Job responsibilities
Principal
Duties & Areas of Responsibility
Clinical
Responsibilities
1. To act as Operator, Practitioner
and, where necessary, Referrer within their own scope of practice, by
clinically justifying examinations as defined in IR(ME)R 2017 and local
protocols.
2. To be able to justify imaging request
cards in accordance with IR(ME)R 2017 Section 6 Paragraph 5 and, in the
absence of a Radiologist advise referring clinicians of the most appropriate
investigation.
3. To collaborate with cardiologists and
Lead CMRI Radiologists in the planning and evaluation of imaging protocols
for patient examinations, in addition develop new protocols and techniques in
line with technical advances in area of speciality and to ensure all staff
within the department are trained accordingly.
4. To match the clinical indications
presented by the referrer to a departmental protocol with the freedom to
modify protocols where appropriate to optimise diagnostic information in view
of clinical indications, imaging findings or patient condition.
5. To work as an autonomous practitioner
using specialised skills to ensure optimum quality using lowest possible
radiation doses where appropriate.
6. To have a high degree of
professional/personal autonomy with the ability to make clinical
judgements/decisions using knowledge, skills and experience with
freedom/discretion to act independently.
7. To recognise and act upon unexpected
critical findings on imaging in the absence of a radiologist, e.g. patients
requiring acute admission or referral to specialist outpatient clinics.
8. To provide, receive and conclude
highly sensitive and complex information.
9. To participate in clinical research
projects relevant to the speciality.
10. Dependant on the area of speciality,
the post holder will be able to perform roles previously undertaken by
radiologists e.g interpret images/data to provide provisional and /or
authorised reports, and / or undertake interventional procedures, e.g. biopsies
/ line insertions.
11. To ensure that infection control
procedures and observation of sterile fields are utilised when necessary,
paying particular attention to the protection of clients, staff and equipment
during handling of pathological specimens if required.
12. To administer the appropriate drugs,
radiopharmaceuticals, contrast agents by the correct method within their
scope of work as authorised by the Trust.
13. To be aware of any contraindications
to the above substances and the appropriate actions to take.
14. To assess and evaluate special needs
of individual patients and tailor positioning and procedures to their
clinical needs, which involve overcoming barriers to understanding.
15. To anticipate where patient
communication difficulties might make completion of the pre examination
checklist impossible and to implement alternative methods to ensure patient
safety is maintained at all time.
16. To communicate effectively and
empathetically with patients, in particularly be sensitive to patients
anxieties.
17. To provide a safe environment for
patients within their clinical area using safe handling guidelines and risk
assessment procedures.
18. To act as point of advice and guidance
for patient enquires regarding their referral and act as patient advocate.
19. To act as a point of advice for
patient enquires regarding their referral / appointment, for and Liaison
Service (PALS), Interpretation Services and hospital Transport.
20. Liaise with teams which are external
to radiology, e.g. ward, clinics, hotel services and facilities.
21. To be aware of National Institute for
Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines appropriate to their speciality and be
able to use this knowledge to steer patients through all issues relating to
hospital attendance, e.g. radiation protection issues, Patient Advice the
heath care pathway.
Operational
Responsibilities
1. Take a leading role in the
development and implementation of work policies and protocols within the
specialist area.
2. To participate in the production of
complex staffing rosters and workload.
3. Plan and prioritise workload
including liaison with other disciplines.
4. To be responsible for setting and
maintaining the standards for the radiographic service and ensuring junior
staff comply with departmental and professional standards of practice.
5. To supervise imaging Quality
Assurance tests, analyse and evaluate results and liaise with physicists and
equipment engineers.
6. To encourage and develop all
radiography staff by being responsible for monitoring their performance and
implementing training and development programmes.
7. To be able to use expert knowledge
and clinical judgement to determine the alteration of an examination from the
departmental protocols without consultation with Cardiologists.
8. Delivery of service on a day to day
basis, deputising for the Lead CMRI Lead Service manager when necessary.
9. Liaise with other departments and
colleagues to ensure smooth and efficient service delivery and patient care.
10. To participate in the safe transfer of
patients and equipment within the department and hospital using trust manual
handling guidelines and risk assessments.
11. Collect, collate and analyse workload
or other statistics required for departmental purposes or for service review.
12. To devise, implement and feedback on
audit projects and promote evidenced based practice in order to develop and
maintain a high quality patient focussed service.
Managerial
Responsibilities
1. As delegated by the Lead CMRI
Radiologists, undertake staff performance development reviews, and
participate in the professional development process, including the production
of individual personal development plans, that link to the Knowledge and
Skills Framework (KSF).
2. Provide guidance and support to all
grades of staff.
3. To establish, monitor and maintain
effective working relationships with staff from other disciplines in order to
further the aims of radiology.
4. Support the superintendent in the day
to day organisation and supervision of staff and equipment, taking into
account workload and skill mix across the department.
5. Deploy resources effectively and
efficiently to provide a high quality service to the patient.
6. To identify, record and prioritise
faults on imaging equipment, reporting them to the appropriate authority,
e.g. the equipment manufacturer. In addition take in to account the effect on
the service to the patient and re-arrange the work lists accordingly to
ensure minimum inconvenience to the patient.
7. To critically evaluate new equipment
and accessories prior to procurement as delegated by the superintendent
radiographer.
8. Assist in the recruitment and
selection of new staff as delegated by the superintendent Radiographer.
9. To undertake first line complaint
handling, dealing with radiographic problems in the absence of the
Superintendent Radiographer.
10. To be aware of targets / co-ordination
and escalation policies in use within the department / Trust.
Education,
Training, Research and Development.
1. To facilitate the education of other
health professionals and possibly the general public, in health promotional
activities and the uses of the different forms of radiological imaging
modalities.
2. Take a lead role in training within
the specialist field.
3. Collaborate with education providers
in the co-ordination and delivery of clinical training for student CMRI
radiographers, CMRI graduate radiographers and post graduate radiographers
from within and external to the trust.
4. The post holder may be required to
organise, lecture or act as external examiner for undergraduate and / or post
graduate courses both at LTH or outside. E.g. Universities.
5. Provide written assessments of junior
staff in accordance with each academic institutions requirements.
6. Keep abreast of current literature
and opinion in order to maintain best practice in accordance with clinical
governance principles.
7. The post holder will undertake all
mandatory training required of the role.
8. Maintenance of expert knowledge in
their specialised field by continuing professional development in accordance
with the Health Professions council.
9. To assist in the development of CMRI
Radiographer extended role initiatives and participate in the development of
the CMRI Radiographer Assistant / Assistant Practitioner programme.
10. To assist in the training of junior
medical staff, particularly with regard to the technical and / practical
aspects of specialised examinations.
11. To provide safety training in
specialist areas for staff both within and external to Radiology, e.g. ICU
staff.
12. In conjunction with superintendent
radiographer evaluate on-going clinical competence of radiographic staff as
required.
13. To formulate and review a
comprehensive induction / training programme for all staff new to the specialist area.
14. To be aware of innovations in
techniques, equipment and applications in the field of radiography.
OTHER
DUTIES
Information and Record Keeping
1. Ensure written and electronic records
are maintained accurately and timely for self and others.
2. Be responsible for the integrity of
data on the image related computer data bases held by the department.
3. Use PC to provide departmental
documents, procedures and images for training purposes.
4. Contribute to the departmental web
site.
5. Be fully competent in the operation
of the Trust Radiology Information System.
6. Participate in audit projects,
including gathering evidence for best practice assessment, either of own
work, or that of the department or others.
