Job overview
PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL ONLY ACCEPT APPLICATIONS FROM STAFF CURRENTLY EMPLOYED BY SWANSEA BAY UNIVERSITY HEALTH BOARD
We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced individual to join our team. This pivotal role supports the safe, effective and appropriate use of blood components and products across the organisation.
As a key member of the Hospital Transfusion Team, you will act as the link between clinical areas, the transfusion laboratory and governance structures to promote best practice in transfusion safety. You will contribute to clinical governance, education, hemovigilance and quality improvement initiatives; ensuring compliance with national standards and regulatory requirements.
This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated practitioner with a passion for patient safety and quality improvement to make a meaningful impact on transfusion practice.
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will play an active role in incident investigation, audit, policy development, staff education, risk assessment and implementing national recommendations. They will work closely with clinicians and nursing teams to improve patient safety and transfusion practice.
Working for our organisation
We believe staff are our best asset and we want you to be happy and confident about starting your career here in Swansea Bay University Health Board.
As one of the biggest healthcare groups in the UK we can offer a wealth of professional training and development opportunities in an innovative, forward-thinking organisation.
You might be a nurse or doctor, maybe you specialise in a health science/therapy or can offer skills in one of our support services - we have a job for you.
There are also apprenticeships, work placements and volunteering roles available.
We are an inclusive employer and welcome applications from everyone whatever their sex; religion or belief; race; age; sexual orientation; gender identity or, whether they are pregnant or have recently been on maternity leave, married or are in a civil partnership; or, whether they are disabled.
Our values - Caring For Each Other, Working Together and Always Improving, show that our commitment to equality is at the heart of everything we do.
If you want excellent career and training opportunities while living on the doorstep of some of Europe's most spectacular scenery, with all the benefits of a thriving and cosmopolitan city - look no further.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical
· In conjunction with the Hospital Transfusion Team (HTT) determine effective means to monitor and evaluate interventions aimed at reducing losses and wastage of blood components, safeguarding blood stocks at both local and national level.
· Assist in the development and implementation of appropriate policies and procedures to ensure the appropriate use of blood components. In particular the use of all relevant alternatives to transfusion and the avoidance of under transfusion.
· Assist in the delivery of a programme of continuous audit and benchmarking to demonstrate compliance with, and the effectiveness of, Swansea Bay UHB transfusion policy.
· In conjunction with the HTT, responsible for Swansea Bay UHB wide counselling and re-training of staff involved in transfusion errors or near-miss events liaising with appropriate healthcare professionals.
· Facilitate participation by the Swansea Bay UHB in the Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT) reporting scheme and local dissemination of learning and recommendations arising from the SHOT annual report.
· Ensure SAEs and SARs are investigated to the root cause and reported to the MHRA via SABRE and that the necessary corrective and preventative action is identified, undertaken, reviewed and confirmed to be effective.
· Applies clinical judgement to identify appropriate clinical interventions.
· Recognise situations that may be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of the individual and take appropriate action including emergency action when required
· Monitor progress against expected outcomes, make changes and reallocate resources as required.
Quality
· Work with the HTT maintaining the Blood Transfusion Quality Management System, participating in its operation and development as required.
· Educate and train relevant staff in quality principles and practice including the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005 and Good Manufacturing Practice.
· Assist in the appropriate reporting of quality incidents and ensuring they are investigated to the root cause and reporting the necessary corrective and preventative action to the relevant clinical or laboratory areas.
· Assist in the monitoring of outstanding corrective and preventative actions and escalate to more senior management if unable to resolve locally
· When required, review or revise specific standard operating procedures using the departmental document control software, informing and updating staff of developments and changes in practice, using appropriate change control if required
Management/Administrative
· Planning and organisation of own daily workload, attendance and participation in Hospital Transfusion Committee (HTC) and other meetings as appropriate.
· Responsible for data entry for clinical incidents related to blood transfusion to the competent authority as required by the Blood Safety & Quality regulation 2005/50
· Responsible for training clinicians and nursing staff in the skills and practice of Blood Transfusion and therefore must have all the clinical skills required to do this including intravenous.
· Responsible for translating theory into the practical delivery of care, which may involve a range of practical tasks e.g., administration of blood .
Audit and Research
· Support ongoing audit in all aspects of blood transfusion practice.
· Take part in research relating to blood transfusion and to assist in the preparation of results for presentation at conferences (local and national) and for publication of relevant articles.
Training and Education
· Contribute to educational events and support training relevant to the transfusion process.
Production and promotion of educational material for staff to ensure patient care during transfusion.
