Job responsibilities
Job Description
Job Group (Delete as applicable):
Additional Professional Scientific and Technical
Job Title:
Surgical Care Practitioner (SCP) Urology
Existing Grade: Band 7 (Band 8a on qualification)
Care Group:
Surgery Care Group
Service Line:
Urology
Department:
Surgery
Location:
UHP premises
Appraiser:
Cluster Manager/Clinical Supervisor
Accountable to:
Clinical Supervisor
Position Number:
Date:
Job Purpose:
Under the direction of the Consultant Surgeon the post holder will assist in operative
procedures, manage outpatient clinics, ward rounds including the discharge of patients
home and perform pre-operative assessment all within agreed protocols.
The post holder will be expected to undertake these duties with a caseload of patients
performing at a high degree of clinical skill and knowledge, with the aim of providing
effective patient care and recovery.
The post holder will assist the Consultant Surgeons in the operating theatre, acting as the robotic
surgical assistant to the surgeons. In addition they will undertake duties beyond that of scrub
practitioner with responsibilities that include contributing to pre-operative setting (Pre-assessment
clinic), early post-operative inpatient care particularly contributing to the Enhanced Recovery
Pathway with Nurse-led discharge and in the outpatient clinic following discharge.
The post holder will work autonomously at times and therefore working closely with the
Consultant Surgeons explores the development of the role to its full potential. This will
include the formulation of protocols and policies to support the role advancement.
The post holder will be trained and assessed in the competencies required to undertake
these activities to ensure that high quality of patient care is maintained.
In addition to these duties the post holder will develop and deliver training for the supervision
of undergraduate medical students. Acting as a mentor/assessor to a variety of health care
professional staff gaining competencies in this surgical speciality.
PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
Professional/Clinical
1. Undertake pre-admission of a caseload of surgical patients within agreed protocols to
include consent, counselling and pre surgery health checks. Assess plan, implement and
evaluate individual programmes of care based on agreed models and in consideration of
individual need whilst encouraging opportunities for health promotion and health
education.
2. Arrange appropriate investigation/specimens e.g. blood test, ECG, X-rays etc and
arrange interpretation of results.
3. Act as first or second assistant under the direction of a consultant Surgeon for surgical
procedures within agreed protocols.
4. Following training and assessment undertake minor surgical procedures within pre
defined categories.
5. Contribute to the clinical care of the postoperative patients including blood sampling
detection of surgical problems and liaise with the surgical team.
6. Make decisions regarding patient treatment plans independently.
7. Liaise with surgeons, anaesthetists and discharge wards and so contribute to the
effective and safe journey of the patient, ensuring that a holistic approach is used in the
patients care
8. Carry SCP/SHO bleep
9. Participate in the team on call rota and occasionally deputise for registrars / SHOs
10. Act as role model to all members of staff including medical staff
11. Give expert advice, support, and information to patients and families, being aware of
psychological/emotional needs and responding accordingly
12. Be an effective Practitioner with the ability to demonstrate clinical expertise
13. Be professionally accountable for own actions and advanced practice.
14. Undertake administration of prescribed medication and prescribe medication within
defined protocols
15. Promote best practice
16. To participate in the Trusts Clinical Supervision process
17. Act as patient advocate
Management and Leadership
1. Facilitate the development of quality initiatives.
2. Contribute to the devising of new policies for the Trust, acting in a development and
advisory capacity.
3. Establish and promote collaborative working relationships and effective communication
between all members of the multidisciplinary team.
4. Disseminate the development of the role of the SCP at local, regional and national
events and conferences by undertaking presentations and public speaking/workshop
activities
5. Supervise junior staff, prioritising and delegating as appropriate
6. Produce regular reports and measures to nursing, managerial, medical/surgical and
national/ regional teams.
7. Influence decisions regarding service delivery, and contribute to divisional business
plans.
8. Lead in the setting, implementing and monitoring of organisational and local objectives
e.g. Infection control, theatre utilisation, discharge planning.
Managing the Learning Environment
1. Create a working environment conducive to facilitating learning and provision of
education to meet the needs of the staff.
2. Actively promote the education of patients and their relatives and/or carers.
3. Take responsibility for own professional development as part of developing own skills
within the scope of professional practice and within the Trust process. Attending
any training / development required by the Trust and maintain own professional profile.
4. Act as Mentor/ preceptor to students both medical/nursing/others as required
5. Support staff through the analysis of critical incidents
6. Promote the use of reflective practice to enhance the developments of others
7. Develop and deliver training programmes to undergraduate/medical students.
8. Act as mentor, assessor or coach as appropriate to other members of the multi
disciplinary team who require support, teaching and/or guidance in the surgical
speciality.
9. Contribute to the provision and maintenance of patient care through the coordinated
use of annual leave, to be requested via the Sub-speciality trainees or
suitably agreed/nominated medical colleague, in line with Divisional annual leave
guidelines.
Research/ Clinical Governance/Audit
1. Maintain knowledge of developments and current practices relevant to the clinical area
and use this knowledge to carry out clinical practice founded on research and evidence.
2. Promote and disseminate to appropriate members of the multidisciplinary team,
research findings from local, regional, national and international sources.
3. Develop audit tools as required to justify, benchmark, quantify, develop and assess
practice, designing and/or redesigning protocols and documents to assist the function of
the surgical unit.
4. Lead / participate in research opportunities (including clinical trials)within the division
5. Participate in regional and national networks and forums to promote sharing /
benchmarking of evidence based practice
6. Initiate and pursue audit projects, including the assessment of own role and
achievement of targets
10. Contribute to working groups that impact on your role e.g. Focus Groups,
Consent Group
11. Be proactive in risk management and clinical incident reporting.
12. Act as change agent to motivate and support staff through periods of change.
13. Participate in the Trust Clinical Supervision agenda
COMMUNICATIONS & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
All communication to be within the confines of the Data Protection Act and Patient Confidentiality
1. Communicate highly complex and sensitive information in an appropriate manner to all levels of the multidisciplinary team, including written communication to referring clinicians and General Practitioners.
2. Keep clear documentation following expected standards with regard to decision making and findings from clinical histories examinations and the writing of prescriptions.
3. Communicate highly complex and sometimes sensitive issues to patients and relatives in an appropriate manner.
4. Build good working relationships with other specialists within and outside the trust.
5. Utilise well-developed mediating and interpersonal skills in appropriate situations.
6. Communicate highly complex information such as test results and accurately reporting the condition of the patient to Consultants and rest of the medical team.
7. Maintain good relationships with other professional leads and all members of staff, thus developing professionalism through the unit. This will include dealing with all disciplinary issues and will require the use of influencing/negotiating/empathetic and basic counselling skills.
8. Work across organisational boundaries in order to enhance professional practice and support a care pathway approach to the provision of care
Leadership
1. Act as a professional role model; ensuring evidence-based practice is delivered, and ensuring patient safety and quality of care is enhanced.
2. Act as a positive change agent and role model, identifying and initiating changes as required enhancing service provision.
3. Work within a team taking responsibility for clinical actions, working as an autonomous practitioner.
4. Be aware of own professional boundaries, always working within ones appropriate sphere of competence and maintaining patient safety at all times.
