Job overview
This is a fixed term post to cover maternity leave for 12 months. The role sits within with Trauma and Orthopaedic team and involves providing expert assistance to the Consultant and Specialist Trainees in the provision of a high quality, patient centred service. The role will largely be based in our elective service at Guy’s but may include some Trauma support across both sites.
The Physician Associate role involves working alongside the medical and nursing teams, in the orthopaedic ward areas managing patients with orthopaedic related issues and existing management plans. The post-holder will build on their skills in clerking, assessing and examining patients gained through their physician associate training. They will be required present to more senior members of the team, initiate and interpret relevant investigations, and escalate any deviation from existing management plans appropriately.
There will be a focus on acquiring skills and knowledge in the relevant speciality field (trauma or elective orthopaedics).
They will be supervised by a designated consultant and will also have an individual named supervisor to overview their career development. It is expected that the Physician Associates will become involved in the activities of the Department, including coordinating patients on pre and post-operative pathways, reviewing patients admitted to the ward/s and providing subsequent management of cases in conjunction with the rest of the team.
Main duties of the job
Ward based
1. Ensure every patient under the care of their subspecialty team is seen on a daily basis.
2. Prompt escalation of unwell patients along appropriate channels
3. Document daily reviews/ward rounds
4. Request appropriate diagnostic studies and perform these studies if required as part of their core clinical skills
5. Complete a VTE assessment
6. Ensure electronic discharge summaries are up to date
Theatres
· Assist in the operating theatre
Outpatient
7. Support consultant led outpatient clinics and have the opportunity to see patients under the direct supervision of a consultant and develop a joint management plan
8. · Review post-operative wounds on request and escalate appropriately if any concerns
Departmental
9. Attend the MDT meetings of their respective subspecialty team. Ensure the outcomes of the MDT are documented and management plans communicated the relevant teams
10. Collect monthly morbidity and mortality data for their subspecialty team and present this data at the monthly audit meeting
Working for our organisation
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK’s best known hospitals – Guy’s, St Thomas’, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield – as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation. We are among the UK’s busiest, most successful foundation trusts. We have a long tradition of clinical and scientific achievement and – as part of King’s Health Partners – we are one of England’s eight academic health sciences centres, bringing together world-class clinical services, teaching and research. We have one of the National Institute for Health Research’s biomedical research centres, established with King’s College London in 2007, as well as dedicated clinical research facilities. We have around 22,700 staff, making us one of the largest NHS Trusts in the country and one of the biggest employers locally. We aim to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and continue to develop new and existing partnerships with local people, patients, neighbouring NHS organisations, local authorities and charitable bodies and GPs. We strive to recruit and retain the best staff as the dedication and skills of our employees lie at the heart of our organisation and ensure that our services are of the highest quality, safe and focused on our patients.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Ward based
· Ensure every patient under the care of their subspecialty team is seen on a daily basis. This may include supporting a ward round or reviewing pre or post-op patients on an approved local pathway with an existing post-operative management plan or a plan documented in the trauma MDT. We recommend that each patient is reviewed by a doctor of any level at least once every 48 hours
· Prompt escalation of unwell patients along appropriate channels
· Discussion of any new symptoms with the ward doctor and escalation along approved channels with the team. We consider inpatients under our care as differentiated patients
· Escalation to senior colleagues if a deviation from management plan is required
· Document daily reviews/ward rounds in a prompt, clear and reproducible manner
· Maintain patient lists and ensure these are updated on a daily basis
· Handover outstanding tasks and investigations at the end of each shift
· Take medical histories and perform physical examinations
· Request appropriate diagnostic studies and perform these studies if required as part of their core clinical skills Venepuncture, Blood culture, Cannulation, Arterial blood gas sampling, Catheterisation and NG tube insertion.
· Interpret any requested diagnostic studies such as radiograph reports, blood test results, ECG and urinalysis. Escalation to senior colleagues of any abnormal results
· All newly admitted patients and patients admitted for elective surgery will require clerking. When available, PAs should assist the medical team in clerking patients
· Understand what medications the patients are on. Be able to identify and escalate prescribing discrepancies and lack of VTE to the appropriate team
· Complete a VTE assessment. Prescribing the pharmacological or mechanical thromboprophylaxis is not expected but clearly document with whom and when the need for a prescription was discussed.
· Ensure electronic discharge summaries are up to date
Theatres
· Assist in the operating theatre
Outpatient
· Support consultant led outpatient clinics and have the opportunity to see patients under the direct supervision of a consultant and develop a joint management plan
· Review post-operative wounds on request and escalate appropriately if any concerns
Departmental
· Attend the MDT meetings of their respective subspecialty team. Along with other team members, ensure the outcomes of the MDT are documented and management plans communicated the relevant teams
· Collect monthly morbidity and mortality data for their subspecialty team and present this data at the monthly audit meeting
Person specification
Knowledge/Qualifications
Essential criteria
11. GMC Registration
12. PG Dip in Physician Associate Studies from a UK training programme
13. Valid certification of Physician Associate National Exam
Desirable criteria
14. BLS/ILS/PILS/ALS Certification
15. Teaching qualification
16. ATLS Observership
Previous experience
Essential criteria
17. Clinical training/experience in general medicine
18. Experience in Trauma and Orthopaedics
19. Evidence of active participation in audit
Desirable criteria
20. Research experience
21. Teaching experience
22. Experience in a surgical specialty
Skills
Essential criteria
23. Ability to take responsibility for clinical care of patients under the supervision of Consultants
24. Demonstrates clinical Leadership
25. Ability to identify surgical complications and escalate appropriately
26. Commitment to a career in Trauma and Orthopaedics
Desirable criteria
27. Ability to apply research outcomes to clinical problems
28. Understanding of peer review process and governance processes
29. Operational experience with EPIC patient software
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
30. Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively with a wide range of multi-disciplinary staff
31. Creates good working Relationships and ability to work in a team
32. Demonstrates initiative/drive
Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study’s at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership.