Trainee Echocardiographer

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust; North East; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job description

Job Summary

We have an exciting opportunity for two 18-month fixed term full-time training posts in Echocardiography. One post will be based at the University Hospital of North Durham and the other will be based at Darlington Memorial Hospital. This is part of the Echocardiography Training Programme (ETP) developed by the National School of Healthcare Science (NSHCS) and funded by NHS England.

Successful ETP trainees will be trained to BSE accreditation level 2 and will be awarded a Post-graduate Certificate in Clinical Echocardiography. For more information, please see the NSHCS website: NSHCS Website.

Our mission is to improve the health/quality of life for our patients by building an organisation that develops and invests in the individuals that work here and this can only be achieved with the recruitment of the right people.

We are committed to developing the future workforce for Cardiac Physiologist/Healthcare Scientists.

Main Duties of the Job

The successful candidate will work as part of a team in a busy Cardio-Respiratory department. The Trainee Echocardiographer will be employed by the host department for a fixed term of 18 months during which time they will work through a programme of learning. This will be combined with an academic programme at Post Graduate level over the first year of the programme.

They will liaise with other technical and scientific staff of department/section, and other Trainee Healthcare Scientists across a wide range of departments.

Job Responsibilities

The trainee will undertake the full training programme in order to progress through the academic and practical elements of the training scheme. In so doing they will learn how to perform and interpret clinical and specialist scientific processes underpinned by theoretical and applied knowledge and practical experience. The trainee will work closely with the training co-ordinator/officer and more senior members of staff to follow the curriculum for the Echocardiography Training Programme.

The trainee will work in specified areas of the department and be responsible to the designated Training Coordinator/Officer for their own work and progression through the scheme.

All trainees will be expected to travel to national academic and other courses regularly throughout their training. In some cases, this may involve overnight and/or residential stays. Trainees will undertake a Post Graduate Certificate in Clinical Echocardiography at a designated academic institution specific for the training pathway. Trainees will mainly be based in the host department but may need to attend other local/regional/national scientific services, in order to complete the required pathway work based curricula, as deemed appropriate by the Designated Training Officer. Trainees will be a part of a national training programme and will be registered with the National School of Healthcare Science based in the West Midlands Multi-professional Workforce Deanery.

Person Specification

Qualifications Essential

1. A 1st or 2:1 in either an undergraduate honours degree (including an integrated masters degree) in Cardiac Physiology (PTP) or a relevant scientific subject (examples include Pure or Applied Physics, Biology or Human Biology, or Sports Science (if significant scientific content).
2. A 2:2 undergraduate honours degree plus relevant cardiology experience and approval from the relevant HEI.
3. A 2:2 undergraduate honours degree plus relevant higher degree excluding MSc in Echocardiography.
4. An alternative or vocational qualification plus sufficient and relevant experience and appropriate underpinning knowledge and skills in cardiology as evidenced by registration on the Academy for Healthcare Science Accredited Healthcare Science Practitioner Register, and approval from the relevant HEI.
5. If the applicant has previously completed a post graduate qualification in Echocardiography then they are not eligible for the ETP.

Experience Essential

1. Knowledge acquired through study and experience to formulate appropriate advice and judgements, including clinical judgements involving facts or situations that impact on patients.

Special Skills and Knowledge Essential

1. Has an understanding of the role of an Echocardiographer in healthcare and disease and its application in a healthcare setting.
2. A committed, in-depth interest in Echocardiography and its application to direct clinical care of patients in a clinical environment.
3. Have an understanding of quality control and management assurance in a science or work-based context.
4. Ability to develop proficiency in the performance of routine and complex techniques currently in use where they are training (ability to follow Standard Operating Procedures accurately).
5. Able to identify problems associated with scientific equipment, inappropriate testing, incompatible results and to investigate these, plan corrective action confirming appropriateness with senior colleagues and follow up.
6. Ability to analyse and assess scientific, technical and medical literature.
7. Ability to use, maintain and troubleshoot scientific equipment.
8. Good IT skills and knowledge of common computing packages for word processing, spreadsheets, presentation packages and databases.
9. Ability to analyse complex information.
10. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both writing and speaking in English language in order to:
11. Explain analytical, scientific and clinical aspects of the work to a variety of people including scientific colleagues, clinical professionals, service managers and patients and to listen to their needs.
12. Make formal presentations to groups of colleagues.
13. Good active listening skills to build rapport with the listener to encourage an open discussion.
14. Self-aware and flexible enough to adopt a range of evaluative or empathising listening styles according to the needs of the listener and the situation.
15. Ability to work autonomously in the planning and execution of their own work and under the guidance of their Departmental Supervisors.
16. Flexibility to acquire the skills to organise, plan and monitor the workload of others.
17. Ability to work under pressure (emotional resilience and ability to prioritise and plan work).
18. Under guidance develops good interpretative skills in the formulation of advice to multi-disciplinary team members on diagnosis and appropriate treatment of patients.
19. Good personal organisational skills.
20. Effective team worker, willing to adopt a role working in collaboration with others.
21. Good understanding of ethics and professional practice, the NHS constitution and the importance of patient-centred care.
22. Ability to support patients (or their carers) including those with a range of acute or chronic clinical conditions and disabilities in a variety of healthcare settings.

Special Requirements Essential

1. Reliable and flexible
2. Ability to perform a wide range of duties according to the Job Description.
3. Highly developed coordination skills with good dexterity and hand-eye co-ordination and those skills required for the performance of fine analytical techniques.
4. Ability to meet the travel requirements of the training role.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

Employer Details

Employer Name: County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust, Hollyhurst Road, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 6HX
Employer's Website: County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust