Head of Training and Development - Clinical Tutor in Echocardiography

Do you enjoy teaching?

Would you enjoy the challenge of an innovative new role created to develop the next generation of echocardiographers?

This is a permanent band 8A post leading training in echocardiography with responsibility for training up to and including full accreditation for healthcare Scientists undertaking STP or ETP and supporting SpR training in TTE.

A local short term Retention and Recruitment pay supplement of£5245 pa is available until March 2025 and may be renewed subject to local approval

Main duties of the job

We have a policy of actively encouraging our existing workforce to undertake additional training and research to become eligible for HCPC registration as Clinical Scientists and an ongoing commitment to train cardiology registrars and other medical doctors. Consequently, we are seeking an individual with the experience and flexibility to mentor, teach and assess a variety of echo trainees at postgraduate level.

The position would suit an echocardiographer with extensive experience of training in transthoracic echocardiography. The successful candidate must hold British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) adult accreditation (or an equivalent qualification in echocardiography) and possess broad specialist skills in echocardiography. A postgraduate qualification in education and certification as a BSE assessor would be an advantage.

The post holder will be responsible for supervising STP students during their master's research projects so will need personal experience of performing postgraduate research and, ideally, a history of successful research supervision. The successful candidate will form part of the senior cardiac physiology management team and will work closely with the consultant clinical scientist in echocardiography and the consultant imaging cardiologists in developing training programmes to support the development of new services and roles.

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. Job Summary

This position is for a senior healthcare scientist specialising in training in echocardiography. They will develop, implement and monitor a training strategy in echocardiography including, but not limited to, trainees undertaking the Scientist Training Programme (STP), Echocardiography Training Programme (ETP) and medical trainees (SpRs). The healthcare scientist specialist undertakes scientific techniques at a very high level of expertise, often replicating tasks previously performed by a cardiologist. They make clinical assessments and present highly complex information in a format that is understood by clinicians and patients. While training in echocardiography is well established at GSTT, there will be an innovative nature to the role that will require further development of the surrounding infrastructure of resources, protocols and training and their maintenance by the post holder.

2. Key Relationships

The post holder will have a leading role in training in echocardiography that requires liaising with healthcare scientists, advanced healthcare science practitioners, echocardiographers, cardiologists and surgeons, junior doctors, specialist nurses, healthcare assistants and managers. They will perform/support echocardiography and teach in a wide range of settings. The post holder will be required to scan adult patients in both inpatient and outpatient environments including obtaining verbal or written consent. They will give patients and carers test results and advice in an individualised manner. They will be responsible for liaising with users of the echocardiography service both within and outside the Trust.

3. Key Roles

3.1 Professional

The post holder will be required to keep their professional, specialist scientific and clinical knowledge and skills up to date and to engage in and promote evidence-based practice within their field. They will be fully aware of, and work within, their professional scope of practice and within the standards of conduct, performance and ethics for their professional and regulatory bodies. They will lead audit and practice reviews within their area of expertise.

3.2 Scientific

The post holder will be responsible for the evaluation and introduction of specialist scientific and technical knowledge and equipment within the echocardiography and training service. They will provide scientific expertise to other health professionals including its analysis and interpretation within the clinical decision-making process. They will provide complex scientific information in an accessible manner to non-experts. They will be responsible for the monitoring and assurance of the scientific quality of their area and will develop and implement processes to demonstrate and maintain its quality.

3.3 Clinical

Their clinical knowledge and skills must be sufficiently advanced to underpin their role as a healthcare scientist specialist and should be equivalent to masters level or equivalent plus further specialist training. The post holder will perform echocardiography at specialist scientist (expert) level while complying with local and national standards. The specialist scientist will be able to administer contrast agents and medication using Patient Specific Directives where appropriate. The scientist will be able to request other diagnostic tests including other imaging modalities and pathology services. They will be able to report their findings in an appropriate manner to patients, carers and health professionals. They will participate in discussions about ongoing monitoring, the use of other diagnostic tests and referrals. They will represent their specialist area at MDT meetings to give advice about findings and their interpretation to facilitate the best possible patient outcomes. The post holder will possess the highly developed motor skills required in the physical acquisition of obtaining images directly from patients. They will be highly skilled at manoeuvring patients to ensure optimisation of images acquired while ensuring patient safety is foremost in the process. They will require a high degree of hand-eye coordination utilising and optimising the most appropriate imaging equipment. They will possess the intense concentration required to both perform and report on specialist images acquired in a time sensitive manner within a variety of pressurised clinical environments. The post holder will need to be able to deliver complex information, which may be of a distressing nature, to patients and their families and to offer advice within their specialist scope of practice. The post holder will require an understanding of biohazards and hazardous agents that are staff/patients/carers are exposed within cardiac science including contact with bodily fluids and radiation.

