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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical

• To be responsible in conjunction with the Principal physiotherapist for the setting and monitoring of standards and policies of clinical practice for the areas within the acute medicine and the emergency department that your team are responsible for and evaluating their outcomes.
• To achieve and maintain a high standard of clinical care using evidence-based practices and encourage this throughout the medical physiotherapy team and the physiotherapy department.
• To provide advice on specialised physiotherapy care and treatment for complex patients ensuring good links are maintained with the multidisciplinary team. This will be achieved by using highly developed communication and clinical skills, theoretical knowledge and relevant practical experience, seeking guidance as required by peers or an external specialist.
• To undertake the specialist assessment, carry out diagnostic procedures and interpret the results for patients with multi-faceted respiratory and/or rehabilitation problems during 0-72 hour pathway (inclusive of: Emergency Department, Acute Assessment Unit and Medical Short Stay Unit )and be able to manage those patients with a complex presentation using investigative and analytical skills.
• To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your professional activities working within codes of practice and professional guidelines. This includes patient documentation in both professional and medical notes and recording daily activity data.
• To be responsible as an autonomous practitioner to undertake a significant specialist clinical workload and using clinical reasoning skills to utilise a wide range of treatment skills and options in order to formulate a specialised programme of care.
• To demonstrate a sound understanding of clinical governance, clinical risk and to demonstrate the use of treatment plans with an evidence based link.
• To demonstrate physical ability to carry out physiotherapy assessment and interventions including highly developed manual physiotherapy techniques and therapeutic handling. There is a frequent requirement to exert moderate physical effort for several short periods during the day.
• To keep up to date with clinical developments, analysing current research and discussing and implementing changes in clinical practice.
• To be responsible for the safe use of equipment used in carrying out physiotherapy duties, adhering to the department’s medical devices policy. This includes competence and accuracy to use specialist equipment by you and other healthcare professionals, carers and patients.
• To participate in the respiratory on call rota.
• 7 day working and extended days will be dependent on service need

This job will involve frequent exposure to unpleasant working conditions e.g. bodily fluids, including sputum, unpleasant smells and occasional exposure to hostility in the form of verbal and physical aggression.

Management

• To support the Principal physiotherapist in the day to day operational management of the acute medical physiotherapy service.
• To work with the Principal physiotherapist developing the strategic and operational management of the acute medical physiotherapy service.
• To plan and prioritise own workload both clinical and managerial (e.g. specialist group meetings) including responding to urgent referrals and unpredictable workload and assist the team with theirs. This will require prolonged concentration in an unpredictable environment.
• To be able to manage frequently stressful, upsetting or emotional situations in an empathetic manner when imparting bad news regarding rehabilitation potential e.g. neurological patients, patients with long term conditions. To ensure this is communicated sensitively to all parties concerned.
• To participate in the Trust’s appraisal scheme both as appraisee and as an appraiser.
• To line manage senior physiotherapists, physiotherapists and technician/assistants including objective setting, appraisals, training and supervision.
• To be responsible for the induction of new staff, Acute Medical Team.
• To be responsible for students on clinical placement with the Acute Medical team and maintain good links with the universities.
• To maintain and provide accurate and timely statistics which are both computer and paper based and ensure other staff in the team does likewise.
• To respond to changes within Acute Medicine which impacts on the delivery of patient care by the physiotherapy service.
• To initiate and lead projects as requested by the principal therapist, these may impact beyond the physiotherapy department.

Communication

• To initiate and maintain contacts with local and national clinical interest groups appropriate to the clinical field and to share and disseminate knowledge with colleagues working within the Trust and in the Community.
• To communicate effectively and advise other disciplines both internally and externally to ensure a multi-disciplinary approach to care both verbally and by providing clinic letters/discharge reports.
• To ensure good communication occurs with physiotherapy colleagues when there is a transfer of patients from the Acute Medical wards within the trust or externally to other centres.
• To arrange follow-up outpatient physiotherapy or onward referral for relevant discharge schemes as required ensuring a seamless service is maintained.
• To be able to communicate complex and sensitive information to patients, carers and other staff including imparting unwelcome news.
• To be able to advise and support medical patients and their Carers.
• To ensure timely and effective communication with the Physiotherapy Manager and senior staff on all professional matters.
• To maintain an accurate record keeping system in line with CSP standards and local guidelines.
• To attend any ward rounds, meetings, clinics, case conferences as appropriate in order to ensure appropriate and timely management of patients through to discharge.
• To attend and be an active participant in speciality, peer group and department staff meetings.
• To be able to motivate others through effective communication skills and to be able to gain co-operation where appropriate for treatment where there may be significant barriers to understand such as cognitive impairment, memory loss.
• To use interpreters when required to ensure effective communication occurs with patients who are hard of hearing or do not speak/understand enough English for the purposes of consent and co-operation for treatment.
• To report all complaints/incidents immediately to the senior member of staff and document accordingly.

Education

• To assist in the supervision and the professional development of physiotherapists who rotate through the Acute Medical team.
• To be responsible for assisting in the training of students on placement, Junior and Senior Physiotherapy staff, technicians and assistants within your clinical area.
• To be responsible for and actively record your own continued Professional Development.  To be proactive with regard to learning from other physiotherapy staff within the department and other MDT staff in the Trust.
• To keep abreast of all new developments which includes relevant study days and visits to specialist units and to ensure that staff within the team do likewise.
• To be actively involved in the appropriate clinical interest groups.
• To disseminate knowledge to physiotherapy staff through in-service training and be available for training other healthcare professionals on study days and on the wards, particularly in use of appropriate respiratory equipment and mobilising techniques.
• To have a significant input in the on call training programme for all relevant staff (either newly qualified or new to the Trust), this will include assessing staff competence .to treat patients on the Medical Unit.

Research/Audit/Quality

• To regularly participate in and lead an appropriate work related research/evaluation projects and to be aware of current research relevant to the speciality.
• In line with the Trust’s commitment to Clinical Governance, to participate in and initiate clinical audit and the evaluation of clinical effectiveness.
• To assist in devising an annual business plan which, as part of the Performance Plan, is monitored on a quarterly basis.
• To ensure that all research, audit and quality initiatives are communicated fully with the speciality team and are included in the department’s annual report.
• To contribute to the education of multi-disciplinary groups, patients, families and carers as appropriate.