Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To take, with appropriate delegation, responsibility for the delivery of a highly specialised perfusion service across the Trust, ensuring that the service is effective and well-co-ordinated.

Demonstrate specialist skills, knowledge and expertise in clinical practice. The post holder must apply these skills in the supervision and training of others within the department and the multi-disciplinary team.

Draw on knowledge of a range of theories to inform practice. Assist in developing strategies for the management and delivery of care.

Setting up, priming and running bypass equipment for cardiac surgery procedures, according to the perfusion procedures and protocols and to play a full role in the routine cardiac surgery programme.

Monitor and act upon a wealth of clinical information on a minute-to-minute basis, exercising sound and informed decision making, with regard to the constant wellbeing of the patient.

Maintain intense levels of concentration in all aspects of patient management for

prolonged periods of time, frequently up to 5 hours and occasionally for greater periods of time, while monitoring vital parameters during cardiopulmonary bypass to ensure the constant wellbeing of the patient.

Maintain up to date and accurate patient case notes in line with Society of Perfusionists of Great Britain and Ireland and professional standards and local Trust policies.

Ensure quality control, calibration and maintenance of expensive and complex medical equipment, ensuring accurate and safe use during clinical procedures.

Assess the patient for relevant medical history, pathology and diagnosis and make appropriate clinical decisions concerning the conduct of the procedure i.e. type of cannulation, size and type of equipment, type of priming solution.

Administer drugs, according to local policy and as necessitated by the clinical situation e.g. priming solutions, anticoagulants, inhalational anaesthetic agents, potassium, and Cardioplegic solutions.

Being involved in an on-call rota to provide 24-hour cover across the Trust for all perfusion services.

Be fully conversant with specialist techniques and perfusion procedures as required by individual patients, such as left heart bypass, cerebral perfusion, vacuum assisted venous drainage, ECMO and blood conservation techniques.

Be fully conversant with all techniques and practice involved with the wide variety of minimally invasive Cardiac surgical procedures. To be able to demonstrate and teach these to junior members of staff.

Ensure that the perfusion department can assist surgical and cardiology staff in the insertion and management of intra-aortic balloon pumps as required by individual patients throughout the Trust.

Support the development of specialised care protocols relating to a range of issues to improve patient care e.g. blood conservation techniques employed within the Trust.

Have a specific area of non-clinical responsibility that will assist in the management of the service, from one of the following: equipment and service lead, heart valve therapy lead, safety lead, quality management, governance and risk assessment lead, College tutor and audit lead, haemostasis and autotransfusion lead. This list is not exhaustive, will be reviewed on an annual basis and other areas may be designated as and when service needs alter or are added to.

Support perfusion equipment management, ensuring that all equipment is in safe working order and regularly maintained with adequate records of work undertaken. Appropriate action should be instigated where equipment is found to be faulty.

Ensure adequate stock levels, procurement and delivery of required disposable products, Pharmacy and intra-venous fluids, within the Perfusion Department.

Assist in the delivery of core and specialist training to staff on a range of subjects relating to clinical specialism.

As an experienced and autonomous practitioner, facilitate, initiate, manage and evaluate change in practice to improve quality of care.

Personal

Promote reflective practice within the team.

Take responsibility for and demonstrate effective delegation of responsibility to department team ensuring that delegation is accompanied by empowerment.

Be accountable for own professional action and recognise own professional boundaries through interpretation of clinical / professional policies.

Utilise a variety of strategies to communicate highly complex, sensitive information about the service area to staff, Perfusion Manager, Service Manager, other organisations and the general public.

Communicate complex condition related information from assessment to members of the multi-disciplinary team / other professions.

Work closely with colleagues in the multi-disciplinary team during decision making relevant to patient management.

Demonstrate excellent negotiation skills in the management of conflict across a range of situations.

Deal with complaints sensitively, avoiding escalation where possible.

Form productive relationships with others who may be under stress and or have challenging communication difficulties.

Employ excellent communication skills in emotive, stressful and potentially antagonistic situations. Maintain calm during emergency and high-pressure situations, being able to communicate effectively and clearly to colleagues in the multi-disciplinary team.

Attend National and International conferences to maintain, develop and contribute to knowledge of clinical advances in specialist area of expertise.

Identify personal / professional development evidenced by Personal development Plan / Professional Portfolio developed within an appraisal framework, including objectives relating to clinical specialism.

Attend relevant training and development, in order to maintain and develop skills and knowledge required of Perfusionists working in the field and maintain up to date College of Perfusionists of Great Britain and Ireland registration.

Demonstrate knowledge of and adherence to Society of Perfusionists of Great Britain and Ireland Professional Clinical Guidelines.

Be flexible to the demands of the environment, including unpredictable workload, emergency procedures, deadlines and multi-site working.

Employ counselling skills to allow feedback from staff after difficult or traumatic events.

Maintain sensitivity and the dignity of patients in emergency situations and in the event of death during a procedure.

 
General

Initiate and contribute to the development and implementation of protocols and procedures relating to Perfusionist duties, developing and reviewing documentation, according to the policies and practice committees.

To play an active role in the supervision and tuition of Trainee Clinical Perfusion Scientists and to act as mentor if required.

Represent the team service area within multi-disciplinary systems of clinical governance within the Trust.

Facilitate investigation into complaints, accidents / incidents made in respect of the Perfusion Department, feeding back to the Perfusion Manager or Risk Management Officer for response.

Facilitate the management of specific clinical issues and ensure appropriate communication pathways are developed and evaluated across the service.

Advise line manager on issues of service delivery including shortfall, service pressures and activity.

Maintain appropriate activity records and information for audit, finance, performance management, professional registration and benchmarking purposes.

Ensure all hospital and unit policies are available in the department. Ensure that they are regularly updated and that staff are familiar with them and practise in accordance with them.

Support research projects in conjunction with the lead clinician for Research and Development in the directorate to promote perfusion research within the multi-disciplinary team.

Work with infection control and health and safety guidelines in order to deal appropriately with conditions related to client contact as they arise.

Work with the potential exposure to patient body fluids, infectious, high risk conditions on an everyday basis i.e. Hepatitis A,B,C; HIV; MRSA.

Take precautions as to the protection of patients from the spread of infection within the workplace.

This job description gives a general outline of the post and has been written with respect to clinical, managerial, educational and professional responsibilities. It is not designed as a list of duties or to be viewed as inflexible.