Assistant Theatre Practitioner Kidderminster Treatment Centre
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
Are you an enthusiastic, forward-thinking individual with a specific interest in providing a high standard of care to patients within the perioperative setting?
Kidderminster Treatment Centre currently provides accredited elective Day and Short stay surgery across a range of surgical specialties and we are pleased to offer the opportunity to join our trust as an Assistant Theatre Scrub Practitioner - Band 4.
We have four theatres, two treatment rooms, and a 6 bedded recovery area allowing us to deliver a responsive surgical service with a dedicated team of theatre practitioners committed to delivering a high standard of care to all of our patients.
Assistant Theatre Practitioners are vital members of our multidisciplinary team working within the scrub role and participating in safe, effective, and holistic care throughout the patients' perioperative journey.
You will hold the relevant perioperative qualifications e.g. Foundation Degree for Assistant Theatre Practitioner, with scrub experience and have excellent communication and teamworking skills.
Main Duties of the Job
Job Purpose:
To support registered Nurses & Operating Department Practitioners in the perioperative environment working under their supervision to perform a range of duties including the scrub role for which they have previously been assessed as competent.
To provide and maintain a safe environment for all patients attending theatres for surgical procedures acting as a role model and also a patient advocate throughout the theatre journey.
To support registered Nurses & Operating Department Practitioners to assess, implement and evaluate individualised perioperative care, maintaining accurate documentation, and participating in Trust incident/risk reporting systems.
To order and maintain adequate stocks of supplies and provisions, under the supervision of the team leader and to manage equipment.
To be responsible for theatre equipment, ensuring it is used safely and effectively, kept in working order and properly maintained.
To participate in department audits, research and improvement programmes.
To participate in the development of more junior members of staff and students in the department.
About Us
Our purpose is simple - Putting Patients First. We are looking for exceptional colleagues who can help us achieve this.
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.
The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester.
Our workforce is over 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.
We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us to achieve our Vision - working in partnership to provide the best healthcare for our communities, leading and supporting our teams to move 4ward. Our 4ward behaviours, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.
Our objectives are simple:
1. Best services for local people
2. Best experience of care and best outcomes for our patients
3. Best use of resources
4. Best people
Better never stops, and our Clinical Services Strategy provides a clear future vision for our Trust, our hospitals, our services and our role in the wider health and care system.
We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.
Job Responsibilities
Key Working Relationships
Internal: Patients, theatre personnel, anaesthetists and surgical teams.
External: Visitors to theatres, relatives, ward personnel, housekeeping, portering and estates teams.
Liaises With: Theatre team and medical colleagues.
Risk Assessment: This post involves manual handling activities and a risk of exposure to bodily fluids and chemicals, will involve some computer screen work and individuals may be required to work under pressure in emergency situations.
Job Purpose
To support the qualified practitioner in the perioperative environment working under their supervision to perform a range of duties for which they have previously been assessed as competent.
To ensure the maintenance of a high quality, patient-focused care at all times.
To act as a good role model, working with all members of the multi-disciplinary team.
To provide and maintain a safe environment for all patients attending theatres for a surgical procedure.
To act as patient advocate throughout the theatre process.
Key Duties
To assess, develop, implement and evaluate programmes of individualised care.
To support the delivery of peri-operative care of assigned patients in a designated area of theatres.
To take appropriate action to report any accidents/incidents to the team leader as appropriate.
To maintain accurate records at all times, ensuring appropriate reporting mechanisms are used.
To be responsible for the accurate and timely completion of all patient care records on the electronic patient management system.
To be responsible for attending training sessions for the safe use of medical devices and equipment and ensure that all equipment is used safely and maintained in accordance with the manufacturers' instructions.
Education and Training
To participate in relevant education programmes and attend mandatory training days.
Maintain a wide knowledge of current health, surgical and theatre issues by reading relevant journals and attending study days where appropriate.
Provide feedback from in-house/external training courses in order to disseminate knowledge.
To have an understanding of a range of work procedures and practices, which requires expertise within the specialty of the unit, underpinned by theoretical knowledge or relevant practical experience.
Management
To manage a designated area in theatre on a day-to-day basis in the absence of the team leaders.
To order and maintain adequate stocks of supplies and provisions, within the suite under the supervision of the team leader.
To inform and discuss with the team leader any problems regarding staff management.
Ensure the health and safety of all staff, patients and visitors, reporting all accidents, incidents and near misses on the electronic reporting system as appropriate and to the team leader/coordinator as necessary.
To be responsible for the equipment in own specialty, ensuring it is used safely and effectively, kept in working order and properly maintained.
To assist in all areas of the theatre suite if the clinical situation or staffing levels demand.
Promote and maintain good relations and communication with other departments, multi-disciplinary teams and within the theatre suite.
To be conversant with and adhere to all trust and departmental policies and procedures.
Professional
To maintain a professional attitude at all times, developing your role in the best interests of the patients and in accordance with the nursing and ODP codes of conduct.
To actively participate in research and audit projects where appropriate.
To participate in performance appraisals and review.
Provide accurate and timely collection and submission of appropriate theatre activity data, using the appropriate manual and computerized systems.
To have an understanding of risk management and to participate in the identification/analysis of risk.
To assist in the maintenance of day-to-day discipline within the department. To inform the team leader of staff failing to meet the required standard of performance and taking appropriate action when required.