3.4 Leadership

The post holder will be scientifically responsible for training in echocardiography including when its provision is delegated to other colleagues. They will be responsible for the audit, review and measures required to ensure that the high-quality training is maintained. They will be the point of contact for other health professionals requiring advice or information about the echocardiography training or its management. As a specialist scientist the post holder will be a key role model in cardiac physiology both locally and nationally. To be an integral part of the Cardiac Physiology management Group, delivering clear leadership, utilising comprehensive policies and protocols. To line manage a small number of staff ensuring that any issues or problems, such as absence, conduct, capability or performance are addressed promptly, by firstly reporting immediately to the Head of Echocardiography, and then helping to develop clear action plans for improvement whilst adhering to Trust policy.

3.5 Education & Professional Development

To participate in the development of training pathways for healthcare science staff ensuring that all staff are trained to a high and consistent standard in accordance with individual staff and departmental objectives. To act as the principal work-based echocardiography assessor providing professional advice to other work based assessors and promoting quality control and standardisation of the assessment process across cardiac sub-specialities. Ensure the department is conversant with any changes in educational requirements for professional registration and plan accordingly. To resource continuing educational opportunities for all sonographers evaluating appropriateness of courses. To be responsible for ensuring that an accurate record of progress against targets in the training pathways is maintained and available. To work with the directorate management team to interpret and implement any policy documents as released that impact in training in echocardiography. Post holder will ensure to continue professional development and will be responsible for keeping own skills up to date, including Immediate Life Support and any accreditations and acquire new skills to support development of the wider service. To personally undergo such training as is deemed necessary to maintain efficient discharge of duties.

4. Key Responsibilities

4.1 Patients

The scientist will be responsible for involving patients, the public and service users in the provision of services in their specialist area as appropriate. They will work with other healthcare professionals to optimally serve patients interests and be an effective contributor to a number of multidisciplinary teams. They will provide complex scientific information in an accessible manner to patients/carers, which may be of a distressing nature and offer advice within their specialist scope of practice.

4.2 Policy/Service Development

They will be responsible for the development, maintenance and implementation of protocols used within their specialist area. The post holder will be responsible for the application and monitoring of Trust policies relating to consent and information governance. The post holder will be responsible for the evaluation and introduction of new specialist scientific and technical knowledge within the service.

4.3 Human Resources

They will be responsible for the routine management of the healthcare scientists, trainees and advanced healthcare science practitioners within day-to-day service. They will lead the education and training of all health professionals within their area of expertise both locally and regionally and will take professional responsibility for the practice of trainees under their supervision.

4.4 Research and Development

The post holder will actively review the academic literature for advances in their area and apply them to practice when relevant and indicated. They will be responsible for the introduction of innovative practice and equipment within their specialist area. They will perform their own research or equivalent service evaluation or innovation projects and also participate in collaborative research within their field. They will disseminate their research findings and experience of novel service developments to their peers nationally or internationally as appropriate.

Person Specification

Qualifications/Education

Essential

• BSc in cardiac physiology or relevant alternative
• Relevant Masters modules
• BSE/EACVI transthoracic accreditation or equivalent
• ILS
• Initiated the process of professional registration with HCPC as a Clinical Scientist

Desirable

• Higher training qualification (ie Cert Ed, FAETC)
• ALS
• Clinical Assessment for Healthcare Scientists MSc module or equivalent
• Professional registration with HCPC as a Clinical Scientist

Experience

Essential

• Experience of delivering education and training within cardiac science to own and other professional groups
• Experience of lecturing to groups
• Extensive practical experience in all areas of transthoracic echocardiography at a level of independent practice including investigation, interpretation, reporting and recommending alte