Job summary
We are looking to recruit a Respiratory Associate to join our friendly and enthusiastic team at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals. This post is to support the team for the provision of sleep diagnostics based at Kidderminster Hospital. This post is ideal for a graduate or school leaver who is keen to pursue a career in healthcare science.
The successful candidate will have or work towards the attainment of the ARTP Associate assessment(s) (https://www.artp.org.uk/associate-cpap). Consideration will be given to candidates who do not have an ARTP Associate qualification as a B3 progressing to B4 on completion of training. You will then support lung function and sleep services, performing investigations independently, liaising with medical staff and senior colleagues on appropriate use of tests and investigations.
Our department is actively involved in delivering training and have an excellent record supporting the Practitioner Training Programme (PTP) and the Scientist Training Programme (STP).
The post holder will work with the rest of the team to ensure patients with a suspected obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) receive timely investigations and therapy.
The post holder will be based at Kidderminster treatment centre but will be required to work on other Trust sites. Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust comprises of 3 hospitals: The Alexandra Hospital, Worcestershire Royal Hospital, and Kidderminster Treatment Centre. All sites have good road links to M42 and M5 motorways.
Main duties of the job
Initially, the main duties will be to gain experience in a respiratory physiology department, learning how to issue sleep studies and to complete competencies while working towards ARTP qualification.
Upon completion of competencies the candidate will be able to perform a full range of routine testing procedures without supervision including:
The Issuance, receipt and downloading of Sleep Study equipment
Supporting the Sleep service users with CPAP Consumables addressing telephone and email queries
Performing CPAP reviews checking compliance with therapy and giving advice where there are optimisation opportunities
Liaising with Senior clinical staff and identifying limitations in own knowledge and escalating concerns appropriately and swiftly
To identify patients requiring support from our MDT CPAP and NIV service, which includes assessment, titration and monitoring of therapy.
To provide technical interpretation and clinical analysis to all investigations by self and other members of the team, in accordance with the current standards, guidelines and departmental protocols and policies. Acting appropriately in the event of significant adverse findings, alerting physicians or senior staff when immediate medical attention is required.
To work in partnership with other care providers to maintain high quality care throughout.
About us
Our purpose is simple - Putting Patients First. We are looking for exceptional colleagues who can help us achieve this.
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.
The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester
Our workforce is over 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.
We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us to achieve our Vision - working in partnership to provide the best healthcare for our communities, leading and supporting our teams to move 4ward. Our 4ward behaviours, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.
Our objectives are simple:
- Best services for local people
- Best experience of care and best outcomes for our patients
- Best use of resources
- Best people
Better never stops, and our Clinical Services Strategy provides a clear future vision for our Trust, our hospitals, our services and our role in the wider health and care system.
We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Purpose:
The post holder will support the respiratory physiology service in the provision of respiratory diagnostics and sleep therapies to the Worcestershire population.
The post holder will provide leadership and support to all junior clinical and administrative staff, escalate any concerns to the lung function service lead while monitoring waiting list targets are being met.
The post-holder will be expected to function independently (upon qualification) as a respiratory associate and assist in other clinical areas as required. You will be working with a group of clinical scientists and clinical physiologists and consultants/nurses who are committed to providing the highest standards of patient care.
The post-holder will work closely with the staff within the wider Cardiopulmonary department and will be expected to travel to each of the 3 sites to offer support when required.
The post holder will support the admin and clerical staff to ensure efficient use of NHS resources optimising the waiting lists, and ensure appointment lists are fully booked.
Assisting in maintaining quality of the clinical investigation service provision, including audit, research and development, procurement and quality assurance of all equipment.
Providing support in the provision and maintenance of IT systems supporting the department, ensuring system resilience and compliance, working with trust IT department and outside suppliers.
Translate complex technical information through patient care to patients, their relatives and healthcare professionals.
Key Duties:
Professional/Clinical Leadership
Consistently provide high quality leadership in a visible and highly professional manner, acting as a positive role model.
Act as a source of reference to other members of the department giving support, advice and recommendations.
