Job summary
An excellent opportunity has arisen to appoint a Trainee Clinical
Perfusionist to join our team at Leeds General Infirmary. Due to continuous
workforce planning we are looking to appoint an enthusiastic, self motivated
science graduate, to undertake the Bristol University MSc alongside clinical
training. We provide a diverse range of cardiac surgery from neonatal to adult
patients, including ECMO, intra-aortic balloon pumping and intra-operative cell
salvage. You can expect to find a supportive and forward thinking department,
keen on delivering the highest standards of healthcare. Leeds Teaching
Hospitals Trust is undergoing a significant phase of regeneration, with the
construction of two new hospitals on the General Infirmary site planned.
The role is a fixed term training post, designed to
obtaining National accreditation, with the expectation of a permanent position,
once all criteria are achieved. The successful applicant will need to
participate in the 24 hour on call, once appropriate. You must register with
the Society of Clinical Perfusion Scientists of Great Britain and Ireland
and with the College of Clinical
Perfusion Scientists of Great Britain and Ireland to meet with the training
course criteria. This advert is likely to close early, due to high applicant
rate.
For
further information, please contact Andrew Nichols or Angela Beatson 01133925342
Planned Interview Date: Monday 22nd July 2024
Main duties of the job
The Clinical Perfusion Department at Leeds General Infirmary,
cover all aspects of cardiopulmonary bypass and blood preservation techniques in
both adult and paediatric cardiac surgery. Clinical perfusionists must have
exceptional communication skills and extreme diligence to detail, working within
the dynamic, multi-disciplinary cardiac surgical team, with a pivotal role in
patient care and safety. The job involves the running of the heart-lung bypass machine,
for extended periods of time, keeping our patients alive, whilst they receive
life saving surgery. Much of this work is carried out electively, however, a
significant amount is also unplanned and occurs out of normal working hours,
covered by our on-call team. As a trainee, you will be studying in person and
remotely at Bristol University to obtain a MSc in Perfusion within the two year
course. During this period, you will learn the essential clinical skills and
knowledge and perform a minimum of 150 cardiopulmonary bypass runs, to be
eligible to sit the practical examination. Once this has been achieved, you
will accredit as an autonomous allied healthcare professional.
As a unique group of
specialist, we are responsible for the set-up, running and disposal of sterile
and subsequently contaminated medical consumables used in surgery. The role
incorporates the three core sciences on a daily basis and is highly
stimulating.
About us
Come
and join our team in Leeds and become part of The Leeds Way sharing our
vision and values. Our Trust is recognised for our staff engagement, great
care and rated GOOD by the Care Quality Commission.
Leeds
Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the largest acute health providers in
the UK and based in one of the fastest growing and vibrant cities in the
north.
At
Cardio-Respiratory CSU, we aim to be a fair and supportive CSU with positive,
caring teams who are champions of the Leeds Way values. Our values are part
of what make us different from other trusts, so we see this as a strength, as
well as a responsibility. They have been developed by our staff and set out
what they see as important to how we work. Our five values are:
Patient-centred
Collaborative
Fair
Accountable
Empowered
Leeds
Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk'
members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts
are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove
adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the
shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this
process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any
questions.
Job description
Job responsibilities
PRINCIPAL
DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
CLINICAL
PRACTICE
a. Take, where appropriate, delegated
responsibility for the delivery of a highly specialist perfusion service,
ensuring the service is effective and well coordinated.
b. Offer and undertake a range of highly
specialised perfusion techniques during routine and emergency cardiopulmonary
bypass.
c. Assess patients relevant medical
history, pathology and diagnosis and make appropriate decisions concerning
conduct of cardiopulmonary bypass procedures.
d. Advise clinicians on the suitability of
equipment and suggest to clinicians appropriate courses of action.
e. Set up, prime and run the cardiopulmonary
bypass machine to maintain life support for the period of cardiopulmonary
bypass according to broad occupational and clinical policies as well as
recent scientific evidence, seeking advice when necessary.
