Our Theatre Support Workers work under the direction of our registered theatre practitioners, undertaking duties relating to the care of patients including the preparation and cleaning of the theatres, collecting patients from wards and returning them following surgery, and supporting the team to maintain an environment that is ready to provide safe, high quality care.
Responsibilities
* Enable surgical procedures and theatre lists to run efficiently, supporting the registered practitioner to perform their duties effectively by acting as an integral part of the theatre team.
* Assist in the set up of your theatre each morning ensuring all Trust policies and procedures are followed.
* Assist the scrub practitioner in setting up for surgical procedures including equipment, such as diathermy machines, suction and endoscopic stacks.
* Act as the secondary checker when counting swabs, needles, instruments and sterile fluids with a registered member of staff, ensuring any discrepancies are communicated with the theatre team.
* Circulate for surgical procedures ensuring sterility is maintained, and instrumentation, equipment and sundries are available as required by the registered practitioner.
* Demonstratable knowledge of how a sterile field is maintained and how to act if the field is compromised.
* Actively participates in the completion of World Health Organisation's Five Steps to Safer Surgery.
* Support the theatre practitioner in the care of the peri-operative patient assisting with specific nursing procedures as required.
* Perform clinical observations on patients under the supervision of the registered practitioner within the scope of competency training, being able to recognise, record and report changes in patients' condition and relevant observations to registered staff.
* Accurately measure and record blood loss: weighing swabs, measuring suction to calculate loss before information is communicated/reported to anaesthetist and registered staff.
* Sterilisation of specialised equipment in decontamination area as required by specialty, following manufacturer's and Trust guidance.
* Overall management of scopes, including the organisation of repairs per COSHH and manufactures guidance and daily maintenance of storage cabinets and stock levels.
* Support the perioperative team in sending for patients where appropriate and receive a handover of care from the ward teams ensuring receipt of clinical notes and handover of care face-to-face at the patient's bedside as per Locssips guidance.
* Assist in safe transfer of postoperative patients back to the ward ensuring oxygen is available and in working order.
* Carry out patient safety checks and report any discrepancies to the theatre practitioner in charge.
* Demonstrate correct use of PPE for laser, X Ray, infected cases, chemical spillages and disposal of clinical waste and fluids.
* Escort the patient to the anaesthetic room, assisting the anaesthetist and anaesthetic practitioner as necessary, ensuring the appropriate monitoring and equipment is applied as requested within the scope of competency training.
* Assist with the moving and handling of patients from bed to theatre trolleys, ensuring correct position, following adequate training.
* Act as the patient's advocate, maintaining their dignity at all times within a departmental team to ensure total Pre, Peri and Post-operative care.
* Work flexibility within the department, according to competency and skills.
* Monitor and manage the replacement of fluids using relevant fluid management systems during orthopaedic/urology surgery and other applicable surgical procedures ensuring expiry dates are checked with registered practitioner.
* Be able to receive and care for theatre specimen correctly and understand the differing requirements for histology, culture and sensitivity, cytology and frozen sections, with oversight from registered practitioner.
* Arrange the collection of specimens in a timely manner using established organisational practices liaising with external partners as required.
* Collect and accept blood products in accordance with the trust policy ensuring they are delivered to the correct theatre in both elective and emergency procedures. Demonstrates correct storage of blood in theatre blood fridges.
* Care for the dying/organ donation patient with dignity, providing support to the visiting teams as required.
* Maintain a safe environment for patients and staff by completing checks as required and reporting immediately any hazards or areas of concern.
* Act within a link role where required for training competencies e.g. blood collection, fire safety.
Qualifications
* Demonstrates a willingness and capability to undertake NVQ Level 3.
* Demonstrable experience in a theatre setting.
* Previous Care experience, Reputation for high standard of patient care, Excellent communication skills.
* Ability to develop effective interpersonal relationships with colleagues in the healthcare setting.
* Basic Computer skills.
* Ability to work independently and as part of a team, Supportive of colleagues and patients.
* Committed to high standards of patient care.
We are looking for a person to help our team make a positive difference to patients and the care that they recieve. The successful candidate should be hard working, caring, compassionate and keen to learn.
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