Demonstrate continuous professional development, maintaining a high level of clinical competence.
Support service leads to ensure that all staff have a clear understanding of the care and environmental standards they are expected to maintain.
Act as a clinical role model, assessing and delivering care needs as a significant part of their role. They will also ensure high standards of clinical care are consistently achieved and monitored.
Role model the trusts values and expected behaviours.
Ensure all communication, which may be complex, contentious or sensitive, is undertaken in a responsive, inclusive and timely manner, focusing on improvement and ways to move forward.
Ensure all communication is presented appropriately to different recipients, according to levels of understanding, type of communication being imparted and possible barriers such as language, culture, understanding or physical or mental health conditions.
Ensure that waiting times are monitored and reported on a weekly basis and that any potential problems are escalated appropriately.
Clinical and professional responsibilities
The post requires knowledge in the field Respiratory Physiology, and Sleep Medicine.
This is an Associate post and following the training period and qualification ARTP Associate exam you will be expected to be competent at performing the following duties independently
Issuing sleep diagnostic equipment including overnight oximetry and multi-channel sleep studies.
Undertake and interpret measurements of blood gases by either capillary and/or arterial sampling.
Undertake routine lung function measurements.
Be accountable for own professional actions and attain professional registration.
Independently acquire results for a range of specialised procedures and forwarding results to the appropriate referring practitioner when required and also highlighting any urgencies or concern
Report urgent outcomes to the appropriate medical teams or clinicians.
To attend training courses to update ones own technical, physiological and pathological knowledge of specialist procedures and to update ones knowledge, in respect of specialised clinical use of equipment.
To deliver services ensuring they are delivered in line with Health & Safety and other Trust guidelines
Clinical governance and quality
To contribute to the maintenance of all trust policies and procedures within the departments.
Support systematic clinical audit and monitor improvements.
Ensure that physiological tests and interventions are delivered in line with best practice at all sites.
Help ensure a safe, secure environment for patients, visitors and staff.
Ensure that confidentiality of patient records is strictly maintained and comply with the Data Protection Act.
Ensure the update and smooth running of departmental databases and archive systems.
support and monitor the safety of equipment, ensure service / maintenance is carried out to a high level, taking action when faulty equipment is detected.
The job description is not intended to be exhaustive and it is likely that duties may be altered from time to time in the light of changing circumstances and after consultation with the post-holder.
The post holder might be required to work across the Trust at any time throughout the duration of their contract, which may entail travel and working at different hospital sites
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Purpose:
The post holder will support the respiratory physiology service in the provision of respiratory diagnostics and sleep therapies to the Worcestershire population.
The post holder will provide leadership and support to all junior clinical and administrative staff, escalate any concerns to the lung function service lead while monitoring waiting list targets are being met.
The post-holder will be expected to function independently (upon qualification) as a respiratory associate and assist in other clinical areas as required. You will be working with a group of clinical scientists and clinical physiologists and consultants/nurses who are committed to providing the highest standards of patient care.
The post-holder will work closely with the staff within the wider Cardiopulmonary department and will be expected to travel to each of the 3 sites to offer support when required.
The post holder will support the admin and clerical staff to ensure efficient use of NHS resources optimising the waiting lists, and ensure appointment lists are fully booked.
Assisting in maintaining quality of the clinical investigation service provision, including audit, research and development, procurement and quality assurance of all equipment.
Providing support in the provision and maintenance of IT systems supporting the department, ensuring system resilience and compliance, working with trust IT department and outside suppliers.
Translate complex technical information through patient care to patients, their relatives and healthcare professionals.
Key Duties:
Professional/Clinical Leadership
Consistently provide high quality leadership in a visible and highly professional manner, acting as a positive role model.
Act as a source of reference to other members of the department giving support, advice and recommendations.
Demonstrate continuous professional development, maintaining a high level of clinical competence.
Support service leads to ensure that all staff have a clear understanding of the care and environmental standards they are expected to maintain.
