Trainee Echocardiographer

Job description

Job responsibilities

Purpose

The Trainee Echocardiographer will be employed for a fixed term of 18 months during which time they will work through a programme of learning.

In conjunction with and supported by the Designated Training Officer, the Trainee Echocardiographer will be responsible for their own progression through the training programme, completing a mixture of work based competence and experience in NHS scientific departments, completing the learning outcomes as outlined in the Curriculum Library, undertaking the complementary academic Post Graduate Certificate in Clinical Echocardiography and preparing for and completing the BSE Transthoracic Accreditation process.

The post holder will be expected to undertake a range of scientific and clinical functions initially under supervision. A major part of the training and development will take place within a specified host NHS organisation and is integrally linked to the knowledge and applied learning that forms part of the nationally recognised BSE accreditation programme. Post holders will also be expected to undertake mandatory training as deemed necessary by their host NHS Organisation.

At all times the Trainee Echocardiographer is expected to work within standard operating policies and procedures of the host department and NHS organisation and adhere to high standards of professionalism, health and safety, risk reduction, confidentiality, patient care and dignity, and respect for equality and diversity as set out in the NHS Constitution.

The Trainee Echocardiographer will be employed by the host department for a fixed term of 18 months during which time they will work through a programme of learning. This will be combined with an academic programme at Post Graduate level over the first year of the programme.

Main duties and Responsibilities

Scientific and Clinical Practice

• Undertake a range of clinical and scientific investigations as appropriate to the role.
• Acquire and maintain a high level of professional competence in the performance of all tests, investigations and measurements carried out.
• Interpret and act upon results of tests, investigations and measurements in accordance with departmental policies, procedures and quality systems.
• Comment and advise on new proposals and protocols, especially for service improvements.
• Assist in the provision of advice to medical, nursing and other healthcare staff on the optimal and safe use of scientific procedures and highly complex equipment, including assisting in the design of new facilities.
• Assist with the procurement, acceptance and use of medical devices and consumables.
• Be responsible for the safe use of complex scientific and medical equipment, including recording all maintenance and calibration procedures performed and any corrective actions undertaken.
• Use reagents, consumables, hazardous materials and equipment safely and in accordance with Health and Safety policies.
• Participate in risk management procedures including risk assessment and the investigation and reporting of adverse incidents.
• Participate in internal and external audit processes and quality systems
• Undertake R&D within the department as an integral part of training and acquire relevant skills to undertake clinical audit.
• Assist with supervision and training of support staff, students and new appointees, and participate in departmental seminars and scientific meetings to disseminate knowledge acquired through study or research.

Education and Learning

• Successfully complete the training and assessment programme in conjunction with the local Training Coordinator and designated Academic institution to achieve certified competence awarded by the BSE.
• Undertake suitable training within the host department and other placements to successfully acquire core competencies and thereafter maintain the required standards of competence when undertaking duties.
• Take responsibility for own learning and development by recognising and taking advantage of all opportunities to learn, including appraisal, supervision, academic course and problem based learning and maintaining a personal portfolio of learning.
• Ensure that own learning needs, identified with the Training officer and reflecting the requirements of the curriculum, are met.
• Retain sufficient flexibility and adaptability in learning in order to ensure full contribution to improving services in response to changing health care needs.
• Maintain knowledge of recent scientific developments and undertake supplementary training to develop both knowledge and skills.
• Attend mandatory training (both vocational and academic) as required.
• Participate in internal and external assessment processes.

Patient Management and Clinical Care

Delivery of patient care experience and contribution in the following areas:

• Provide support to specialist clinics and specialist treatment interventions
• Perform, report and interpret a range of investigations undertaken indirectly for or directly with patients within a range of care settings
• Specialist care and treatment interventions for patients across the range of clinical pathways and health care settings
• Appropriate clinical and scientific advice and interpretation of analytical results
• Participate in multidisciplinary meetings
• Apply and promote evidence based practice and use of relevant clinical protocols and procedures
• Ensuring that all equipment used on patients and the public is handled and applied in accordance with health and safety requirements and other national or international guidelines

Communication

• Communication and interpretation of complex clinical, scientific and technical information to a wide range of people including clinicians, managers, patients and the public
• Liaise with senior scientists and clinical users of the service on appropriateness of investigations, interventions and tests

Quality Audit

• Contribute to audits to inform patient management and clinical care
• Contribute to quality audits relating to accreditation and regulation
• Perform quality assurance, process and outcomes audits relevant to the specialism

Clinical Governance

Maintain standards for health & safety procedures

• Comply with quality and governance procedures within the department including risk management and risk mitigation
• Maintain high standards of professional and personal conduct
• Ensure that patient safety and experience and effectiveness of service are maximised.

