Senior Physiotherapist - COPD Outreach

JOB DESCRIPTION
Job title: Senior Respiratory Physiotherapist COPD Outreach
Grade: Senior
Reports to: Physiotherapy Manager
Respiratory Consultant – Clinical Lead
Working Hours: 35 hours per week for a Full-time employee.
Mission and Values of the Hospital
Mission
We strive for excellence in meeting the holistic needs of our patients in a caring and healing environment in which the essential contribution of each member of staff is valued.
The values of human dignity, compassion, justice, quality and advocacy rooted in the mission guide us in our work.
We will, within the foregoing context, make every effort to maintain excellence in clinical care, teaching and research.
Comh mheas, comh bhá, comh phártíocht agus
comh oibre bunsraith ár gcuid saothar uile.
Core Values
Human Dignity
Compassion
Justice
Quality
Advocacy
Role Summary:
This role is within the COPD Outreach team which is part of the overall respiratory service in the hospital. The Senior Physiotherapist will:
 Be part of the multidisciplinary team involved in the care for patients with respiratory conditions.
 Work collaboratively with the medical, nursing and other allied health professionals to provide optimal clinical care underpinned with best guidelines.
 Manage, develop and evaluate the early supported discharge programmes.
 Plan and implement a care package from hospital to home
 Develop and maintain guidelines and protocols relating to COPD outreach.
 Work with Physiotherapy Manager and the Clinical Director in ensuring the co-ordination, development and delivery of a quality, client centred physiotherapy service.
 S/he will act as a role model embracing the philosophy of physiotherapy and the principles of care/case management in the delivery of care.
Essential Qualifications / Experience:
Eligibility Criteria
Qualifications and/ or experience
Candidates must possess, on the closing date: a) CORU registration – CORU registration number must be stated on CV. or (b) CORU Section 91 applicants – CORU application number must be stated on CV.
and
c) the clinical and administrative capacity to fulfil the functions of the role
and
d) a minimum of three years' satisfactory post qualification clinical experience
Health
A candidate for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.
Character
Each candidate for and any person holding the office must be of good character
Age
Age restrictions shall only apply to a candidate where he/she is not classified as a new entrant (within the meaning of the Public Service Superannuation Act, 2004). A candidate who is not classified as a new entrant must be under 65 years of age.
Post specific requirements, additional qualifications and / or experience
 Minimum 3 years’ experience in the area of respiratory medicine notably in adult chronic lung disease and COPD.
 Desirable: 1) Completion of relevant post-graduate training in the area of
Respiratory Medicine
2) Spirometry Level 1 and/or Level 2
3) M&K Update training course on arterial puncture and blood
gas interpretation
Other post specific requirements
Access to own transport as a significant portion of the appointee’s work will be carried out “off site. This means the appointee will travel to patient’s home/place of residence to perform duties related to the role.
Person Specification: (e.g. Key Skills & Competencies Required)
General Accountability:
Specific Accountability:
Outline of Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Professional/Clinical Responsibilities
The Senior Physiotherapist will:
 Carry a clinical caseload in the Outreach service
 Assess, plan, implement and evaluate the care of each individual
 Be responsible for goal setting in partnership with client with COPD specifically, their family and other team members.
 Anticipate the many varied care needs of patients with COPD specifically and their families.
 Provide clinical supervision to other physiotherapy staff within the clinical domain. Be involved in professional networks and clinical interest groups
 Communicate with the patients, GP and relevant community staff in relation to the patient’s condition when required
 Liaise with colleagues in PCCC in order to facilitate the integration of care between primary and secondary care
 Liaise with the Palliative care team for end of life issues where appropriate
 Assess the effectiveness of patient’s medication in consultation with the consultant or GP.
 Assess patients for suitability for inclusion on a Pulmonary rehabilitation programme
 Liaise with staff and the physiotherapy manager to ensure effective communication and reporting takes place at all times to ensure an integrated quality service, taking the lead role as required
 Maintain adequate records and reports of all treatments given, providing statistics as required.
 Undertake activity and quality review exercises in consultation with the Physiotherapy manager
 Read and act upon all issued staff policies
 Ensure a safe working environment for patients and staff at all times. Adhere to hospital policy on the reporting procedure in the event of an accident/incident involving staff or patient
 Provide a service in varied locations in line with local policy / guidelines and within appropriate time allocation
 Participate as appropriate in review meetings, case conferences etc.
 Develop and promote professional standards of practice for physiotherapy
 Work within own scope of professional competence in line with principles of best practice, professional conduct and clinical governance
 Seek advice of relevant personnel when appropriate / as required
 Operate within the scope of practice of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists
2. Education & Training
 Be responsible for the induction and clinical supervision of staff in the designated area(s)
 Co-ordinate and deliver clinical placements in partnership with universities and clinical educators
 Manage, participate and play a key role in the practice education of student therapists. Take part in teaching / training / supervision / evaluation of staff / students and attend practice educator courses as relevant to role and needs
 Engage in personal development planning and performance review for self and others as required
 Develop and manage educational programmes for patients and carers in relation to the specialist area of practice, promoting self-management and empowering the patient to manage their condition and seek appropriate and timely help and advice.