Act as a clinical role model, assessing and delivering care needs as a significant part of their role. They will also ensure high standards of clinical care are consistently achieved and monitored.
Role model the trusts values and expected behaviours.
Ensure all communication, which may be complex, contentious or sensitive, is undertaken in a responsive, inclusive and timely manner, focusing on improvement and ways to move forward.
Ensure all communication is presented appropriately to different recipients, according to levels of understanding, type of communication being imparted and possible barriers such as language, culture, understanding or physical or mental health conditions.
Ensure that waiting times are monitored and reported on a weekly basis and that any potential problems are escalated appropriately.
Clinical and professional responsibilities
The post requires knowledge in the field Respiratory Physiology, and Sleep Medicine.
This is an Associate post and following the training period and qualification ARTP Associate exam you will be expected to be competent at performing the following duties independently
Issuing sleep diagnostic equipment including overnight oximetry and multi-channel sleep studies.
Undertake and interpret measurements of blood gases by either capillary and/or arterial sampling.
Undertake routine lung function measurements.
Be accountable for own professional actions and attain professional registration.
Independently acquire results for a range of specialised procedures and forwarding results to the appropriate referring practitioner when required and also highlighting any urgencies or concern
Report urgent outcomes to the appropriate medical teams or clinicians.
To attend training courses to update ones own technical, physiological and pathological knowledge of specialist procedures and to update ones knowledge, in respect of specialised clinical use of equipment.
To deliver services ensuring they are delivered in line with Health & Safety and other Trust guidelines
Clinical governance and quality
To contribute to the maintenance of all trust policies and procedures within the departments.
Support systematic clinical audit and monitor improvements.
Ensure that physiological tests and interventions are delivered in line with best practice at all sites.
Help ensure a safe, secure environment for patients, visitors and staff.
Ensure that confidentiality of patient records is strictly maintained and comply with the Data Protection Act.
Ensure the update and smooth running of departmental databases and archive systems.
support and monitor the safety of equipment, ensure service / maintenance is carried out to a high level, taking action when faulty equipment is detected.
The job description is not intended to be exhaustive and it is likely that duties may be altered from time to time in the light of changing circumstances and after consultation with the post-holder.
The post holder might be required to work across the Trust at any time throughout the duration of their contract, which may entail travel and working at different hospital sites
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- GCSE in Biology, Maths and English at C or better (Or Equivalent)
- An A level in Biology, Chemistry, Maths or Physics (Or equivalent)
Desirable
- Further qualification in Biological/ Healthcare / Sports Science
- ARTP Qualification
- BLS/ILS certificate
Experience
Essential
- Experience with customer service or patient care
- Experience in analysing complex information and relaying in laymans terms
Desirable
- Experience in giving advice/teaching.
- Experience working within a healthcare environment.
- Experience in coaching or motivating clients.
- Caring for or testing patients.
Personal qualities
Essential
- Excellent attention to detail
- Comfortable with bodily fluids i.e. Blood or sputum
- Excellent communication skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills
Desirable
- able to work diligently on own or as part of a team
- quickly build a rapport with patients or customers
- Enthusiasm for learning new skills
- Comfortable working with anxious patients face to face
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- GCSE in Biology, Maths and English at C or better (Or Equivalent)
- An A level in Biology, Chemistry, Maths or Physics (Or equivalent)
Desirable
- Further qualification in Biological/ Healthcare / Sports Science
- ARTP Qualification
- BLS/ILS certificate
Experience
Essential
- Experience with customer service or patient care
- Experience in analysing complex information and relaying in laymans terms
Desirable
- Experience in giving advice/teaching.
- Experience working within a healthcare environment.
- Experience in coaching or motivating clients.
- Caring for or testing patients.
Personal qualities
Essential
- Excellent attention to detail
- Comfortable with bodily fluids i.e. Blood or sputum
- Excellent communication skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills
Desirable
- able to work diligently on own or as part of a team
- quickly build a rapport with patients or customers
- Enthusiasm for learning new skills
- Comfortable working with anxious patients face to face
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.
