Specialist Transfusion Practitioner

1.  Communications and Relationships

·         Maintain a close working relationship with the Consultant Haematologists on all sites and the other members of the Trust Transfusion Committee.

·         Work closely with other Trust Transfusion Team members.

·         Communicate effectively with medical, nursing, laboratory and support staff, patients, and carers.

·         Provide specialist advice to medical, nursing & laboratory staff, patients, and carers.

·         Understand technical and medical terminology.

·         Develop and maintain links with audit and educational staff within the Trust.

·         Develop and maintain links with transfusion link nurses across the Trust.

·         Communicate complex information when training to a wide range of staff at all levels on an individual and group basis.

2.  Knowledge, Skills, Training and Experience

·         Registered General Nurse or HCPC State Registered Biomedical Scientist.

·         Educated to degree level or equivalent.

·         Substantial post registration experience, with demonstrable advanced knowledge and training to postgraduate diploma level

·         Must participate in Continual Professional Development to maintain standards in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Practice or Health and Care Professions Council.

·         Attend appropriate training and education to achieve and maintain competencies in line with service developments and develop their expertise.

·         Comply with all local and national standards of work practice e.g., United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)

·         Maintain an awareness of new developments and technologies as appropriate.

·         Knowledge of Trust Policies and Procedures.

·         Maintain confidentiality of information relating to patients.

·         Excellent time management, interpersonal and organisational skills

·         Confident IT and keyboard skills, including the use of word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software.

·         Effective presentation and communication skills with all levels of staff from different professional backgrounds.

·         Previous teaching/audit experience.

3.  Analytical Skills

·         Undertakes incident investigation and assessment.

·         Analyse information related to untoward incidents and produce recommendations for action.

·         Assist ward staff in the assessment and interpretation of complex patient needs related to blood transfusion e.g., risk of TACO

4.  Planning & Organisational Skills

·         Plan training and education events

·         Plan and deliver statutory and mandatory training to meet requirements for Trust compliance.

·         Plan own diary/workload to make efficient use of time and resources and ensure defined targets are met.

5.  Physical Skills

·         Keyboard skills essential

·         Required to drive to all sites within the Trust as required.

·         Required to use projection/multi-media equipment and e-learning resources

6.  Patient/Client care

·         Communicate effectively with laboratory staff and other healthcare colleagues.

·         Provide education and support relevant to the transfusion process to nursing, medical and support staff and patients and carers.

·         In association with the Trust Transfusion Committee, to plan, implement and evaluate clinical audit/clinical effectiveness projects in relation to blood and blood component use within the Trust and disseminate results to appropriate staff groups by report/presentation.

·         Liaise with blood bank clinicians and managers to implement, monitor and evaluate the effect of interventions aimed at reducing losses and wastage of blood and blood components with consequent savings.

·        Contribute to the development and dissemination of evidence-based local transfusion guidelines and policies with the aim of achieving level 2 compliance in the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts with specific regard to mandatory training of staff involved in the collection and administration of blood.

·         Assist in the reporting of incident to Serious Hazards of Transfusion reporting scheme and MHRA and dissemination of the Annual Report. Provide appropriate feedback following incidents.

·         Assist in the counselling and retraining of staff involved in transfusion errors or near miss events.

·         Deliver training of staff involved in the care of patients receiving blood components, to individualise patient care, in collaboration with the Consultant Haematologists based on best practice guidelines.

·         Assist in clinical research trials in relation to blood transfusion and alternative therapies based upon good clinical research practice. 

·         Continually assess achievements and undertakings to gauge the impact of this post.

·         Support the production of the annual MHRA compliance report.

7.  Policy & Service Development

·         Propose, comment on, and implement, new or amended policies or procedures relating to Blood Transfusion, in line with new developments and national guidelines. These changes may impact on other areas.

·         Adhere to Trust policies with regard to Risk Assessments and Health & Safety, including compliance with COSHH regulations.

·         Adhere to Trust Security and Confidentiality protocols.

·         Attend all relevant meetings as necessary.

8.  Financial & Physical Resources

·         Responsible for the safe use of equipment by themselves and others.

9.  Human Resources

·         Responsible for providing effective training and the education of medical, nursing and support staff in relation to the transfusion process

10.  Information Resources

·         Complies with local and national policies for the safe, secure, and confidential processing, and storage of patient and other laboratory information.

·         Uses the Laboratory Information System (LIMS) according to authorised protocols.

·         Ensure that records are kept up to date and stored safely to ensure compliance with good work practices required for the standards of UKAS.

·         Maintains records of training and assessments.

11.  Research & Development

·         Participate in regular audit meetings and implements recommended changes.

·         Participate in research and development as required.

·         Participate in clinical audits, trials and external research projects related to Blood Transfusion as required.

12.  Freedom to Act

·         Be accountable for own professional actions as lead specialist.

·         Guided by national and local policies.

·         Implement, and comment on, Trust Policies and Standard Operating Procedures.

·         Organise own workload to achieve the objectives of efficient and effective patient care.

·         Comply with good work practices required for the standards of UKAS and MHRA including Health and Safety.