· Deliver training to staff involved in the care of patients receiving blood components based on best practice/ current guidelines, in collaboration with the Consultant Haematologist and transfusion team. In addition, support Directorates in maintaining up to date training records.
· Deliver the agreed educational programme to ensure appropriate use of blood components and products in Swansea Bay UHB.
· Assist in the ongoing evaluation of training packages in all their various forms & ensure these packages are accessible to all Swansea Bay UHB staff involved in the transfusion process.
· Ensure that standards and protocols are appropriate for their purpose and are implemented.
· Maintaining detailed records of participants in the training / education programme supplying documented evidence of their attendance.
· Assessing competencies via questions and visual observation, training assessors and ensuring consistency in relation to assessment of competence.
Appropriate Use and Alternatives to Blood Transfusion
· As part of HTT, ensure the appropriate use of blood components and use of effective alternatives in clinical practice, through education and informing clinical staff of existing national guidelines and supporting implementation of best practice.
· As part of HTT ensure appropriate and cost effective provision of blood transfusion and alternatives in surgical care.
· As part of the HTT ensure that mechanisms are in place for the inclusion of blood related aspects of care in pre-operative assessment for patients for planned surgical procedures, including specific guidance and assessment for those patients who decline use of blood components for any reason.
· Contribute to ensuring that an agreed list of indications for transfusion are established in collaboration with key clinical specialties and are implemented and monitored.
· In conjunction with the HTT review and explore the use of effective alternatives to donor blood and the appropriate use of autologous blood transfusion, peri-operative and post-operative cell salvage.
Risk Assessment and Management
· Responsible for the reporting and investigation of all serious hazards, adverse events and near misses of transfusion to SHOT and MHRA (competent authority) and local risk management.
· Work with relevant staff to identify and implement recommendations to prevent such events from reoccurring.
· Work with HTT to inform all staff of SHOT findings and recommendations as a way of understanding causes of error and how to reduce risk.
· Assist in the counselling and re-training of staff involved in transfusion errors or near misses.
· Encourage all staff to report incidents and near misses without fear of personal reprimand and to know that by sharing their experiences they will help others to learn lessons and improve patient safety.
Professional Development
· Work within the scope of professional practice.
· Responsible for own personal development plan within the appropriate nursing/ biomedical profession.
· Maintain and produce evidence of Post Registration Practice (PREP) or Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities to satisfy Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) requirements or other registration body as appropriate i.e. NMC.
· Ability to identify their own training requirements through reflective practice and in discussion with professional and clinical lead.
· Attend internal and external training and education courses and where required to do so, demonstrate that an agreed competency standard has been attained.
· Develop and maintain teaching, training and communication skills to deal directly and effectively with medical and nursing staff, using empathy and persuasive skills to defuse difficult situations.
· Participate in the individual performance review system in accordance with Health Board guidelines.
· Acquire and maintain relevant competency standards for this post.
· Maintain specialist knowledge of quality schemes and standards and advise managers of changes for implementation of National & International guidelines associated with BSQR, SHOT, SABRE, ISO and MHRA.
Communication
· Deal with telephone calls and enquiries from within the organisation, partner organisations, other enquiries and individual health care professionals.
· Understand the need for effective communication within the HTT and wider environs of the HB as required for effective implementation of the roles and requirements of the post. To be able to demonstrate effective and appropriate skills in
· communicating information, advice, instruction and professional opinion to colleagues and trainees.
· Communicate effectively and assertively with other professionals within the Health Board as a whole. This may include a requirement to present and communicate in formal meetings and in forums where contentious issues are being discussed.
IT Skills
· Be fully conversant with the computer based departmental quality management system for accessing controlled documentation and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
· Review, amend or revise specific Standard Operational Procedures (SOPs), in their section using document control software, informing and updating staff of developments and changes in practice.
· Possess a good working knowledge of the Microsoft software packages required to perform routine duties within the laboratory e.g. Word, Powerpoint and Excel.
· Possess an understanding and good working knowledge of Clinical Systems e.g. Indigo Review and The Welsh Clinical Portal.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
Desirable criteria
Experience
Essential criteria
Desirable criteria
Swansea Bay University Health Board is committed to supporting its staff and processes to fully embrace the need for bilingualism thereby enhancing service users experience. In our commitment to increase the number of staff able to communicate in Welsh with patients and professionals, we would particularly welcome applications from Welsh speakers.
Equality remains at the centre of the Health Boards policy-making, service delivery and employment practices. We value the diversity of our staff and welcome applications from people from protected groups under the Equality Act 2010, this specifically includes age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/reassignment, race, religion, disability, pregnancy and maternity and marriage and civil partnership.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Welsh language skills are desirable