Trainee Clinical Perfusion Scientist

Swydd-ddisgrifiad a phrif gyfrifoldebau manwl

Clinical Practice and Responsibilities for Patient Care

• Become competent in setting up, priming, and running bypass equipment for cardiac surgery procedures, through training received from accredited perfusionists and the study of protocols, and work towards playing a full role in the routine cardiac surgery programme.
• Learn to 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 solution.
• Become conversant with specialist techniques and perfusion procedures as required by individual patients, such as left heart bypass, cerebral perfusion, vacuum assisted venous drainage, ventricular assist devices and blood conservation techniques.
• Assist surgical and cardiology staff in the insertion and management of intra-aortic balloon pumps as required by individual patients throughout the Trust.
• Maintain sensitivity and the dignity of patients in emergency situations and in the event of death during a procedure.
• Maintain up to date and accurate patient case notes in line with Society of Perfusionists of Great Britain and Ireland Standards of Practice and local Trust policies.
• Monitor and act upon a wealth of clinical information on a minute-to-minute basis, exercising sound and informed decision making regarding the constant well-being of the patient.

Personal

• Work closely with colleagues in the multi-disciplinary team agreeing decision making relevant to the patient management.
• 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.
• Attend relevant training and development to maintain and develop skills and knowledge required of perfusionists working in the field. Maintain up-to-date College and Society of Perfusionists of Great Britain and Ireland registration.
• Demonstrate knowledge of and adherence to the Society of Perfusionists of Great Britain and Ireland Code of Practice.
• Access the appraisal system within an individual performance framework at pre-determined intervals.
• Identify your strengths and areas for improvement using feedback and discussion with supervisors.
• Identify your own training needs and employ resources to fulfil them, where appropriate.
• Demonstrate the ability to reflect on practice with peers and mentors.
• Adapt to meet individual patient circumstances.
• Manage and prioritise own workload independently.
• Demonstrate highly developed auditory, visual, and perceptive skills in dealing with a mass of information on a second-to-second basis in the delivery of routine and specialist perfusion techniques.
• Act quickly and think clearly, often under acute time pressure, to resolve emergency situations.
• Move heavy equipment between clinical areas, including transfer of patients on specialist devices between wards and clinical areas.
• 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. Specifically, monitor vital parameters during cardiopulmonary bypass to ensure the constant wellbeing of the patient.
• To be flexible to the demands of the environment including unpredictable workload, emergency procedures, deadlines and multi-site working.

General

• Facilitate investigation into complaints, accidents / incidents relevant to the perfusion department, feeding back to the perfusion manager or risk management officer.
• Become familiar with areas of risk management, quality standards setting, and clinical effectiveness.
• Become aware of clinical governance and audit projects within area of clinical expertise.
• Take an interest in and support research projects in conjunction with the lead clinician for research and development in the directorate to promote perfusion research within the team.
• Advise mentor or line manager of any shortfall in stock levels and delivery of required disposable products, pharmacy and intra-venous fluids and take appropriate action as required.
• Contribute to the development of innovative and specialist techniques within and external to the Trust.
• Become aware of the need for quality control, calibration, and maintenance of equipment.