Theatre Practitioner

Job summary

Worcestershire Acute Hospital Trust is looking for experienced theatre practitioners whoare highly motivated and committed to join our dynamic Operating TheatreTeam. We provide a range of servicesover three sites, Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Alexandra Hospital andKidderminster Treatment Centre.

Our mission is towork together with our partners in health and social care to provide safe,effective, personalised and integrated care for local people, deliveredconsistently across all services by skilled and compassionate staff.

We recognise that our excellent nursing staff are key inenabling and providing compassionate, patient centred care and we are lookingfor qualified staff that have experience of working in the theatre environment. We are looking for staff withenergy, enthusiasm, commitment and drive, with a flexible attitude to work andthe ability to cope under pressure.

Depending on which hospital you are working at you may beexpected to work occasional evening shifts, night shifts and on calls fromhome. Part-time and flexible working opportunities are available.

You will provide care to a range of patients within varioussurgical specialities including Gynae and General Surgery, Upper and lower GI, Maxilla-Facialand Oral Surgery, Urology, Trauma and Orthopaedics, Vascular, Day Surgery, ENTand Paediatric specialities.

Main duties of the job

To ensure themaintenance of a high quality, patient focused care at all times through theeffective management of staff and resources.

To provideeffective leadership and act as a good role model, working with all members ofthe multi-disciplinary team.

To provide andmaintain a safe environment for all patients attending theatres for a surgicalprocedure.

To co-ordinateand carry out all aspects of care in the best interests of the patient andfamily.

To providesupervision, support and education to qualified and unqualified staff.

To act aspatient advocate throughout the theatre process.

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:

Best services for local people Best experience of care and best outcomes for our patients Best use of resources 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 description

Job responsibilities

Toassess, develop, implement and evaluate programmes of individualised care

To be responsible forthe organising of the peri-operative care of assigned patients in a designatedarea of theatres

To take appropriateaction to ensure the safety of patients, including the delegation of patientcare to staff with the appropriate level of skill at all times and to reportany accidents / incidents to the team leader as appropriate

To maintain accuraterecords at all times, ensuring appropriate reporting mechanisms are used

To be responsible forthe accurate and timely completion of all patient care records on the electronicpatient management system

To be responsible forattending training sessions for the safe use of medical devices and equipmentand ensure that all equipment is used safely and maintained in accordance withthe manufacturers instructions

Education and Training

To supervise thetraining of qualified and unqualified staff and assist junior staff to developclinical and managerial skills in accordance with the competencies within thetheatre suite

To act as preceptor /mentor for staff, students and other health care professionals

To participate inteaching learners in accordance with their objectives working closely with theappropriate training facilitators

To provide support andsupervision of learners newly qualified staff, student nurses and studentODPs

To participate inrelevant education programmes and attend mandatory training days

Maintain a wideknowledge of current health, surgical and theatre issues by reading relevantjournals and attending study days where appropriate

Provide feedback fromin-house/external training courses in order to disseminate knowledge

To have anunderstanding of a range of work procedures and practices, which requiresexpertise within the speciality of the unit, underpinned by theoreticalknowledge or relevant practical experience

Management

To manage a designatedarea in theatre on a day-to-day basis in the absence of the team leaders

Maintainthe custody of controlled drugs according to statutory procedure, orderingreplacements, checking and administering all drugs according to policy

Toorder and maintain adequate stocks of supplies and provisions, within the suiteunder the supervision of the team leader

To inform and discusswith the team leader any problems regarding staff management.

Ensure the health andsafety of all staff, patients and visitors, reporting all accidents, incidentsand near misses on the electronic reporting system as appropriate and to the teamleader / co-ordinator as necessary

To be responsible forthe equipment in own speciality, ensuring it is used safely and effectively,kept in working order and properly maintained

To assist in all areasof the theatre suite if the clinical situation or staffing levels demand

Promote and maintaingood relations and communication with other departments, multi-disciplinary teamsand within the theatre suite

To be conversant withand adhere to all trust and departmental policies and procedures

Professional

To maintain aprofessional attitude at all times, developing your role to ensure high qualitycare delivery and in accordance with the nursing and ODP codes of conduct

To actively participatein research and audit projects where appropriate

To participate in performanceappraisals and review

To effectively managethe team in the absence of the team leaders

Provide accurate andtimely collection and submission of appropriate theatre activity data, usingthe appropriate manual and computerised systems

To have an understandingof risk management and to participate in the identification/analysis of risk

To assist in themaintenance of day-to-day discipline within the department. To inform the team leader of staff failing tomeet the required standard of performance and taking appropriate action whenrequired

To provide appropriateskilled and effective assistance as a member of the theatre team, as a scrub,circulating, anaesthetic or recovery practitioner

To maintain highstandards of care, clinical expertise and efficiency in accordance with theatrepolicies and procedures

To accept personalresponsibility and accountability for your infection prevention and controlpractice

To ensure that youreceive mandatory updates in infection control

General duties:

Participate inthe on-call rota or out of hours duties as required for emergency surgery

To provide short-termcover for colleagues during periods of leave

To adhere tothe trusts IT policies regarding email and internet usage

To ensure that all Trust standards are maintainedand monitored to improve the quality of care to all whom come into contact withservices provided by this trust

Every employee has a duty to take care of the healthand 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 thatstatutory and trust regulations are complied with

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Competent to scrub / assist anaesthetist / recover wide range of elective and emergency patients Experience of working as part of a team

Desirable

Experience of clinical supervision Previous experience of working in the perioperative environment in a training or support worker role or other relatable clinical environment (ie endoscopy, HDU)

Qualifications

Essential

Registered Nurse Level 1 (currently registered with NMC or Registered ODP (currently registered with HCPC) Evidence of continuing professional development

Desirable

Mentoring qualification Peri-operative diploma Relevant post-basic qualification

Knowledge and skills, Personal Qualities, Other Job Requirements

Essential

Awareness of current peri-operative practice Reporting incidents using datix or similar reporting system Knowledge of anatomy/physiology knowledge relevant to role Good verbal, literacy and communication skills Ability to maintain accurate and legible patient records Computer literate (use of IT software packages Word, Email) Understanding of manual handling practices and policies Awareness of Health and Safety Ability to identify personal development needs Ability to adapt to new situations Ability to self direct and also work with a team Self-awareness in assessing own knowledge, competence and boundaries 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 To deputise for the team leader as necessary

Desirable

Awareness of Clinical Governance Budget awareness Leadership skills Self-confidence with an approachable persona

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