Job responsibilities
Please note, in order
to be successful in this role it is essential that you hold BSE TTE Adult
Accreditation or equivalent European Accreditation
Clinical and Technical
To independently perform and report adult transthoracic Echocardiograms to BSE standard.
Organise and prioritise own daily workload based on clinical urgency
Provide a clinical report in a timely manner and inform the referring clinician of any findings that would necessitate a change in clinical management
To analyse and interpret complex information using best practice and make autonomous decisions based on the information provided.
Maintain own CPD and BSE accreditation
Keep up to date with current developments and advances in Echocardiography and general Cardiology.
Respond promptly to emergencies.
To deliver appropriate patient care at all times
To establish and maintain good working relationships with all members of the organisation.
To maintain patient confidentiality in line with corporate policy at all times.
Actively participate in MDT meetings providing specialist knowledge to other Physiologists and medical staff.
To ensure that all equipment is in working order and report faults without delay.
To evaluate and assess new equipment prior to purchase in collaboration with the Echo lead.
Be aware of and comply with all health and safety protocols as set out by the organization.
To be aware of the health and safety implications for Echocardiographers in relation to ergonomics whilst scanning and take all necessary steps to minimise injury to oneself.
Ensure stock levels are adequate to meet service needs.
Managerial
Support the Department Manager and Echocardiography lead to ensure delivery of a high-quality and efficient Echocardiography service by proposing and implementing changes to develop and improve service provision.
To ensure all accidents, incidents and complaints are recorded / escalated appropriately.
Professional
To work within the standards set by the British Society Echocardiography
To attend and participate in departmental and Echo service delivery meetings
Ensure professional regulatory and accreditation requirements are maintained.
Maintain personal performance and quality standards as agreed in the staff appraisal review.
Actively maintain own professional development, identifying educational and clinical training needs in conjunction with the head of department.
Educational
Ensure personal mandatory training is up to date.
Actively participate in educational echo meetings
Attend and actively participate in MDT meetings
Provide clinical leadership and assist with the educational development of all members within the echo department to ensure delivery of a high-quality echocardiography service.
To attend Regional and National professional meetings and to feed back any relevant information to staff.
Attend annual personal appraisal review
Maintain involvement with professional bodies
Continue to develop skills and knowledge in Echocardiography, maintaining the accreditation acquired through accredited courses in line with current clinical practice and techniques.
Participate in resuscitation training to maintain the BLS resuscitation council qualification.
Communication and Administration
Excellent communication skills
Have excellent interpersonal skills to manage patient/relative contacts where there may be hostility (e.g. anxious, confused or aggressive patient), or poor understanding (e.g. language, impaired vision or hearing).
Maintain dignity and respect to all stakeholders
Respect cultural differences.
Regularly keep colleagues informed of any occurrences that may impact on service delivery.
Communicate complicated information effectively within the multi-disciplinary team.
Excellent IT skills
Maintain up to date computerised data collection
To ensure the accuracy and legibility of all collected data.
Completion of test reports in a timely manner following each patient contact.
All report filing is distributed at the end of each session.
Plan workload by making best use of resources available to ensure that waiting times are minimised.
Physical Demands of the Post
The post holder should be:
Physically capable of maintaining correct posture for long periods of time whilst scanning, moving and positioning of patients and equipment often in a restricted environment.
Able to deal with distressing and emotionally challenging incidents on a regular basis.
Concentrating for long periods of time.
Extended periods of working in a darkened environment.
- Frequent exposure to unpleasant conditions and prolonged periods of concentration.
- Close contact with infectious patients, contact with bodily fluids, vomit and poor hygiene.
Contact with verbally and physically aggressive patients.
VDU equipment is used daily for data acquisition, data entry and report writing.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exemption 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. This will require three forms of valid ID to be produced and verified. The onboarding process is also subject to an Occupational Health check, suitable professional references and eligibility to work in the UK (with the requirement to provide relevant documentation as evidence).
