Health Care Assistant Spirometry and Respiratory

Job description

Job responsibilities

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Clinical Practice:

• Undertake diagnostic spirometry including reversibility which will require use of beta-agonist medication administered via a PGD if the post holder not a prescriber

• Support Practice Nurses / Practice Managers / care coordinators to identify adult patients who require spirometry for diagnosis of respiratory disease and to prioritise those patients whose clinical need is greatest.

• Work with the practice team to identify times to run spirometry clinics within GP practice settings

• Assist in the development of systems for practices to invite patients and pre-screen patients prior to appointments

• Care for, decontaminate and calibrate spirometry equipment provided for the post holders use in line with PICS infection control policy and spirometry protocol

• Assess patients individually for indications and contraindications for the procedure

• Respond appropriately to medical emergencies, seeking prompt assistance and utilising emergency equipment available in GP Practices

• Deliver high standards of patient care using advanced autonomous clinical knowledge in the specific area, incorporating broad in depth knowledge base and evidence based practice.

Communication:

• Utilise and demonstrate sensitive communication styles, to ensure patients are fully informed and consent to treatment.

• Communicate with and support patients who are receiving a respiratory diagnosis

• Communicate effectively with patients and carers, recognising the need for alternative methods of communication to overcome different levels of understanding, cultural background and preferred ways of communicating.

• Utilise communication skills to support patients to adhere to prescribed treatment regimens.

• Anticipate barriers to communication and take action to improve communication.

• Estimate and maintain effective communication with individuals and groups within the practice environments.

• Act as an advocate when representing the patients and colleagues viewpoints to others.

Delivery Quality Service:

• Recognise and work within own competence and professional code of conduct as regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2008).

• Produce accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of patient consultation, consistent with legislation, policies and procedures.

• Prioritise, organise and manage own workload in a manner that maintains and promotes quality.

• Deliver care according to National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines, local guidelines and evidence-based care.

• Assess effectiveness of care delivery through self and peer review, benchmarking and formal evaluation.

• Participate in the maintenance of quality governance systems and processes across the organisation and its activities.

• Actively participate in audit of the spirometry service, collecting and analysing data. Utilise the audit cycle as a means of evaluating the quality of the work of self, implementing improvements where required.

• In partnership with other clinical teams, collaborate on improving the quality of health care, responding to local and national policies and initiatives as appropriate.

• Evaluate the patients response to health care provision and the effectiveness of care.

• Support and participate in shared learning across the practices and wider organisation. In particular, provide support to GP practice staff understanding and application of spirometry.

• Participate in the management, review and identify learning from patient complaints, clinical incidents and near-miss events utilising a structured framework.

• Participate in the performance monitoring review of the service, providing feedback as appropriate.

• Understand and apply legal policy that supports the identification of vulnerable and abused children and adults, being aware of statutory child/vulnerable adult health procedure and local guidance.

• Work within policies relating to domestic violence, vulnerable adults, substance abuse and addictive behaviour, and refer as appropriate.

Team Working:

• Understand own role and scope in the organisation and identify how this may develop over time.

• Work as an effective and responsible clinician, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working.

• Work effectively with others to clearly define values, direction and policies impacting upon care delivery.

Management of Risk:

• Manage and assess risk within the areas of responsibility, ensuring adequate measures are in place to protect staff and patients.

• Monitor work areas and practices to ensure they are safe and free from hazards and conform to health, safety and security legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines.

• Undertake mandatory and statutory training and ensure that this is up to date.

• Apply infection control measures: PICS, local and national guidelines.

• Apply policies that reduce environmental health risks, are culturally sensitive and increase access to health care for all.

Utilising Information:

• Use the appropriate information systems to record accurately, completely and in a timely manner spirometry test results.

• Review and process data using accurate Read codes about patients in order to ensure easy and accurate retrieval for monitoring and audit processes.

• Manage information searches using the internet and local library databases, for example, the retrieval of relevant information for patients on their condition.

• Understand own and others responsibility to the individual organisation regarding the

Freedom of Information Act.

Learning and Development:

• Disseminate learning and information gained to other team members in order to share good practice and inform others about current and future developments.

• Assess own learning needs and undertake learning as appropriate.

• Make effective use of learning opportunities within and outside the workplace, evaluating their effectiveness and feeding back relevant information.

• Provide an educational role to patients, carers, families and colleagues in an environment that facilitates learning.

Equality and Diversity:

• Identify patterns of discrimination, take action to overcome this, and promote diversity and quality of opportunity.

• Enable others to promote equality and diversity in a non-discriminatory culture.

• Support people who need assistance in exercising their rights.

• Monitor and evaluate adherence to local chaperoning policies.

• Act as a role model in good practice relating to equality and diversity.

• Accept the rights of individuals to choose their care providers, participate in care and refuse care. Assist patients from marginalised groups to access quality care.

Professional:

• It is essential that you are registered with the NMC and have ARTP accreditation for undertaking and interpreting spirometry.

• Adhere to the Code of Professional Practice.

• To be a member of a professional body.

• Ensure regular attendance to clinical and nurse meetings.

• Maintain record of professional development.

• To attend yearly appraisals and ensure job description is up to date.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Please provide detailed information of how you feel that your experience is suitable for this role; please provide examples to support your application referring to the job description and person specification for guidance.

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Please provide details for why you would be a great fit for this role and why you have decided to apply.

Qualifications

Essential

• Please provide details of your CPD, using examples where necessary.

Knowledge and skills

Essential

• Please provide detailed information of how you feel that your knowledge and skills are suitable for this role; please provide examples to support your application referring to the job description and person specification for guidance.

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

Primary Integrated Community Services

Address

P I C S Ltd

Nottingham Business Park

Nottingham

NG8 6PY

Employer's website

http://picsnhs.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)