Job summary
We are seeking to appoint a Highly Specialist Cardiac Physiologist/
Healthcare Scientist who is BSE accredited and already working independently
with proven competency in all areas of Echocardiography.
Our Echo
service provides a range of adult echocardiography investigations across 3 sites, including stress echo, Contrast and bubble
contrast echo, TOEs and we are currently working towards implementation of
physiologist led Valve Clinics.
The department delivers training to an array of staff groups including
in-house students (junior levels and BSE candidates), STP students and
Registrars, therefore applicants should be able to provide evidence of
experience and involvement in training/ assessment.
We are seeking an individual who is enthusiastic and
committed to developing and advancing their practical expertise and clinical
knowledge as well as contributing towards service development. The
service is continually expanding and will provide an individual with the
opportunity to further develop their skills and become part of an enthusiastic,
well supported team.
The successful candidate will be expected to participate in regular
audit and contribute towards service development. We enjoy a reputation not only
for our commitment to the highest standards of care, but also for our friendly
and supportive approach. Continuous professional development is encouraged and
supported as we recognise its importance in facilitating individuals to achieve
their full potential.
Main duties of the job
The job holder will provide cardiac physiology expertise within the specialist area of echocardiography ensuring optimal standards of care are provided to patients.
The job-holder will:
- Undertake transthoracic echocardiography tests and procedures independently to BSE minimum dataset, analyse results and formulate reports.
- Undertake clinical supervision and training of junior and trainee physiology staff and other professional groups including Cardiology Registrars.
- Overview, provide feedback and sign off of reports produced by physiologists and registrars who are under supervision.
- Be able to undertake/ support advanced echocardiographic techniques and modalities including bubble contrast and contrast studies, stress echo (including ESE, DSE, Dr and physiologist led) and TOE.
- Participate in regular update and progression of the department's Echocardiography training programme.
- Commit to development and presentation of training material within the cardiology team.
- Contribute towards development of and participate in quality assurance and departmental audit.
- Participate in Continuing Professional Development and other developmental activities, including research and clinical trials
- Work with Team Leaders and the Service Manager in further developing the clinical physiology service.
About us
We provide care and support to over half a million people in Wakefield and Kirklees in their homes, in community settings and across our three hospital sites at Pontefract, Dewsbury and Pinderfields (in Wakefield).
Always striving for excellence, we are at the forefront of innovation and research and we invest in teaching and the development of our workforce.
We live by our values of caring, improving, being respectful and maintaining high standards. We listen and learn because we aim to make Mid Yorkshire the best place to work and the best place to receive care.
In line with this, we welcome applicants with lived experience of providing unpaid and/or support to a family member or friend with a disability, health condition, mental health problem, addiction or other health and care need.
We have a clear vision, and you could be part of this! If you share our values and you want to make a difference to the lives of our patients and their families and carers, we would love to hear from you.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
Leadership and management
- Provides leadership to the designated team
- Investigates and responds to accidents, complaints, untoward incidents and other significant events
- Ensures the safe use and efficient management of equipment and supplies within the team
- Takes responsibility for setting, monitoring and seeking to continuously improve standards and the quality of care delivered to patients
- Promotes evidence based practice, wherever possible
- Implements policies and proposes change to practice for own specialist area
- Contributes to the development of specialist protocols for specialist area
- Engages users on service delivery and development.
Clinical skills
- Acts in accordance with the Professional Code of Conduct
- Maintains a safe working environment
- Works as a specialist practitioner within established Trust and departmental policies
- Act as a source of expertise within their designated area
- Undertake clinical procedures where dexterity and accuracy are required and performs a broad range of highly specialist and complex investigations providing accurate factual reports following analysis and interpretation of physiological data
- Routinely undertakes assessment of both in-patients and out-patients prior to a range of cardio-respiratory investigations and uses own discretion in order to ensure the patient is suitable for the investigation
- Supervises and assesses the work of others within the designated team
- Works within and towards national guidelines and directives, e.g. NICE, NSF
- Reports clinical incidents and adverse events to the Service Manager and external agencies as required.
