Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Assistant Technical Officer (XR02)

This job is now closed

Job summary

Leeds Teaching Hospitals has an exciting opportunity to recruit a number of Assistant Technical Officers (Cardiographer) to join our cardio-respiratory team.

We welcome applications from those seeking both full and part time work. The department is open Monday-Friday 08:30-16:30 with no routine evening or weekend commitment.

We are looking for people who enjoy working with others, motivated to learn new skills and will provide the best care to our patients. The successful applicants will join a large team that support both cardio-respiratory departments at Leeds General Infirmary and St James Hospital.

The role of an Assistant Technical Officer (Cardiographer) is exciting and varied. All necessary training will be provided however an existing understanding of ECGs will be an advantage to your initial learning.

We pride ourselves on supporting staff to grow and develop with career opportunities in the future, including opportunities for Senior Assistant Technical Officer roles (band 3).

For further information or if you would like to arrange an informal visit to the department and meet the team, please contact

annwall@nhs.net - ECG Manager

andrewfitzpatrick@nhs.net - Head of Department

Main duties of the job

Both departments are open Monday-Friday and the duties for this role will include performing resting 12 lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) and fitting overnight ambulatory ECG and sleep monitors on patients with clear instructions. Immediately informing senior colleagues of any concerns or abnormalities regarding the patient or ECG, as per departmental protocols.

Other duties at times may include general admistration tasks and working alongside the healthcare scientists within the cardio-respiratory department, supporting patients undergoing other diagnostic investigations such as cardiac ultrasound.

Once competencies have been achieved, you may work alongside visiting students and teach them how to perform investigations correctly.

Successful applicants will work as part of a team to provide high quality and efficient services. The department has a monthly governance meeting where training will be provided to keep up to date with any new equipment and technology. Assistant Technical Officers are supported by the Senior Assistant Technical Officer team who will ensure a fair and varied rota.

About us

Come and join our team in Leeds and become part of The Leeds Way sharing our vision and values. Our Trust is recognised for our staff engagement, great care and rated GOOD by the Care Quality Commission.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the largest acute health providers in the UK and based in one of the fastest growing and vibrant cities in the north.

At Cardio-Respiratory CSU, we aim to be a fair and supportive CSU with positive, caring teams who are champions of the Leeds Way values. Our values are part of what make us different from other trusts, so we see this as a strength, as well as a responsibility. They have been developed by our staff and set out what they see as important to how we work. Our five values are:

Patient-centred

Collaborative

Fair

Accountable

Empowered

Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.

Date posted

23 February 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 2

Salary

£22,383 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9298-CRS-167

Job locations

Leeds General Infirmary

Great George Street

Leeds

LS1 3EX

Job description

Job responsibilities

Principal Duties & Areas of Responsibility

Clinical Duties

Carries out all aspects of clinical work as approved by their Line Manager, working within established codes of practice.

Performs the following investigations on a range of Cardiac and Medical patients, including the elderly, paediatrics, acute and critically ill, inpatients and outpatients:

o 12 lead Electrocardiogram

o Application of ambulatory ECG monitors

o Application of sleep monitoring

To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspect of own work, including the management of patients in your care and dealing with their specific needs.

Uses own discretion to ensure a patient is suitable for the investigation.

Identifies any automatically generated reports that are false and or inaccurate, escalating any errors to the appropriate member of LTHT staff.

Reports any potential life-threatening situations directly to the appropriate clinical member of staff. Seeks advice from more experienced staff members when/if required.

Provides technical advice to patients and other members of the multi-disciplinary team including cardiac and non-cardiac physicians and other health care professionals.

Undertakes clinical supervision and training of other professionals, junior and trainee staff.

Works as an autonomous practitioner within established departmental Standard Operating Procedures.

Communicates with all members of the multidisciplinary team and trust-wide staff to ensure the best possible care for patients by using negotiating, reassurance and persuasiveness skills.

Communicates information about routine cardio-respiratory investigations to patients and relatives/carers including children and those with learning and/or physical disabilities.

Demonstrates personal duty of care for safe use of expensive and highly complex equipment.

Regularly performs routine maintenance of equipment and reports equipment faults in accordance with departmental policy.

Maintains stock levels of consumable items and the security of stock/equipment.

Maintains a safe working environment.

Ensure all work is entered onto the appropriate database in a timely manner, allowing for accurate billing for the Cardio-respiratory CSU.

Works to the departments core hours, however is required to participate and be flexible if requirements change according to service demand, i.e., late night clinics and weekend working.

Professional

Responsible for maintaining own technical proficiencies and competencies in clinical areas.

Maintains and develops current knowledge of evidence-based practice in each clinical area.

Responsible for reporting clinical incidents and adverse events to the appropriate Team Manager / Service Manager.

Responsible for formal mentorship and input into coordination of training of designated junior staff and students.

Be an active member of the in-service training programme by attendance at, and participation in, in-service training programmes, tutorials, individual training sessions, external courses and peer review.

Regularly provides training in fundamental cardiac techniques to Trainee Cardiac Physiologists and junior staff members.

Undertakes Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in accordance with Personal Development Plan (PDP) as developed with Line Manager.

Attends and participates in departmental staff meetings.

Frequently undertakes collection of data for use in audit, research projects and equipment testing.

Works in close liaison with other staff members to ensure efficient and effective delivery of service, contributing to maintaining a friendly and welcoming working atmosphere.

Organisational

Responsible for ensuring the Leeds Way Values and LTHT vision is integrated within the Cardio-Respiratory CSU.

Demonstrates the ability to prioritise and organise the clinical caseload within a designated area of cardiology.

Responsible for obtaining, transmitting and storing information relating to the delivery of a care service.

Keep accurate and timely records, inputting accurate data into the departmental databases allowing for the production of statistical resource information for accurate billing.

Make appointments for referrals.

Effort

Required to exert moderate physical effort. Frequent transferring of patients and equipment on both trolleys and wheelchairs.

There is a frequent requirement for prolonged, but often predictable, periods of concentration.

Frequent exposure to highly emotional circumstances, i.e. patients undergoing investigation for heart disease.

To comply with the Trusts manual handling policy at all times.

Frequent exposure to unpleasant working conditions on a regular daily basis, e.g., bodily fluids including blood, sputum, vomit, urine, fleas and lice.

Occasional exposure to verbal and physical aggression.

Deals sensitively with patients who have high levels of anxiety and aggression caused by pain, dementia or limited mobility.