Gawber Road, BarnsleyS75 2EP Tel: 01226 432721
Part 1 – Job Description
JOB DETAILS
Position Id:2066
Job Title: Physicians’ Assistant (Anaesthetics)
Department: Anaesthetics
Manager Job Title:Clinical Director/Lead Anaesthetic Consultant
JOB PURPOSE
To provide anaesthetic services to patients requiring anaesthesia, respiratory care, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and/or other emergency, life sustaining services within anaesthesia and the wider theatre and critical care environments. The Physicians’assistant’s duties will include preparation and administration of anaesthetic drugs and infusions, insertion of monitoring lines as directed by the Consultant Anaesthetist, induction of anaesthesia and intubation as directed and supervised by the Consultant anaesthetist and the maintenance of anaesthesia. This role will Supports a theatre team in the care of patients prior to and during surgery and toundertake post-operative assessment of patients, provide anaesthetic skills to care for patients in elective or emergency ward environments.
ROLE OF YOUR DEPARTMENT
To provide high quality patient services and anaesthetic support to the Surgical and Critical Care Division.
ORGANISATION CHART
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RESPONSIBILITIES (Budgetary/Supervisory)
No Direct budget responsibility.
Safe use of expensive/highly complex equipment and be responsible for safe use, setting up of anaesthetic equipment and drugs for patient use.
KEY RESULTS AREAS (Including Responsibilities and Authority)
Physical Skills
Preparation of anaesthetic drugs and infusions
Insertion of Invasive monitoring lines and intravenous access
Induction of anaesthesia
Intubation and extubation
Pre-operative assessment of patients
Assess develop and implement the anaesthetic programme
Collects and evaluates patient information, assess and interpret specialist acute
conditions
Preparation of environment for safe anaesthesia
Plans and Implement anaesthetic care plan within prescribed framework
Induction and reversal of anaesthesia
Maintenance of anaesthesia
Positioning of patients
Administration of medicine/fluids
Postoperative assessment, taking appropriate action recognising and managing
emergency situations
Documentation of care
Communication
Communicates complex, sensitive information to patients and their carers.Has a comprehensive understanding of surgical conditions and relays this information to patients, relatives and staff appropriately - may be barriers to understanding.
Requires empathy, reassurance and tact in delivering sensitive or confidential information to individuals in their care.
Keeps accurate and complete records consistent with legislation, policy and procedures.
Compliant with data protection.
Personal and People Development
Develop specialised programmes of care; provide specialized advice to the surgical team in relation to care assessment, development and implementation of anaesthetic programmes within prescribed framework; provides advice to surgeons on anaesthetic care of patients.
Takes a personal responsibility to develop professionally and personally to enable services to meet the needs of patients, staff and the public.
Clinically supervises and trains the anaesthetic assistant positions.
Maintains own competence through proactive engagement in professional development and the development of others in the department.
Participates in the training, supervision and mentorship of junior colleagues.
Acts with honesty and integrity at all times and is a positive ambassador for the Trust.
Understands and takes consideration of customs, values and spiritual beliefs of patients and colleagues.
Values and respects patients, colleagues and members of the public.
Demonstrates commitment to working within a team and represents the Trust in attending regional and national tutorials including in Birmingham and London.
Health, safety and security
Responsible for promoting the safety and security of patients, the public, colleagues and themselves.
Takes appropriate action when there are issues with health, safety and security and
Adheres to all Trust policies relating to health, safety and security.
Undertakes appropriate action relating to incident reporting, review of incidents and action plan relating to prevention of similar incidents.
Occasional must deal with highly distressing circumstances and unexpected deterioration of the patient.
Working conditions can frequently be unpleasant with body fluids and open wounds therefore the Physicians Assistant must adhere to the infection control procedures within the Trust.
Ensures that the care environment meets agreed standards of cleanliness, taking personal action to remedy any problems.
Complies with Trust policy on patient confidentiality and the data protection act.
Policy/Service improvement
Implement policies needed to drive and improve local practices, Comments on policies and protocols and contributes to changes necessary to meet national standards.
