Main area Cardiac Rehabilitation Grade NHS AfC: Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday - Friday) Job ref 418-AHP9799-CW
Employer Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Bedford Hospital Town Bedford Salary £37,338 - £44,962 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 16/01/2025 23:59 Interview date 27/01/2025
Senior Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise Physiologist
NHS AfC: Band 6
Job overview
A rare and exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated Exercise Physiologist with a passion for cardiac rehabilitation.
Within a multi-disciplinary environment, you will be responsible for the planning, implementation and auditing of high quality, comprehensive and effective phase 2 and phase 3 cardiac rehabilitation exercise programmes for patients following an MI, angina treated with PCI, heart failure, post-cardiac bypass or valve surgery post discharge. This can be through formal face-to-face, home-based and virtual cardiac rehab programmes or via a hybrid approach.
This will include patient functional capacity and mobility assessments, leading individual and group exercise and education, modifying individual exercise programmes for co-morbidities and physical limitations and counselling as appropriate.
You will also be responsible for 2 x Band 5 exercise physiologists and this role will require all aspects of the management of these staff including yearly appraisals, sickness reviews and performance management and for supervising and mentoring them through their career development.
Candidates must have experience of NACR especially inputting on the national system and audit of local databases for performance statistics.
(*This post is for an Exercise Physiologist and not a Physiotherapist)
Main duties of the job
1. Assist in the planning, implementation and auditing of high quality, comprehensive and effective phase 2 and phase 3 cardiac rehabilitation exercise programmes for patients following an MI, angina treated with PCI, heart failure, post-cardiac bypass or valve surgery post discharge.
2. Conduct patient functional capacity and mobility assessments, lead individual and group exercise and education, modify individual exercise programmes for co-morbidities and physical limitations, and provide counselling as appropriate.
3. Manage 2 x Band 5 exercise physiologists, including yearly appraisals, sickness reviews, performance management, and mentoring them through their career development.
Working for our organisation
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology.
Our Values
We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.
Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
1. Deliver, develop and maintain safe and effective group exercise sessions for patients with a wide range of cardiovascular conditions in line with BACPR, ACPICR and NICE MI secondary prevention guidelines.
2. Supervise and lead exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation sessions in line with current ACPICR & BACPR guidelines. Liaise with other members of the cardiac rehab nursing team and cardiac rehabilitation exercise physiologists to ensure ongoing development in line with NACR.
3. Be responsible for the development and monitoring of specialist prescriptive exercise regimes throughout the cardiac rehabilitation programme.
4. Adopt a flexible and dynamic approach to patient care and service planning and development.
5. Formulate, risk stratify and deliver individual and group exercise plans, programmes and recommendations for patients based on highly developed specialist knowledge, clinical assessments and reasoning skills utilising evidence based practice.
6. Provide leadership for, deliver and develop high quality cardiac rehabilitation exercise programmes including high intensity circuit based cardiovascular exercise and chair based exercise programmes.
7. As an autonomous practitioner, hold responsibility for a given caseload of patients within a defined area of cardiac rehabilitation.
8. Supervise, teach and appraise other junior exercise professionals and students.
9. Manage and lead a team of Band 5 Exercise Physiologists including work allocation, performance, appraisal and development.
10. Demonstrate the ability to co-ordinate the cardiac rehabilitation service in absence of senior staff.
11. Analyse complex medical information (e.g. exercise tolerance tests, echocardiograms, angiograms) and clinical and social information from a variety of sources to guide exercise prescriptions.
12. Perform appropriate functional testing assessments both pre and post cardiac rehabilitation and interpret results to guide safe individualised exercise prescription and explain results to patients.
13. Deliver cardiac rehabilitation exercise as a formal cardiac rehabilitation session and lifestyle education programme in various settings and locations.
14. Encourage patient concordance with goal-orientated exercise prescription plans using excellent communication and counselling skills.
15. Assess the health and health-related needs of patients, their carers and families, primarily focused on exercise and mobility, health status, risk stratification and activity goals.
16. Adjust communication style appropriately to motivate, empathise and give reassurance to patients and carers.
17. Monitor patient care and safety throughout the exercise session and review patient progress at the start, interim and end of the exercise programme.
18. Work in collaboration with the multi-disciplinary team and primary and secondary health care colleagues to provide optimum management of patients with complex cardiovascular disease presentations.
19. Maintain accurate and comprehensive records of patient care in line with current policies and procedures.
20. Provide specialist advice regarding exercise to other health professionals.
21. Be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of their own work.
22. Provide instruction for maintaining a safe environment during exercise sessions.
23. Ensure patients and team members are taught safe and effective methods of warming up, cooling down and exercise techniques.
24. Encourage patients to attend Phase 4 on completion of Phase 3 or to develop an independent plan of continued exercise options.
25. Promote and participate in audit outcomes through NACR.
26. Undertake local audit and research and evaluate these to further develop service provision.
27. Evaluate the effectiveness of exercise and physical activity prescription using observational methods and outcome measures.
28. Critically appraise areas of clinical practice to be improved and act with colleagues to implement improvements.
29. Act as a professional representative of the cardiac rehabilitation service.
30. Communicate effectively at all levels of the organisation.
31. Liaise closely with the cardiac rehabilitation team to ensure continuity of advice and information.
32. Participate in the sharing of knowledge with team members.
33. Manage medical emergencies in collaboration with colleagues.
34. Work closely with the speciality to contribute exercise expertise as needed.
35. Ensure Trust and departmental policies are carried out correctly at all times.
36. Be flexible within the designated role and undertake other duties as required.
37. Demonstrate increased learning and development through active participation in learning opportunities.
38. Attend mandatory training sessions in line with Trust policy.
39. Ensure ILS training qualification is valid at all times.
40. Attend relevant training courses.
41. Any other duties that may be reasonably expected of the post holder.
Person specification
Qualifications
* BSc Hons Degree Sport & Exercise Science
* Post-graduate studies preferably MSc in Clinical Exercise Physiology (other relevant Cardiac Rehabilitation/Cardiovascular Health MSc will be considered)
* BACPR Phase IV Qualification
* BLS
* AHCS accredited (Clinical Exercise Physiologist)
* Member of relevant professional body (i.e. BACPR)
* ILS certificate
Experience
* Significant experience working with cardiovascular clients in an acute setting at Band 5 or equivalent.
* Significant experience in leading and delivering Cardiac Rehabilitation exercise programmes in healthcare settings.
* Significant experience of group and individual exercise assessment, prescription, delivery and progression.
* Previous presentation and teaching experience.
* Significant experience of organising, supervising and interpreting results of differing modes of functional assessments.
Knowledge
* Highly developed clinical skills in delivering cardiac rehabilitation to patients with complex cardiac conditions including those with co-morbidities.
* Ability to undertake research and audit and integrate into service developments.
* Ability to problem solve and act proactively.
* Knowledge of Primary Care and Community Health Services.
* Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team.
* Working as an autonomous practitioner.
* Demonstrates expertise in clinical practice.
* Client centred approach to patient care.
Skills
* Ability to adapt to change within working environment.
* Ability to use initiative.
* IT skills – Able to use Word, Excel and Power Point.
* Calm under pressure.
* Self-motivated and able to motivate others.
* Good time-keeper.
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
* Reliable.
* Effective time management.
* Excellent organisational skills.
Other
* Ability to travel around the local area independently and efficiently (involves carrying equipment).
* Physically fit and able to comply with Trust Manual Handling Guidelines.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
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