Occasional Duties

• To carry out any other reasonable duties to achieve learning and experience that may be required, which are commensurate with the grade and nature of the post
• This job description outlines the main current duties and responsibilities of the training post. The job description will need to be reviewed and subsequently may be altered. Any resulting changes will be subject to consultation
• In addition to regular assessment and planning meetings, the trainee will have a biannual meeting to discuss progress and to consider issues relevant to the wider training programme

Relationships

Liaises with

Liaises with other technical and scientific staff of department /section, and other Trainee Healthcare Scientists across a wide range of departments.

Key working relationships

The trainee will work closely with the training coordinator/officer and more senior members of staff to follow the curriculum for the Echocardiography Training Programme.

The trainee will work in specified areas of the department and be responsible to the Designated Training Coordinator/Officer for their own work and progression through the scheme.

All trainees will be expected to travel to national academic and other courses regularly throughout their training. In some cases this may involve overnight and/or residential stays. Trainees will undertake a Post Graduate Certificate in Clinical Echocardiography at a designated academic institution specific for the training pathway. Trainees will mainly be based in the host department, but may need to attend other local/regional/national scientific services, in order to complete

Person Specification

Qualification and Professional Training

Essential

• A 1st or 2:1 in Cardiac Physiology (PTP) or a relevant scientific subject (examples include Pure or Applied Physics, Engineering, Biology or Human Biology, or Sports Science (if significant scientific content) or Equivalent experience and appropriate underpinning knowledge and skills in cardiology. As evidenced for example by appropriate voluntary registration with the Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists or Academy for Healthcare Science.

Skills and Abilities / Experience and Knowledge

Essential

• oHas an understanding of the role of an Echocardiographer in healthcare and disease and its application in a healthcare setting.
• oA committed, in depth interest in Echocardiography and its application to direct clinical care of patients in a clinical environment.
• oKnowledge acquired through study and experience to formulate appropriate advice and judgements, including clinical judgements involving facts or situations that impact on patients.
• oHave an understanding of quality control and management assurance in a science or work based context
• oAbility to develop proficiency in the performance of routine and complex techniques currently in use where they are training (ability to follow Standard Operating Procedures accurately)
• oAble to identify problems associated with scientific equipment, inappropriate testing, incompatible results and to investigate these, plan corrective action confirming appropriateness with senior colleagues and follow up.
• oAbility to analyse and assess scientific, technical and medical literature.
• oAbility to use, maintain and troubleshoot scientific equipment.
• oGood IT skills and knowledge of common computing packages for word processing, spread sheets, presentation packages and databases.
• oAbility to analyse complex information.
• oSelf-aware and flexible enough to adopt a range of evaluative or empathising listening styles according to the needs of the listener and the situation.
• oAbility to work autonomously in the planning and execution of their own work and under the guidance of their Departmental Supervisors.
• oFlexibility to acquire the skills to organise, plan and monitor the workload of others.
• oAbility to work under pressure (emotional resilience and ability to prioritise and plan work)
• oUnder guidance develops good interpretative skills in the formulation of advice to multi-disciplinary team members on diagnosis and appropriate treatment of patients
• oGood personal organisational skills.
• oEffective team worker, willing to adopt a role working in collaboration with others.
• oGood understanding of ethics and professional practice, the NHS constitution and the importance of patient-centred care
• oAbility to support patients (or their carers) including those with a range of acute or chronic clinical conditions and disabilities in a variety of healthcare 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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust

Address

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust

College St

Nuneaton

CV10 7DJ

Employer's website

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