Healthcare Scientist Apprenticeship

Associate Practitioner Respiratory and Sleep - Healthcare Scientist Apprenticeship

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a band 4 Associate Practitioner in Respiratory and Sleep Physiology to join our established team of Respiratory Physiologists at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.

This post is a rotational post between Queen Elizabeth Hospital Respiratory Department and the Eltham Community Diagnostic Centre - Respiratory Department. you must be willing and committed to undertaking the Healthcare Science Degree Level 2 and level 4(cardiovascular, respiratory and sleep science).

Apprenticeship agreement and commitment statement; Healthcare Science Degree (cardiovascular, respiratory and sleep science)

MAIN DUTIES OF THE JOB

The post has the following principal areas of responsibility:
Providing a basic clinical technical service by undertaking a range of routine respiratory physiology investigations

Assists specialised physiologists in undertaking advanced respiratory physiology procedures

Maintains clinical records in relation to activities carried out

Performs calibration and quality control procedures on all laboratory equipment used

Undertakes training of less experienced staff in own area

Updates own professional knowledge

Participates in departmental research

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust is a community focused provider of local and acute care, providing high quality services to over one million people living across the London boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich and Bexley.

With a turnover of around £700 million, we provide services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, University Hospital Lewisham and a range of community settings in Lewisham. We also provide some services at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup.

The Trust has 7,500 staff and we have recently invested in our workforce to grow our establishment across a number of key services. In 2020 we won a London NHS Parliamentary Award in recognition of a wide range of initiatives to make the organisation a great place to work. We are accredited as a flexible working employer offering a number of flexible working options for staff. We are also accredited as a London Living Wage employer for our substantive, bank and contractors.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Principal post holder duties or main tasks;

Diagnostic tests performed as appropriate in the department, ward or outpatients areas;

Spirometry

Assessment of bronchodilator response

Dynamic lung volumes – flow volume loops

Static lung volume measurement by Helium dilution method and body plethysmography (once competent)

CO diffusing capacity measurement using single breath method

Long term oxygen assessments including basic clinical advice on the safe use of 02 in the home, simple walk test data collection with pulse oximetry, smokerlyser assessments. Skin prick allergy testing

Measurement of standing and seated height and standing weight.

Assisting specialist respiratory physiologists with complex exercise tests (6 minute + ambulatory oxygen assessment, shuttle walk tests)

Hypoxic challenges (flight assessments)

Capillary blood gas collection and analysis and arterial blood sample analysis (involves direct contact with blood, and requires highly developed physical skills of accuracy to obtain the blood sample and the manipulation of fine tools and equipment). Daily cleaning, maintenance and troubleshooting of blood gas machines and surrounding clinical areas

Acute oxygen assessments. This involves the additional responsibility of ensuring a patient is on the correct concentration of inspired oxygen.

To participate in the audit of service delivery as required and be involved in any improvement initiatives as directed by the senior clinical physiologists. Follows policies and expected to suggest changes to those used in own work area to improve the quality / effectiveness of the service provided. The post holder is expected to effect the changes and also encourage junior ATO’s to follow suit.

Knowledge/training and experience

Understanding is needed on a range of routine and non-routine work procedures that require an intermediate level of theoretical knowledge (NVQ4). Plus completion of nationally accredited courses and examinations in full lung function testing to work alone as an independent practitioner (ARTP associate and practitioner qualification)

Physical skills

Standard keyboard skills are required for entering data onto computerised lung function equipment. Speed and accuracy and a like between hand and eye co-ordination is required during full lung function testing. Manipulation of fine tools and equipment needed to collect and analyse a capillary blood gas sample and perform basic maintenance of the equipment