- Provides clinical leadership and acts as a role model to the designated clinical physiology team by delivering high quality care as an expert practitioner. Giving lead specialist advice as required
- Apply and use technology consistent with evidence of good practice
- Prepare and maintain specialist equipment, ensuring overall functionality and comparing overall performance with standardisations
- Participate in Clinical Research Trials as directed by lead Physician
Analytical skills
- Interpret and present findings and outcomes of all diagnostic procedures undertaken
- Make recommendations based on valid interpretation of available information
Teaching/Training/Assessing
- Take responsibility for own continuing professional development, identifying own development needs in relation to current practice, and attending relevant courses etc.
- Apply own learning to future development of service
- Contribute to, and support learning and development of others, accessing appropriate learning opportunities, and encouraging professional development
- Actively participate in training of trainees and other staff, with specialist training for clinical staff, to include planning and delivery of training activities
- Objectively assess the work of individuals within areas of specialisation, providing clear and constructive feedback, and agreeing courses of action to address issues, raising issues and related risks with relevant people
Planning & Policy
- Evaluate own and team work, making constructive suggestions as to how services can be improved, seeking appropriate support for recommended/necessary changes, and implementing change
Administrative
- Maintain accurate patient records
- Input data, test results and reports into computerised system
- Ensure others are processing data accurately, with an appropriate level of detail and in the agreed format, making amendments and highlighting problems as necessary
- Investigate and take appropriate action when there are problems with processing data, identifying sources of error and taking appropriate action to implement change
- Develop structure of systems/databases enabling others to input data more effectively
Communication
- Maintains accurate clinical and other records in accordance with Trust policy
- Ensure appropriate clinical record keeping within the designated team
- Support patients and their families, communicating sensitive information about routine and complex investigations ensuring they receive the required information to enable them to participate in their care delivery
- Communicate effectively with technical, nursing medical and allied health profession colleagues, providing technical advice relating to specific patient care
- Communicate effectively with technical, nursing medical and allied health profession colleagues in a training/educational role
- Communicate effectively with manufacturers and technical specialists
Patient/Carer contact
- Able to treat patients and relatives/carers with respect and consideration, maintaining emotional awareness in distressing circumstances
- Communicate effectively with patients and relatives/carers, using verbal and non verbal communication, ensuring understanding of what is being communicated, and taking into account patient communication problems, difficulty in understanding, stressful situations/aggression, and requirement for persuasion/reassurance
Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults
- The postholder has a general responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the course of their daily duties and for ensuring that they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
Leadership and management
- Provides leadership to the designated team
- Investigates and responds to accidents, complaints, untoward incidents and other significant events
- Ensures the safe use and efficient management of equipment and supplies within the team
- Takes responsibility for setting, monitoring and seeking to continuously improve standards and the quality of care delivered to patients
- Promotes evidence based practice, wherever possible
- Implements policies and proposes change to practice for own specialist area
- Contributes to the development of specialist protocols for specialist area
- Engages users on service delivery and development.
Clinical skills
- Acts in accordance with the Professional Code of Conduct
- Maintains a safe working environment
- Works as a specialist practitioner within established Trust and departmental policies
- Act as a source of expertise within their designated area
- Undertake clinical procedures where dexterity and accuracy are required and performs a broad range of highly specialist and complex investigations providing accurate factual reports following analysis and interpretation of physiological data
- Routinely undertakes assessment of both in-patients and out-patients prior to a range of cardio-respiratory investigations and uses own discretion in order to ensure the patient is suitable for the investigation
- Supervises and assesses the work of others within the designated team
- Works within and towards national guidelines and directives, e.g. NICE, NSF
- Reports clinical incidents and adverse events to the Service Manager and external agencies as required.
- Provides clinical leadership and acts as a role model to the designated clinical physiology team by delivering high quality care as an expert practitioner. Giving lead specialist advice as required
- Apply and use technology consistent with evidence of good practice
- Prepare and maintain specialist equipment, ensuring overall functionality and comparing overall performance with standardisations
- Participate in Clinical Research Trials as directed by lead Physician
Analytical skills
- Interpret and present findings and outcomes of all diagnostic procedures undertaken
- Make recommendations based on valid interpretation of available information
Teaching/Training/Assessing
- Take responsibility for own continuing professional development, identifying own development needs in relation to current practice, and attending relevant courses etc.
