Anaesthetic Associate

The Anaesthetic Associate is a new role in the Department of Anaesthesia, University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP) offering an exciting opportunity for those who wish to take on a rapidly emerging role in the UK an opportunity to train and join a highly effective department as it embarks upon Anaesthesia Associate development.

As a Trainee/newly qualified Anaesthetic Associate (TAA) will be required to deliver high quality patient centred care as an integral member of the Anaesthetic Department.

The TAA will be expected to provide anaesthetic services and specialist skills within one’s competency level to patients requiring anaesthesia, respiratory care, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and/or other emergency life sustaining services within the theatres environment and the wider theatres and critical care services.

They will be expected to perform delegated duties demonstrating a high level of knowledge, skills and appropriate behaviour relevant to the role setting and scope.

The post holder will be supervised by a designated consultant and will also have individual mentors to overview their career development.

The post holder will undergo a period of training, supervision and accreditation to activities relevant to the department. During the training period the trainee will be remunerated according to Annex 21 pay arrangements. On qualification they will work as a Band 7 Anaesthetic Associate under the supervision of Consultant Anaesthetist

The Anaesthetic Department is part of Theatres Service line, based at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth.

The service line for Anaesthesia provides a comprehensive routine and emergency service throughout UHP for a wide range of surgical specialities including the tertiary specialities of neuroanaesthesia and cardiothoracic. The Trust is a designated Major Trauma Centre.

We are committed to improving our patient care and developing our service. This includes comprehensive pre-operative assessment and CPET; use of ultrasound based regional anaesthetic techniques; advanced cardiac output monitoring and funded research sessions. There is strong support for quality improvement and patient safety initiatives, including an active human factors and simulation programme.

Oversight and leadership for our AAs employed within the Anaesthetic department resides with our Director of Medical Education supported by the Chair of the Advancing Roles Oversight Group

We will assign an educational supervisor to support appropriate professional and career development with oversight of the appropriate Royal College Tutor
Your day-to-day clinical responsibility will be to the supervising consultant
AAs will be supported with financial support and study leave to maintain CPD requirements to remain on the AAMVR and in line with national guidance

**Key Dimensions**:

- To practice as a TAA within own sphere of competence and agreed scope of clinical practice and supervision.
- Responsible for the pre-operative assessment and examination of a patient on the ward or admissions area prior to their anaesthetic.
- To collect, develop, evaluate, deliver and modify appropriately a planned anaesthetic in collaboration with the supervising consultant.
- To work effectively as part of the multidisciplinary team in providing quality evidence-based health care.
- To participate in the clinical governance activities of the department with a focus on education, training and quality improvement.
- The post holder is expected to participate in all aspects of the care pathway as appropriate and will be expected to perform delegated duties with a high degree of clinical skill and knowledge, working within the speciality-related areas of the hospital.
- The post holder will be supervised by a designated consultant and will also have individual mentors to overview their personal professional development.

PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Clinical / professional
- To work as a member of the Anaesthetic team.
- On qualification, the Anaesthetic Associate (AA) will perform duties delegated by the Consultant Anaesthetic Supervisor.
- Manage patients according to legal, ethical and professional guidance, corporate and clinical policies, local/national guidelines, acting within an agreed scope of practice and predetermined level of supervision.
- Perform initial patient assessment and examination, request and interpret investigations, formulate an appropriate anaesthetic care plan and discuss with supervising anaesthetic consultant.
- Induction and reversal of anaesthesia under supervision. Supervision can be direct or can be indirect under prior agreement that there are no specific patient concerns.
- Initiate, evaluate and modify a range of interventions which may include administration of fluids, blood products and medications during anaesthesia.
- To interpret and utilise data obtained from the effective use of current invasive and non invasive monitoring equipment.
- To administer drugs as prescribed and use