Senior Practitioner - Nuclear Medicine Band 6

The Senior Practitioner works as an autonomous practitioner within the multidisciplinary team, streamlining the care pathway for patients with acute illness, undertaking high quality radionuclide imaging, interpreting the resultant images and inputting into the further management of patients.

The Senior Practitioner has expert knowledge of Nuclear Medicine, underpinned by theory and experience, demonstrating extended clinical competencies and knowledge base they advise and lead junior staff ensuring the highest nuclear medicine imaging standards are maintained at all times.

The Senior Practitioner holds the requisite PGD or Degree in Nuclear Medicine.

Main duties of the job

Act as an expert practitioner in Nuclear Medicine Imaging, ensuring the imaging team deliver a safe, effective Radionuclide Imaging service in accordance with the agreed protocols by demonstrating advanced clinical competencies and knowledge at PGD/Masters level plus in-depth experience where possible.

About us

Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust serves a community of 250,000 people across Tameside & Glossop. We provide a range of services both within the hospital and across our community for both adults and children.Our vision is to improve health outcomes for our population and influence wider determinants of health through collaboration with our health & care partners.

We have a clear set of values & behaviours which we expect all of our staff to demonstrate:

• Safety
• Care
• Respect
• Communication
• Learning

We believe that the best organisations are those that reflect the communities they serve. We are therefore seeking to improve the diversity of our workforce to make it truly representative of our local population.

We actively encourage applications irrespective of race, age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage & civil partnership, or pregnancy or maternity. Recognising those communities that are underrepresented within our workforce, we would particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian & minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+& Disabled people.

Benefits include flexible working, 27-33 days annual leave plus bank holidays, sick pay, NHS Pension Scheme, free eye tests and health checks, gym discount, free bicycle loan scheme, salary sacrifice car scheme, support with stress, bereavement, relationships, finance, and much more.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To provide expert clinical advice in relation to Nuclear Medicine imaging and support the multidisciplinary team.

To function as an autonomous practitioner taking responsibility and accountability for effective care delivery.

To lead in the establishment of standards and guidelines for best practice.

Communicate complex and sensitive information to the referring clinician related to diagnosis.

Assess requests for imaging: justifying and/or authorising such requests as appropriate, liaise with Radiology/Radiography colleagues when specialist input, or advice regarding alternative imaging is required.

To review images and ensure that supplementary imaging procedures/views are considered prior to patient departure from the Department.

To act with delegated authority as operator/practitioner and occasionally referrer for plain film radiography under IRMER (2017).

General Practice

Clinical standards

At all times behave in a manner appropriate to the professional code of conduct of a HCPC Registered radiographer or RCT registered clinical technologist as appropriate.

To review current literature regarding current best practice and suggest change where necessary to the departmental imaging protocols.

To monitor the quality of nuclear medicine work and undertake regular audit including self-audit.

To operate advanced software on specialised digital equipment, such as ManRen and Myoview Evolution, requiring excellent hand eye co-ordination carrying out all post-processing procedures to produce the highest quality diagnostic image.

To receive, register and be responsible for entering accurate data entry onto the CRIS

(Radiology Information System), prepare patients for pending examinations and accurately record the destination of the patients radiographs.

Display evidence of good anatomical, physiological and pathological knowledge to assist in the clinical justification of Radiography referrals in line with both national regulations IRMER (2017) (Ionising Regulations (Medical Exposure) Regulations) and local protocols.

Be able to exercise personal responsibility and make decisions in unpredictable situations.

Maintain knowledge of the equipment to promote safe, effective and efficient handling within the clinical setting, to uphold COSHH (2002), Health and Safety guidelines.

To adapt and quickly respond to changes in service, patients or departmental need.

Keep equipment, work areas and accessories clean and tidy. Be aware of all procedures to promote infection control and reduce cross infection.

Be familiar with the range of technical applications available on imaging equipment.

To trouble-shoot equipment faults and make suitable provision for the service in the event of an equipment failure, reporting all faults appropriately.

To perform regular equipment QA testing and data analysis, ensuring all results are documented and reported, as required by Medical Physicist/Nuclear Medicine Lead Radiographer.

Ensure continuing familiarisation with the current QA measures in place within the department and attend QA meetings as required.

Communication

Provide and receive complex information which requires empathy and reassurance and often involves overcoming barriers to understanding, providing reassurance as to the necessity of imaging involving a risk associated with the harmful effect of ionising radiation.

To communicate effectively and empathetically with relatives of patients

To ensure images are presented for reporting purposes in a timely and accurate manner.

To ensure that urgent findings are communicated and patients are directed accordingly.

Act as clinical interface between the external customers and the Nuclear Medicine Department. helping and offering advice to medical staff.

Actively contribute to departmental meetings.

Patient Safety

To ensure all appropriate infection control measures are utilised, paying particular attention to personal protection as well as the management of equipment and linens.

To set up and clear a basic sterile trolley for intravenous procedures.

To act as a patient advocate in Radiation protection issues.

Ensure that incidents are reported via the Trust incident reporting system in accordance with Trust policy.

To participate in the safe transfer of patients and equipment within the department and hospital respectively, using manual handling guidelines and risk assessment.

Take responsibility for decisions undertaken when using own initiative whenever the situation demands e.g. referral to the Child Protection Team if applicable.

Managerial Responsibilities

Assist in the recruitment and selection of staff to the Nuclear Medicine team.

Assist in the strategic development of Nuclear Medicine Imaging.

Assist in the establishment of standards and guidelines for best practice.

To demonstrate a wide range of problem solving skills involving allocation of staff due to absence and associated adequate service provision.

Education, Training, Research and Development

Support the education of both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Maintain an extensive and contemporary knowledge of Nuclear Medicine. Participating in ongoing education development and research.

Encourage staff to improve their knowledge and skills and, where possible extend their roles. Provide constructive feedback to staff on the quality of images produced

Provide evidence of continual professional development.

Assist in the training of radiographers, student radiographers and clinical technologists. This to include non-clinical staff within Nuclear Medicine.

To assist in the supervision and clinical instruction of both undergraduate and postgraduate radiology staff particularly in highly specialist areas.

To participate in the academic programme of the department as required.

To evaluate technology and its clinical application.

To provide elements of induction training and support for other staff.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• BSc (Hons) Radiography or DCR or Degree in Nuclear Medicine
• HCPC Registered or RCT registered

Experience

Essential

• Evidence of continuing Professional Development
• In-depth knowledge of the full range of Nuclear Medicine procedures.

Desirable

• Evidence of audit or research skills
• Experience of teaching at clinical institute

Skills

Essential

• Good oral and written communication skills
• Evidence of high standard of Imaging for others to follow
• Ability to manage complex situations
• Negotiating and influencing skills
• Ability to plan prioritise workloads
• Ability to identify training needs of self
• Ability to work across professional and organizational boundaries internally and externally
• Ability to work on own initiative Prioritisation skills

Employer details

Employer name

Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Tameside Hospital

Fountain Street

Ashton-Under-Lyne

OL6 9RW

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

245-AHP6RAD-05-23