 Develop literature to support patient information and education
3. Audit and research
 Regularly audit clinical practice and initiate collaborative change that will improve standards of care and health outcomes to patients
 Evaluate research findings and lead evidence-based practice
 To lead or delegate collaborative research projects within the clinical setting that improves the quality of care and health outcomes
 Actively participate and contribute to clinical governance activities within both general and respiratory medicine.
 Disseminate research findings and knowledge by pursuing opportunities to present work at national and international conferences or via publications.
4. Liaise with Respiratory Consultant
 Attend and contribute to weekly patient case conferences.
 Attend and contribute to respiratory team meetings.
 Liaise with other nurse specialists, hospital physicians, GP's and PCCC to enhance effective patient care and further developments within the Respiratory Service.
5. General
 Participate in the development of a strategic plan for the respiratory service, focusing on patient centered evidence-based programmes of care.
 Engage in continuous quality improvement programmes and produce regular written reviews.
 Develop and implement strategies for delivering effective respiratory care within a changing environment.
 Develop and implement health promotion and preventative strategies to achieve service targets.
 Develop and implement the multi-professional documentation systems, standards and evidence based clinical protocols in collaboration with other professional groups.
 Engage in projects to raise the profile of the specialist service and team members.
6. Administrative
The Senior Physiotherapist will:
 Contribute to the service planning process
 Assist the Physiotherapy Manager and relevant others in service development encompassing policy development and implementation
 Review and evaluate the Outreach service regularly, identifying changing needs and opportunities to improve services
 Collect and evaluate data about the service area as identified in service plans and demonstrate the achievement of the objectives of the service
 Oversee the upkeep of accurate records in line with best practice
 Collate and maintain accurate statistics and render reports as required
 Participate in department / team at meetings and conferences as appropriate
 Inform the Physiotherapy Manager of staff issues (needs, interests, views) as appropriate
 Promote a culture that values diversity and respect in the workplace
 Participate in the control and ordering of Physiotherapy stock and equipment in conjunction with the Physiotherapy Manager
 Keep up to date with organisational developments within the Irish Health Service
 Engage in IT developments as they apply to clients and service administration
 Perform such other duties appropriate to the role as may be assigned by the Physiotherapy Manager
7. Liaison and Communication
Ensure fluent communication channels are maintained throughout the episode of care both within the hospital and the community with all members of the multidisciplinary team.
.
The above Job Description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.
Conditions of Employment:
 Annual Leave Entitlement: 30 days per annum pro- rata. Annual leave is calculated January to December of each year.
 Sick Leave Regulations: Please refer to contract of employment.
 Probationary Period: The appointee shall hold office for a probationary period of six months.
 The terms of the Hospitals Superannuation Scheme (VHSS & SPSPS) will apply to this position.
 A minimum of 1 months’ notice of termination of employment is required. Notice of termination of employment must be received in writing.
 Uniform Policy must be adhered to at all times.
Please note the following:
 The Hospital Board is not responsible for loss or theft of personal belongings.
 Fire orders must be observed and staff must attend fire lectures every 2 years.
 Mandatory training must be adhered to and recertified before expiry timeframes occur i.e. Manual Handling, Basic Life support, Intravenous assessment, Hand hygiene education, waste management and Mission effectiveness programme.
 All accidents within the department must be reported immediately.
 In line with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act (1989 & 2005), smoking within the Hospital building is not permitted.
 All Staff are advised to avail of Hepatitis B Vaccination with Occupational Health.
Policies/Legislation:
All hospital policies and procedures form an integral part of an employment contract and may be subject to update and revision, from time to time, in consultation with union representatives as appropriate. Employees are required to comply with all hospital policies, procedures (e.g. Dignity at work, Trust in Care, Computer Usage Policy) and the hospitals ethical codes of practice.
Confidentiality
In the course of your employment you may have access to, or hear information concerning the medical or personal affairs of patients, students, staff and / or other health service business. Such records and information are strictly confidential and, unless acting on the instruction of an authorised officer, such information must not be divulged or discussed except in the performance of normal duty. In addition records must never be left in such a manner that unauthorised persons can obtain access to them and must be kept in safe custody when no longer required.
Hygiene
During the course of employment staff are required to ensure that the hospital’s hygiene and infection control policies are adhered to at all times. All employees have responsibility to prevent transmission of infection by adhering to and implementing optimal hand hygiene and adhering to the Hospital’s Hygiene processes. Hygiene is a fundamental component of St Michaels Hospital’s quality system to ensure the safety and
well-being of its patients and staff and plays a role in the prevention and control of healthcare associated infection.
Benefits of working at St Michaels Hospital
 Defined benefit pension scheme.
 Access to learning and development opportunities.
 Library facilities.
 Subsidised staff restaurant.
 Subsidised pharmacy.
 Access to subsidised gym facilities.
 Access to health services credit union.
 Group discount for health insurance.
 Excellent access to public transport including dart and bus routes.
 Tax saver commuter ticket scheme.
 Bike to work scheme.
This job description will be subject to review in the light of changing circumstances and may include any other duties and responsibilities as may be determined from time to time.
Notes
The extent and speed of change in the delivery of health care is such that adaptability is essential in this position. The incumbent will be required to maintain and enhance their professional knowledge, skill and aptitudes necessary to respond to a changing environment. The job description must be regarded as an outline of the major areas of accountability, which will be reviewed and amended on an on-going basis.