- Apply own learning to future development of service
- Contribute to, and support learning and development of others, accessing appropriate learning opportunities, and encouraging professional development
- Actively participate in training of trainees and other staff, with specialist training for clinical staff, to include planning and delivery of training activities
- Objectively assess the work of individuals within areas of specialisation, providing clear and constructive feedback, and agreeing courses of action to address issues, raising issues and related risks with relevant people
Planning & Policy
- Evaluate own and team work, making constructive suggestions as to how services can be improved, seeking appropriate support for recommended/necessary changes, and implementing change
Administrative
- Maintain accurate patient records
- Input data, test results and reports into computerised system
- Ensure others are processing data accurately, with an appropriate level of detail and in the agreed format, making amendments and highlighting problems as necessary
- Investigate and take appropriate action when there are problems with processing data, identifying sources of error and taking appropriate action to implement change
- Develop structure of systems/databases enabling others to input data more effectively
Communication
- Maintains accurate clinical and other records in accordance with Trust policy
- Ensure appropriate clinical record keeping within the designated team
- Support patients and their families, communicating sensitive information about routine and complex investigations ensuring they receive the required information to enable them to participate in their care delivery
- Communicate effectively with technical, nursing medical and allied health profession colleagues, providing technical advice relating to specific patient care
- Communicate effectively with technical, nursing medical and allied health profession colleagues in a training/educational role
- Communicate effectively with manufacturers and technical specialists
Patient/Carer contact
- Able to treat patients and relatives/carers with respect and consideration, maintaining emotional awareness in distressing circumstances
- Communicate effectively with patients and relatives/carers, using verbal and non verbal communication, ensuring understanding of what is being communicated, and taking into account patient communication problems, difficulty in understanding, stressful situations/aggression, and requirement for persuasion/reassurance
Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults
- The postholder has a general responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the course of their daily duties and for ensuring that they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Current HCPC, RCCP or AHCS registration.
- Educated to Degree Level Education or equivalent.
- Holds professional accreditation appropriate to role British Society of Echocardiography.
Desirable
- Post Graduate qualification in Echocardiography.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Good hand/eye co-ordination skills and manual dexterity.
- Able to concentrate for prolonged periods during acquisition of diagnostic data.
- Excellent written and verbal skills.
- Good IT skills.
- Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
- Able to manoeuvre often heavy/cumbersome medical equipment.
- Able to work in subdued lighting for prolonged periods.
Experience
Essential
- 2 years minimum experience post qualification plus evidence of involvement within leadership and management.
- Evidence of continuing professional development.
- Experience of Audit & Standard setting.
- Specialist knowledge in field of practice.
- Understands current issues in healthcare.
- In-depth experience and knowledge of highly specialist investigations and techniques within echocardiography.
- Willing to undergo training as necessary.
Desirable
- Evidence of involvement in service development.
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Positive attitude, self-motivated, enthusiastic and approachable
- Team player.
- Commitment to developing self and others to enhance performance.
Knowledge and awareness
Essential
- Understands the need for confidentiality.
- Awareness of health and safety requirements.
- Ability to organise and prioritise own and others workload.
- Awareness of own limitations.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Current HCPC, RCCP or AHCS registration.
- Educated to Degree Level Education or equivalent.
- Holds professional accreditation appropriate to role British Society of Echocardiography.
Desirable
- Post Graduate qualification in Echocardiography.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Good hand/eye co-ordination skills and manual dexterity.
- Able to concentrate for prolonged periods during acquisition of diagnostic data.
- Excellent written and verbal skills.
- Good IT skills.
- Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
- Able to manoeuvre often heavy/cumbersome medical equipment.
- Able to work in subdued lighting for prolonged periods.
Experience
Essential
- 2 years minimum experience post qualification plus evidence of involvement within leadership and management.
- Evidence of continuing professional development.
- Experience of Audit & Standard setting.
- Specialist knowledge in field of practice.
- Understands current issues in healthcare.
- In-depth experience and knowledge of highly specialist investigations and techniques within echocardiography.
- Willing to undergo training as necessary.
Desirable
- Evidence of involvement in service development.
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Positive attitude, self-motivated, enthusiastic and approachable
- Team player.
- Commitment to developing self and others to enhance performance.
Knowledge and awareness
Essential
- Understands the need for confidentiality.
- Awareness of health and safety requirements.
- Ability to organise and prioritise own and others workload.
- Awareness of own limitations.
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.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