To provide appropriate skilled and effective assistance as a member of the theatre team, as a scrub, circulating, anaesthetic or recovery practitioner.
To maintain high standards of care, clinical expertise and efficiency in accordance with theatre policies and procedures.
To accept personal responsibility and accountability for your infection prevention and control practice.
To ensure that you receive mandatory updates in infection control.
Participate in the on-call rota or out of hours duties as required for emergency surgery.
To provide short-term cover for colleagues during periods of leave.
To adhere to the trusts IT policies regarding email and internet usage.
To ensure that all Trust standards are maintained and monitored to improve the quality of care to all whom come into contact with services provided by this trust.
Every employee has a duty to take care of the health and safety of him/herself and of other persons who may be affected by his/her acts or omissions at work and to cooperate with the trust to ensure that statutory and trust regulations are complied with.
Standard Clauses
The purpose of this post should remain constant, but the duties and responsibilities may vary over time within the overall role and level of the post. The post holder may from time to time be asked to undertake other reasonable duties. Any such changes will be made in discussion with the post holder in the light of service needs.
Competence
The post holder is responsible for limiting his/her actions to those which s/he feels competent to undertake. If the postholder has any doubts as to his or her competence during the course of his/her duties then s/he should immediately speak to their line manager or supervisor.
Codes of Conduct
All employees of the Trust who are required to be registered with a professional body, to enable them to practice within their profession, are required to comply with their code of conduct and requirements of their professional registration. Those staff that are not required to be registered with a professional body are required to comply with the Trust's codes of conduct.
Confidentiality
The post holder must maintain confidentiality, security and integrity of information relating to patients, staff and other Health Service business.
Records Management
All employees of the Trust are legally responsible for all records that they gather, create or use as part of their work within the Trust (including patient, financial, personnel and administrative), whether paper or computer based. All such records are considered public records and all employees have a legal duty of confidence to service users. Employees should consult their manager if they have any doubt as to the correct management of records with which they work.
Health and Safety
Employees must be aware of the responsibilities placed on them under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and the Manual Handling Operations Regulations (1992) and all relevant Trust Health and Safety Policies and Guidance. This ensures that the agreed safety procedures are carried out to maintain a safe environment for employees, patients and visitors to the Trust.
Infection Control
Employees must accept personal responsibility and accountability for Infection Prevention and Control practice. Employees should ensure they are familiar with, and comply with, all relevant Infection Control policies for minimising the risk of avoidable Health Care Associated Infection. All Employees must undertake annual mandatory updates in Infection Control.
Non Smoking Policy
A no smoking environment policy exists within all Trust premises including entrances and exits to hospital buildings and on other Trust property (with the exception of staff resident in staff residences, as these are the homes of staff).
Children and Vulnerable Adults
You have a responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of the children/young people/vulnerable adults that you come into contact with or are responsible for in your job role and sphere of competence.
Disclosure and Barring Service
The Trust aims to promote equality of opportunity for all, with the right mix of talent, skills and potential. Criminal records will be taken into account for recruitment purposes, only when the conviction is relevant. As the Trust meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of cautions, reprimands or final warnings, as well as convictions. Post holders may periodically be asked to undertake a re-check.
The Trust is legally required to check all staff against the Disclosures and Barring Services Children's and Vulnerable Adults barring lists if they engage in what is defined as Regulated Activity or Controlled Activity: Regulated Activity is defined as working closely with children or vulnerable adults, paid or unpaid, on a frequent or intensive basis. Controlled activity is work that provides opportunities for contact with children or vulnerable adults.
Equality and Diversity
The Trust promotes policies and practices that challenge discrimination, promote equality, respect individual needs, preferences and choices, and protects human rights. The Trust has a clear commitment to equality for all in employment practices based on an applicant's ability, skills and aptitude for the post. A range of equality & diversity policy initiatives are in place and all successful applicants are expected to familiarise themselves with these. It is therefore the duty of every employee to comply with the detail and spirit of these policies and the law at all times. Any issues or concerns you have should be taken up with your manager or the human resource team as soon as possible.
Person Specification
Personal Qualities
* Ability to identify personal development needs
* Ability to adapt to new situations
* Ability to work with a team
* Effective communication skills written and verbal
* Self-confidence with an approachable persona
* Self-awareness in assessing own knowledge, competence and boundaries
Experience
* Previous experience of working in the perioperative environment in a Band 4 scrub role
* Experience of working as part of a team
* Experience of shift working
* Experience of demonstrating tasks and monitoring work activities
Other Job Requirements
* Enhanced disclosure clearance
* Excellent attendance and time keeping
* Willing to work across hospital sites within scope of practice as and when required
* Able to work and cope with rotating shift patterns - early, late, night shifts over seven days of the week and on-call as necessary
Qualifications
* Basic standard of education including Maths and English at GCSE grade C or above or relevant equivalent
* Foundation degree or equivalent in perioperative practice
* Completed national Care Certificate for healthcare workers
* Willingness to undertake further study/training relevant to role
* Assistant theatre practitioner completed competencies
Skills and Knowledge
* Reporting incidents using Datix/other systems
* Knowledge of anatomy/physiology relevant to role
* Good verbal, literacy and communication skills
* Ability to maintain accurate and legible patient records
* Computer literate (use of IT software packages e.g. Word, Email)
* Understanding of manual handling practices and policies
* Aware of Health and Safety
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.
Employer Name
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
£26,530 to £29,114 a year Agenda for Change Incremental Pay Scale
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