across all procedures. Help with the triage of all echo referrals
Assist in the development and maintenance of departmental protocols and procedures to maintain a high quality service.
Participate in audit processes and regular team meetings.
Review technical standards on a regular basis using audit and appraisal systems.
Devise educational opportunities for junior members of staff and students.
Provide training to staff from other disciplines as required.
Regularly review own professional development and discuss with Service Lead to organise any training needs.
Provide specialist expertise across a range of standard and complex echocardiography (transthoracic, transoesophageal, stress, contrast, 3D, paediatric and congenital).
Work as an independent practitioner within the team.
Independently report on standard transthoracic echo and contrast/bubble study echoes undertaken, be accountable for own working standards and time management.
Offer advice to referring clinician as appropriate. Deliver appropriate patient care at all times, monitor and respond appropriately to changes in a patient's clinical status. Flag unstable outpatients to cardiology registrars and manage the care of the patient while waiting for admission/outcome from the registrar. Be responsible for flagging urgent echo results to consultant cardiologists when appropriate.
The post holder will be competent in the use of computer software used in the department which will require basic key board skills and will be able to input and extract data for specific tests. Use the equipment required to complete the tests or investigations carried out including post-processing for 4D echo to aid diagnoses.
All employees will be responsible for the patients in their care. They will report on the procedures carried out on the patient and provide computer formatted reports. They will advise and educate patients on the technical aspects of their care and clinical findings when appropriate.
The post holder will adhere to all Trust policies and unit protocols; and will actively be involved in research and innovation, service re-design, including SOPs and implementation of scientist-led services and cost saving activities.
The post holder will be responsible for equipment within their care and maintaining their own competency level in the use of that equipment, as well as ensuring a safe environment for staff and patients in the unit.
The post holder will provide advice, supervision and training to rotational trainee physiologists, medical staff and students on equipment use and procedure technique. Supervision of these staff may be up to and beyond BSE accreditation level. The post holder may be required to be actively involved with PTP/STP students during their course, providing supervised training, assessment and guidance on a one to one basis and mentorship.
The applicant may be required to input and extract data relating to investigations onto additional databases, and may be required to collect data to assist with a unit or Trust audit as well as participate in equipment testing. The post holder will be expected to work unsupervised guided by unit protocols, agreed procedures and Trust policy.
Unplanned interruptions can occur which can require reactive decision-making, re-prioritising of workload and troubleshooting.
The post-holder will have a comprehensive understanding of transthoracic echo, and complex echo procedures, there will be the opportunity to advance skills in Physiologist/Scientist Led TOE within our innovative department.
Contact with patients will be on a daily basis, face to face as well as on the telephone. The post holder will require tact, patience, persuasive skills and understanding when speaking and explaining tests to patients who may be anxious or distressed. They will need to be able to communicate effectively with staff across the Trust at all levels and will need to be able to communicate comprehensively with their colleagues in the unit. They need to liaise with consultants regularly regarding patient issues. The post holder may be required to represent the speciality at external meetings with the Trust commissioners.
Medical equipment companies
Community staff
Based in the Cardiology Department extending to the wider Musgrove site. Staff will encounter a wide variety of patients, some of whom may require assistance to mobilise, transfer or to undress and dress. This will expose them to a variety of patients and relatives including the aggressive or cognitively impaired. On occasion they will therefore come into contact with blood or bodily fluids/infectious patients and will use appropriate personal protective equipment as directed by Trust policy.
The post requires a combination of sitting, standing depending on how the post holder chooses to scan with reduced lighting.Scanning and reporting requires a high level of concentration over the duration of the test and analysis of data and will be repeated throughout the day.
There may be requirements in the future for the post holder to carry out echocardiograms in the community and also be part of the team to provide a 7 day echo service on site.
The post holder will be required to make judgement of a patient based on medical history or the results of the investigation that they perform. The post holder would need to interpret data and alert referring medical staff of urgent clinical problems.
All staff must be able to provide advice and reassurance to anxious patients and relatives who are having a procedure or investigation. When necessary they may need to be involved in cardiac arrests in the unit
Demonstrate competency in resuscitation and defibrillation skills
Ensure equipment is regularly serviced and maintained to safe and clean standard.
Promptly report faulty equipment or issues with image storage system to is can be quickly rectified with minimal disturbance to service
Attend regular multidisciplinary meetings to discuss/cases.
Participate in audit programmes for all procedures carried out
Participate in service development involved with the echo section including physiologist led services.
Participate/set up research studies as required
To help provide a cost effective, high quality service. The department is committed to keeping waiting time under 4 weeks for all diagnostic investigations.
Ensure all resources are used as effectively as possible.
Evaluate all equipment necessary for use within the department prior to purchase taking into consideration cost implications.Help deliver and maintain services in the absence of other section heads and/or the service lead. There will be occasions where the post holder will need to alter the planned rota in order to accommodate urgent, unplanned investigations
The post holder may be required at times to represent the Echo section or Cardiology department at Trust, professional body or any other meetings relevant to service provision.
The post holder will provide advice, supervision and training to rotational trainee physiologists, medical staff and students on equipment use and procedure technique. Supervision of these staff may be up to and beyond BSE accreditation level. The post holder may be required to be actively involved with PTP/STP students during their course, providing supervised training, assessment and guidance on a one to one basis and mentorship
Become competent in the appraisal process, performing appraisals and identify learning and personal development needs for other staff members
Triage clinical request forms and liaise with administration staff to prioritise urgent appointments
The applicant may be required to input and extract data relating to investigations onto additional databases, and may be required to collect data to assist with a unit or Trust audit as well as participate in equipment testing.
The post holder will be competent in the use of computer software used in the department and must be competent to use the equipment required to complete the investigations required.