f. Regularly undertake By-pass initiation and
termination which requires a high level of hand eye and sensory coordination,
similar to that required for suturing/intubation.
g. Take personal responsibility for simultaneously
monitoring and making fine adjustments to 43 patient parameters on the bypass
machine and to clinically respond and react to any changes in the patients
condition. This requires intense concentration for the duration of individual
cases which can last up to 12 hours.
h. Sample, analyse and interpret
arterial/venous blood gases and patient coagulation status in the form of
activated clotting times and Thromboelastograph.
i. Administer drugs, including
colloid/crystalloid fluids, vasoactive drugs, cardioplegia solution,
potassium, anticoagulants, haemostatic drugs, sodium bicarbonate and osmotic
diuretics as clinically indicated.
j. Monitor a wide range of highly complex
and routinely conflicting clinical information on a minute-to-minute basis
such as blood oximetry; cardiac output; systemic vascular resistance;
ventilation; anticoagulation; renal status and blood glucose levels, and take
appropriate autonomous action in both alpha and pH stat blood management.
k. Manipulate on a second-to-second basis
the patients cardiovascular system whilst on cardiopulmonary bypass.
l. Determine requirement for, and perform
where clinically indicated, haemofiltration and blood transfusion during
cardiopulmonary bypass including zero-balance ultra-filtration and modified
ultrafiltration in neonates.
m. Set up and manage, where appropriate,
antegrade/retrograde cerebral perfusion; deep hypothermic circulatory arrest;
vacuum assisted venous drainage; mechanical support devices; extracorporeal
membrane oxygenation, Intra-aortic balloon pumping.
n.
Provide one to one care to acutely ill children with life threatening
conditions. This involves shifts of up to 12 hours over a period of 2 weeks.
This requires the post holder to provide a high level of emotional support to
parents and other relatives over a sustained and repeated period.
o. Ensure quality control, calibration,
cleaning, maintenance and safe use of expensive complex medical equipment in
Clinical Perfusion.
p. Frequent direct exposure to uncontained
patient blood
q. Participate fully in the Clinical
Perfusion 24hr on-call cover.
MANAGERIAL
a. Liaise with other members of the
surgical, anaesthetic and nursing teams.
b. Manage and prioritise own caseload
/workload independently.
c. Supervision of students, involving
judging competence levels for routine adult procedures and assisting Senior
Clinical Perfusionist with suitable training activity.
d. Complete a training record and
casebook.
e. Discuss and sensitively deal with any
highlighted problems that have arisen during supervision. This may involve
providing reassurance where necessary or discussing problems with senior
colleagues or staff.
f. Respect the confidentiality of all
matters that may relate to colleagues employment and that of other members
of staff. All staff are expected to respect the requirements of the Data
Protection Act.
g. Assist Senior Clinical Perfusionist
with the development of protocols and liaise any changes to staff in an
appropriate forum. Assist with stock rotation and maintenance of stock levels
including identification of stock requirements Input data on to the
departmental database with regard to stock management and case auditing.
h. Reduce waste of disposable by
ensuring correct equipment used and stock rotation.
i. Assist Clinical Perfusion Manager
to budget and improve expenditure by suggesting cost saving techniques
specifically on the £650k consumable cost type.
j. Ensure safe storage of consumables
to the value in excess of £100,000.
Paying particular attention to usage and short shelf life.
k. Attend monthly audit meetings and
contribute to the sessions by offering specialist knowledge and experience
and feedback any relevant information discussed at the meetings.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience in routine bypass procedures and techniques undertaken on adult cardiac patients.
Desirable
- Working within a clinical environment.
- Research and presentation.
Qualifications
Essential
- Upper 2nd class honours in a relevant science degree
Skills & behaviours
Essential
- Able to work in high pressure clinical situations.
- Ability to work within a multidisciplinary team.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- IT skills keyboard, MS Office packages and custom databases.
- Evidence of continuing professional development.
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 details
Employer name
Leeds Teaching Hospitals
Address
Leeds General Infirmary
Great George Street
Leeds
LS13EX