Participates in service improvement plans both for the Directorate and the Trust
Participates in audit activities
Participation in patient and staff surveys
Works with the Directorate Management team to develop action plans to facilitate continuous improvement in patient processes, care and outcomes.
Responsibility for patient care
Highly developed specialist knowledge, underpinned by theoryand experience. Professional knowledge acquired through postgraduate diplomaplus further theoretical knowledge acquired through specialist training to master’s level equivalent.
The Physicians assistant deals with complex facts or situations, requiring analysis, interpretation, comparison of range of options and has the skills for assessing and interpreting specialist acute patient conditions, taking appropriate action, recognising and managingemergency situations.
Plans anaesthetic provision within prescribed framework organising complex activities involving the multidisciplinary team.
The Physicians assistant has ahigh degree of precision andhigh levels of dexterity and accuracy required for eg insertion ofspinal/ epidural, suturing of arterial/neck lines, and airwaymanagement.
Works within limits of own competence and responsibility and refers issues beyond these limits to the Consulltant Anaesthetist.
Acts consistently with legislation, policy, procedures and other quality approaches and encourages others to do so.
Demonstrates clinical leadership in practice
Monitors the quality of work in own area and alerts others to quality issues
Equality and diversity
Upholds theTrust’s commitment to equality and diversity facilitating public and patient information.
Participates in the development of a culture that promotes equality and values diversity
Accountable for own professional actions: works in accordance within professional anaesthetic standards and competencies, specialist in monitoring and maintaining anaesthesia in normal situations
Specific dimensions
Provision of care to meet health and well being needs.
Ensures that practice is evidence based.
Plans, delivers, evaluates and modifies care to ensure the highest standards of clinical care within own sphere of practice.
Maintains accurate written records of care, information given to patients and their relatives.
Provides effective feedback to inform the overall care plan.
Interventions and treatments.
Identifies any specific precautions or contraindications to the proposed intervention/ treatment and takes appropriate action.
Prepares for, undertakes and records interventions/treatments correctly and in line with legislation, policy, procedure and/or established protocols.
Supports and monitors care, promptly alerting the relevant person where there are unexpected changes in the patient’s condition.
Responds to, records and reports any adverse events/incidents relating to the intervention or treatment with an appropriate degree of urgency.
Governance
The post holder will operate at all times to high standards of probity. This will include compliance with:
Health and safety regulations
All policies and procedures approved by the Trust
Trust standing financial instructions
Data Protection Act
In all aspects of your work you have a duty and responsibility to comply with all components of the Trust’s Infection Control Policy and the Hygiene Code, ensuring compliance with any specific role responsiblities outlined within this policy.
You also have a duty and responsibility to comply with all components of the Trust’s Data Quality and Information Risk policies, ensuring compliance with any specific role responsiblities outlined within these. Ensuring that data is entered right first time! Data must be FACT (F - free from duplication and fragmentation, A – accurate and valid, C – collected and consistent and T – timely and complete). Personal identifiable data must be kept secure and safe, kept confidential and only shared to authorised personnel.
As part of your employment with the Trust, you are bound by the policies and procedures within the organisation and the wider NHS. You also have joint responsibility with your manager for ensuring that you undertake the mandatory training requirements for your own role as specified within the Trust's corporate curriculum.
COMMUNICATIONS AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
INTERNAL:
Lead Anaesthetic Consultant
Consultant Anaesthetists
Theatre manager
Matron
Senior Operating department practitioners
Sister/charge nurse
The Multi-disciplinary team including doctors, therapists, ancillary staff,patients and relatives
External agencies
All disciplines of staff across the Trust
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EXTERNAL:
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Part 2 – Person Specification
PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS
ESSENTIAL:
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Educated to Post Graduate degree level plus further specialist trainuing to masters level, preferably First class Honours degree or higher, recent graduate or some evidence of recent consolidation of knowledge OR Registered healthcare professional eg nurses or Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) with at least three years post qualification work in a relevant area:
A first degree in a health-related subject
Evidence of recent and successful academic activity
Experience within an acute healthcare setting
Good communication skills both written and spoken English
Legible handwriting
Basic computer skills
Access to broadband
Problem solving
Understands purpose and process of the training programme
Understands basic principles of research, literature searching, appraisal and reviewing evidence
Ability and willingness to undertake anaesthesia practitioner education programme
Ability to attend regional and national tutorials
A demonstrable commitment to a career in healthcare
Able to manage own time and priorities workload
Flexible and adaptable
Functions successfully under pressure
Initiative, enthusiasm and common sense
Able to work within a team
Able to exercise and maintain patient confidentiality at all times
Able to deal with frequent exposure to unpleasant working conditions/distressing and emotional circumstances
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DESIRABLE:
A level chemistry, Physics, Biology or Mathematics
ECDL or equivalent
Evidence of team working
Knowledge of UK healthcare systems and practices
Interested in or has participated in research.
