Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Roles and responsibilities

Communication and Relationship Skills

• To communicate with other staff members to ensure the smooth running of the Department.
• To communicate with patients and relatives in a professional and reassuring manner, especially in difficult or emotional circumstances.
• To deliver distressing news/results to patients regarding fetal abnormalities with the appropriate empathy.

Knowledge and Experience

• To undertake all ultrasound duties independently, efficiently and to provide a highly specialised clinical service.
• To produce accurate reports and formal diagnostic opinion in a timely manner based on examinations undertaken.
• To ensure that patients receive a high standard of care throughout all ultrasound specialties.

Judgment and Analysis

• To be able to offer good clinical judgment when assessing and interpreting images produced by themselves or more junior staff.

Organisational Skills

• To report and record all equipment faults. To be able to assist with the diagnosis and remedy of routine faults and assist with daily maintenance on all ultrasound imaging equipment.

Physical Skills and Requirements

• To demonstrate and employ the high degree of dexterity required to position complex equipment used in the acquisition of images. To be able to accurately manipulate and position patients to ensure most accurate diagnosis.
• To comply with, and be able to demonstrate and instruct, safe manual handling techniques and apply those techniques to both patients and equipment.

Direct Patient Care

• To contribute to, and feedback from, meetings relevant to the imaging service i.e to attend MDT meetings relevant to patients who have been in their care.

Research

• To become involved in any on-going audit/research programmes as appropriate.

Service Development

• To monitor and propose amendments, where necessary, to policies and protocols in current area of work/supervision.
• To ensure that the local rules and protocols are strictly adhered to.
• To participate in the departmental quality assurance programmes as required.

Personnel

• The post holder will be required to actively participate in a periodic performance appraisal, in accordance with the Trust guidelines.
• The post holder is encouraged by the department to attend both personal and professional development activities that assist in their role and the service.

IT Skills

• To become fully conversant with the hospital IT system and various reporting systems including the input and amendment of clinical data.
• To become fully conversant with the

Autonomy

• With appropriate training and experience, to oversee and manage the effective operation of any sub-modality within ultrasound. This will involve a close working relationship with the radiology team.

Emotional and Mental Requirements

• The post holder is encouraged by the department to attend both personal and professional development activities that assist in their role and the service.

Working Environment

• To ensure that the rules and procedures of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 are strictly adhered to, and that all working areas are kept clean and safe.

• To comply with, and be able to demonstrate and instruct, safe manual handling techniques and apply those techniques to both patients and equipment

Communication

• Ensure all communication, which may be complex, contentious or sensitive, is undertaken in a responsive and inclusive manner, focusing on improvement and ways to move forward.
• Ensure all communication is presented appropriately to the different recipients, according to levels of understanding, type of communication being imparted and possible barriers such as language, culture, understanding or physical or mental health conditions.

These duties are not exhaustive and will be reviewed with the post holder, allowing for amendments within the broad scope and band level of the role.

All duties must be carried out under supervision or within Trust policy and procedure. You must never undertake any duties that are outside your area of skill or knowledge level.  If you are unsure you must seek clarification from a more senior member of staff.

This job description may be subject to change according to the varying needs of the service. Such changes will be made after discussion between the post holder and his/her manager.

All duties must be carried out under supervision or within Trust policy and procedure. You must never undertake any duties that are outside your area of skill or knowledge level. If you are unsure you must seek clarification from a more senior member of staff.