Practice Educator Radiotherapy

Job responsibilities

Main duties and Responsibilities:

Education and Development

Liaise with the Radiotherapy Service Manager, Clinical Lead Radiographers, treatment and pre-treatment Radiographers, Medical Physicists and Clinical Oncologists, to identify the development and training needs of the current and future radiotherapy workforce, in line with individual staff needs and service requirements.

Devise support mechanisms and assessment criteria in all aspects of training within the treatment and pre-treatment areas to ensure a common standard.

Develop, implement and evaluate competency based training programmes and facilitate learning opportunities to meet the educational and skills development needs of Therapeutic Radiography staff (including apprentices) and HCAs within the Radiotherapy Department.

Facilitate and support the development and implementation of preceptorship programmes for newly appointed staff.

Provide coaching and mentorship for Radiotherapy staff throughout their career to enable them to realise their full potential.

Participate in curriculum development and joint professional development activities with other agencies e.g. CHEC learning and development team and Birmingham City University.

Provide educational support for student radiographers (including apprentices) to maximise the learning opportunities available throughout their clinical placements. Liaise with HEIs to ensure any additional requirements for learners are met whilst on clinical placement.

Ensure that there are effective mechanisms for managing and recording training and assessment. Provide and present reports as appropriate.

Ensure that Trusts Statutory and Mandatory training requirements for therapeutic radiographers and HCAs within radiotherapy are met.

Ensure that annual PDRs are undertaken in a timely manner

Provide support for return to practice

Clinical/Technical

Take responsibility for the correct interpretation, application and delivery of routine and complex Radiotherapy treatment prescriptions using expert clinical skills

Ensure that highly specialist Radiotherapy equipment is used safely and accurately within the tolerances defined for the technique/ procedure and in accordance with manufacturers guidance and departmental protocols.

Undertake verification processes evaluating the accuracy of treatment using portal imaging or CBCT, ensuring that results are systematically analysed to maintain treatment accuracy.

Approve and clinically justify any deviation from department protocols or predetermined tolerances keeping appropriate records and calling on other members of the multidisciplinary team for further advice / action as necessary.

Take responsibility for ensuring that in-vivo dosimetry measurements are undertaken for patients receiving external beam treatment and acting on measurements that are out of tolerance.

Undertake treatment routine and complex localisation procedures using a CT scanner.

Ensure that the most appropriate technique / modality is selected to meet the needs of the patient and the requirements of their treatment plan.

Identify and undertake appropriate pre-treatment processes for both simple and complex treatments ensuring that they are completed in a safe and timely fashion. This will include:

o Production of vsim treatment plans

o Input and checking of treatment critical data using the patient management system (Mosaiq)

o Electronic checking of complex treatment prescriptions

o Collation of all treatment accessories and requirements prior to the patients first visit

Undertake final check of all treatment parameters and processes to ensure that they are correct, complete and compliant with department protocols prior to the initiation of treatment. Take appropriate corrective action in the event of an error or non-conformance ensuring that any process failures or training needs are identified and addressed.

Provide clinical / technical advice on Radiotherapy treatment to members of the multidisciplinary team and other professionals within and external to the Trust

Take individual professional responsibility for the accurate delivery of treatment to radiotherapy patients ensuring that the requirements of all ionising radiation regulations are adhered to.

To undertake Out of Hours and On-Call duties to support full service delivery.

Patient care

Take responsibility for ensuring patients medical condition and progress is monitored during treatment and any significant changes are reported to the appropriate consultant or Macmillan Review Radiographer.

Plan and implement an appropriate supportive care package for patients liaising with multidisciplinary, team, other departments, professionals and agencies to optimise support before during and after treatment.

Provide written and verbal information to patients and carers on all aspects of Radiotherapy treatment and its associated side effects ensuring that explanations are appropriate to the patients comprehension and level of understanding.

Educate, motivate and reassure patients to ensure consent to and compliance with treatment regimens which may be arduous and poorly tolerated, assessing the patients physical and emotional state on a daily basis to ensure fitness for treatment.

Clinical Leadership

Act as a clinical role model for effective clinical leadership enabling and facilitating others to take forward initiatives.

Attain continuous improvements to service provision by maintaining current/up to date knowledge of best practice and by creating an environment of trust and respect.

Work collaboratively with other professional groups to maximise development opportunities and inter-professional learning opportunities.

Maximise opportunities to share good practices and innovations with colleagues locally and nationally.

Quality Management/Clinical Governance

Be responsible and accountable for own actions in accordance with the HCPC Radiographers Professional Code of Conduct

To understand and comply with professional, statutory and trust policies and procedures (e.g. SCOR Code of Professional conduct)

Facilitate the development, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and audit of Radiotherapy policies, protocols, guidelines and standards ensuring that they meet current practice and professional regulations.

Work with QA Lead Radiographer to ensure that training and development documentation and processes are in line with national and local requirements.

Act as a resource for staff to access and raise awareness of national and local policies that will impact upon them and affect the delivery of patient care.

Ensure that quality standards are set and monitored and that clinical risk management and clinical audit are an integral part of practice developments.

Facilitate the implementation of national and local quality initiatives to improve service delivery.

Report and be part of the investigation team for Clinical incidents in line with departmental policy.

Undertake the development, implementation and audit of radiotherapy quality procedures and work instructions proposing changes as appropriate to ensure that they represent best practice.

Represent the Trust on external professional groups and network with colleagues from other organisations as appropriate.

Professional Development / Practice

Undertake training /updates required to operate all equipment safely, effectively and to maximise its therapeutic potential.

Participate in Continuing Professional Development activities including Trust Mandatory training, sharing knowledge and cascade training where appropriate.

Regularly undertake research, development and audit within the department as required facilitating the implementation of evidence based practice.

Promote research/evidence based practice and audit outcomes to inform clinical practice and set clinical standards.

Instigate or contribute to research initiatives and clinical audit programmes as appropriate.

Management of Resources

Promote a culture where staff are valued, supported and deliver high quality care

Understand, manage and be accountable for the use of resources in a cost effective way

Participate in the recruitment, selection and retention of staff

Actively support the 4Ward initiatives within the Department and across the wider Trust.

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Leadership skills, including good interpersonal skills
• Motivated self-starter and able to motivate others
• Caring and empathetic
• Able to work effectively in an emotionally charged environment
• Inspires confidence in patients and colleagues

Qualifications

Essential

• BSc Hons or equivalent in therapeutic radiography
• Demonstrable CPD and evidence of using learning to improve practice
• Mentor / assessor training

Desirable

• Post graduate education / qualification in radiotherapy
• Coaching qualification
• Leadership training (such as ILM or Edward Jenner)
• PgCert (or higher) in Health related Clinical Education

Experience

Essential

• Extensive post qualification experience with some experience in a senior capacity using a wide range of techniques and equipment
• Experience of developing and implementing new techniques / protocols
• Supervising junior staff
• Training and assessment of students
• Experience of delivering training to others

Desirable

• Elekta or Mosaiq experience
• Acting up experience at band 7 level
• Participation in project groups or working parties
• Evidence of project management delivery

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Awareness of IR(ME)R regulations and their implication for Radiotherapy practice
• Awareness of SOR / RCR guidance for verification (such as on target 2).
• Able to perform simple and complex treatment set ups quickly and accurately
• Able to teach clinical skills to others
• Able to communicate complex or sensitive information in a manner which aids understanding and compliance
• Good organiser able to prioritise tasks for self and others
• Able to motivate and enable junior staff to work to their full potential

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).