Demonstrates a critical and enquiring approach
Leadership qualities
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It would be helpful when completing the application form if you could relate your previous experience and skills to the above personal requirements
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Part 3 - Job Risk Profile
Post Title: / Physicians’ Assistant / Department/Division: / Surgery and Critical CareThe job will involve: (please tick appropriate boxes)
Patient/client contact:Clinical hands-on patient/client contact / Food preparation/handling
Non-clinical patient/client contact
Physical Effort / Moving and Handling
Climbing or crawling / Patients
Manual digging / Loads
Controlled restraint (requiring training)
Mental Effort / Driving duties:
Frequent interruptions requiring change of task / Alone
Analyses statistics/prepare reports / Passengers
Operate equipment/machinery / Goods
Carry out screening tests/microscope work / Forklift
Formally assess students / Tugs
Give evidence in formal hearings
Carry out clinical diagnosis / Working alone
Carry out non-clinical fault finding / Working at height
Emotional Effort / Working Conditions
Verbal abuse / Regular work with immuno-compromised patients
Giving unwelcome news / Performing exposure prone procedures
Caring for terminally ill / Medium risk of exposure to hepatitis B
Communicate life-changing events
Dealing with people with challenging behaviour / VDU user / x
Arriving at the scene of an accident / (As identified in the Trust’s DSE policy)
Exposure to:
Biological agents* / Gases*
Blood * / Fumes*
Body fluids* / Noise over 85 dBA
Chemicals* / Vibration
Cytotoxic agents* / Radiation
Dusts* / Other
Working times: / On-Call Frequency
Shift work / 1 in 3 or more
Permanent night work / 1 in 6 or more
1 in 9 or more
Average hours per standard week worked between 7pm and 7am (excluding overtime and on-call/callout but including rostered overtime) / 1 in 12 or more
Less frequent than 1 in 12
None
Please outline identified health risk referring to your detailed risk assessment:
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N.B. Certain jobs will require immunisation and/or provision of personal protective equipment
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Part 4 – Generic KSF Outline
Band 7
Core Dimension / Full OutlineLevel / Level Descriptors
Communication / 3 / Develop and maintain communication with people about difficult matters and/or in difficult situations
Personal and People Development / 3 / Develop oneself and contribute to the development of others
Health, Safety and Security / 3 / Promote, monitor and maintain best practice in health, safety and security
Service Improvement / 3 / Appraise, interpret and apply suggestions, recommendations and directives to improve services
Quality / 3 / Contribute to improving quality
Equality and Diversity / 3 / Promote equality and value diversity
Management and Leadership / 3 / Lead across teams and contribute to the culture of leadership
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AGREEMENT
We are agreed that this is a fair and accurate description of the duties and requirements of the post:
Employee Signature……………………………………………………………………..
Employee Name (block capitals) ………………………………………………………..
Manager Signature………………………………………………………………………
Manager Name (block capitals)………………………………………………………….
Date………………………………………………
MANAGER’S DECLARATION
Where this document is e-mailed by me, this declaration will be taken as my confirmation that either:
(i)this document has been jointly agreed with each of the employees holding this position, and that a copy signed by myself and the individual has been placed on the individual’s personal file.
Name:
Date:
OR
(ii) that this is a new/revised position which is currently vacant.
Name: Rachel Cooper
Date: 21.09.2010
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