Senior Theatre Assistant

Job description

Job responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities Key results from the job holder

• Work as part of a designated clinical team, providing individualised patient focused carewhilst in the peri- operative environment.
• Support moving and handling, correct patient positioning, assess pressure areas and skinintegrity, documenting findings in a timely manner within the patient records.
• At the direction of the Registered / medical staff, participate fully in the delivery of plannedcare, applying and evaluating agreed clinical skills to ensure a seamless patient journeythrough the operating department.
• To act as a circulating member of the theatre team, following policies and procedures, forthe counting, recording and checking of swabs, needles and instruments in conjunctionwith the registered practitioner.
• Support registered theatre practitioners in the preparation and use of technical equipmentrequired prior and during operative procedures.
• Recognise and respond appropriately to urgent and emergencysituations.
• Participate in the transfer and escort of patients with a registered practitioner.
• Be aware of the patients needs emotional, social, physical, and cultural. Respectprivacy, dignity, and beliefs. Act in a way that supports equality and diversity.
• To undertake clinical interventions, i.e. basic clinical observations in order to assess apatients NEWS status, 12 lead ECG, Bladder scanning, cannulation & phlebotomy, asdirected by a registered practitioner, following successful completion of relevant training and competency based assessment. This is not a prescriptive list, rather an indication asto the level of clinical intervention that may be required.
• Maintain full compliance with allocated mandatory training.
• Maintain own level of competence and ongoing CPD.
• Undertake specific training for onward development of the role.

Planning and Organisational Duties

• Contribute to the development of services and ensure the effective and efficient use ofresources
• Demonstrate good understanding of principles of consent. Ensure valid consent isavailable and documented prior to undertaking of any clinical procedures
• Participate in audit activities undertaken in area of practice.Postholders are expected to work independently regarding routine, delegated tasks,following established good practice and refer to non-routine tasks appropriately.
• Assist with the preparation, identification, recording and dispatch of specimens from thetheatre unit.
• Ensure that the pharmacy stock items including controlled drugs are received and storedin accordance with COSHH and Trust guidance; any in balance in stock is reported to thesenior registered practitioner on duty as soon as it is identified.
• Assist in maintaining and monitoring cleaning standards within the clinical areas ensuringgeneral fixtures/fitting and specialist equipment are cleaned in accordance with guidelines
• To participate in the management of supplies ensuring the theatre unit has sufficient levelsof all essential supplies to meet the service demands.
• Receive and dispatch sterile supplies ensuring relevant schedules are completed
• Assist with the collection of blood and blood products

• Participate in the assessment of health care needs through the completion and interpretation of assessment tools and PARS documentation if allocated to the post anaesthetic care unit (PACU)
• Work collaboratively with others in the theatre environment and beyond, to ensure that patients needs are met and contribute to effective lines of communication between medical, registrants, and administrative staff
• The service users come from a variety of cultural backgrounds and the Senior Healthcare
• Assistant will be expected to communicate effectively with all patients and families effectively.
• Provide general non-clinical advice, information and guidance to patients, relatives and visitors
• Communicate effectively with dignity and respect to all patients, relatives and others considering potential barriers to understanding.
• Have knowledge and demonstrate appropriate use of communication tools (verbal and nonverbal) to gain informed consent with patients where there may be barriers to effective communication e.g., loss of hearing, altered perception, expressive and receptive dysphasia, pain, fear this is not an exhaustive list.
• To participate in assessment of capacity, working alongside registered practitioners to gain valid consent, whilst working within a legal framework, particularly with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
• To ensure that documentation is completed in accordance with Trust and departmental requirements.
• Assist in receiving and providing handover, demonstrating clear effective communication.
• Recognise and report any situations, behaviours or errors that could result in poor care outcomes.
• Contribute to a culture where all staff feel safe to raise their concerns [and that] speaking up about what these are is a normal part of their routine.
• Communicate effectively with other departments within the Trust, as well as outside agencies, as required.
• Provide and receive sensitive information regarding the patients medical condition.
• Develop own skills and knowledge and contribute to development of others.
• Assist in the orientation of new staff with regards to specific areas.
• Regularly attend workplace and staff engagement meetings and contribute positively to discussions about the improvement of care.
• Report any concern regarding patient care to the registrant in charge of patients care.
• Assist registered personnel in carrying out last offices, in compliance with the Trust policy
• To participate in bone donation and retrieval process and ensure compliance with protocols and documentation
• Collect correct prostheses /replacement implants from implant room, as directed by scrub practitioner
• Act as bone link for theatre to allocate and collect bone matter and bone grafts, ligaments and tissue for procedures from the bone bank following the designated competency-based training

• Participate in ensuring effective use of all financial resources in providing and delivering aneffective service
• Exercise personal duty of care in the safe use and storage of equipment
• Be environmentally aware and prudent in use of resources and energy

Demonstrate compliance with the Trusts policies, procedures, values and standards ofbehaviour

Compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 the post holder is required to fulfila proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the riskassessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents,near misses and hazards, and a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and thatof others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.

• The post holder will promote life-long learning through the use of appropriate coaching, teaching and assessment in practice by:
• Contributing to the provision of a positive learning environment, sharing individual knowledge with other staff.
• Act as a role model and participate in the support during training of staff new to post.
• Accept responsibility for self-up dating and awareness of changes in unit-based equipment particularly regarding the maintenance of specialist equipment and its decontamination/sterilisation processes.
• Participate in the appraisal process and have a personal development plan structured to both individual needs & that of the post.
• Demonstrate commitment to personal development through work-based programmes to enhance personal knowledge and skill.
• Support those developments, which contribute to the achievement of departmental, team and individual goals.
• Attend annual mandatory training updates in compliance with Trust policy
• Undertake link trainer role for theatre staff such as moving and handling, bone bank, buddy for T-Level or work experience learners.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience of working within the perioperative environment in a clinical support worker role.
• Ability to manage risk and escalate concerns
• Ability to work in a multi-professional team.
• Ability to work under indirect supervision.
• Ability to support new colleagues and visitors

Desirable

• Experience of working in a post anaesthetic care unit/recovery environment.

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSE Maths & English or equivalent
• Level 3 Diploma in Peri-operative care or equivalent
• relevant experience
• Evidence of continued development.

Desirable

• Recognising the Deteriorating Patient course OR HCA Acute Illness Management (AIM) course
• Cavendish care certificate

Skills

Essential

• Ability to coordinate an area of responsibility such as clinical audit, cascade/link training to colleagues.
• Able to effectively plan, manage and organise elements of own workload and time.
• Ability to undertake extended clinical duties appropriate to competence and area of practice.
• Ability to anticipate and plan patient or service needs to support registered practitioners
• Contribute to the ongoing assessment, planning and implementation of patient care
• Demonstrate the promotion of equality, diversity and rights of others
• Accurate numeracy and literacy skills.
• Ability to complete patient records in accordance with policies and procedures.
• Ability to implement of health and safety, infection prevention and control strategies relevant to role/environment.
• Ability to work in challenging situations.

Desirable

• Undertake A to E of clinical assessment.

Knowledge

Essential

• Understanding of baseline clinical observations and recognise deviation
• Understanding of quality and change in the clinical setting.
• Basic understanding of contemporary NHS aims and objectives

Desirable

• Basic understanding of safeguarding principles

additional

Essential

• Approachable and friendly manner.
• Willingness to train and develop.

Desirable

• Ability to work in different locations and settings

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Wrightington Wigan & Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Wrightington Hospital

Hall Lane

Wigan

WN6 9EP

Employer's website

http://www.wwl.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)