Cardiac Rehab Physiotherapist/Exercise Physiologist/Cardiac Rehab RGN

Job overview

We are looking for a Band 6 Physiotherapist/Exercise Physiologist/Cardiac Rehab Nurse to join our Heart Failure & Cardiac Rehab team

We are a small team of nurses and support assistants, delivering Heart Failure clinics and Cardiac Rehabilitation classes across West Essex - Harlow, Epping and Uttlesford.

We are in the process of integrating the cardiac and respiratory team and this will be an opportunity to support this integration.

We are looking for a Band 6 Physiotherapist/Cardiac Rehab nurse or exercise physiologist for this role. Consideration will be given to newly qualified professionals with the right attitude to progress.

• To be responsible for providing community based cardiac rehabilitation in a variety of settings and assessment clinic and be flexible to deliver programmes at different times to enable patient choice
• To use evidence based practice to deliver care and develop cardiac rehabilitation services the patient pathway in line with BACPR guidelines.
• To assess, plan, advise and evaluate the treatment of patients within the speciality.
• To be able to provide education to patients individually and in group settings
• Be able to assess patients who have highly complex physical, psychological and social needs and work as an autonomous practitioner.
• Work in collaboration with the wider Multidisciplinary team to ensure effective communication and co-ordinated delivery of care for patients and carers.

Main duties of the job

• To be professionally accountable and responsible for all aspects of own work, including the management of own caseload/ cardiac rehabilitation group.
• To accept designated clinical responsibility for the patient groups and ensure systems to organise this efficiently and effectively with regard to clinical priorities and use of your own and others time and clinical skills.
• To ensure a high standard of clinical care for the patients under your management, and support more junior staff to do likewise.
• Undertake a comprehensive assessment of patients with cardiac disease, who may have complex conditions including multi-pathology.
• Work autonomously within scope of practice to make clinical decisions and judgements regarding patient management as per local/national and international guidelines.
• Contribute in planning programmes of cardiac care, for delivery, across all localities co-ordinating staff, venues, patients and use of digital technology.
• Use well developed clinical reasoning and departmental/local guidelines to needs assess, risk assess and advise on treatment and lifestyle changes.
• Deliver expert health education.
• Clinically supervise, educate and mentor junior members of staff.
• Undertake environmental risk assessments to ensure patient and staff safety.
• To develop and maintain skills required to practice at an advanced level
• To ensure that all clinical records, reports and documentation are completed promptly and to a satisfactory legal standard.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Patient/Client Care

• The post holder must use advanced communication skills be able to give explanations of the patient’s cardiac condition and proposed management to the patient and discuss expected outcomes with them.
• Assist patients in identifying their care needs, evaluating and managing their own care, to ensure they seek appropriate help and advice when required
• The post holder is required to educate patients on an individual and group basis.
• Ensure the patient understands and agrees to therapy plan and to set realistic timescales for achieving goals.
• Undertake an individual risk assessment for exercise, based on cardiac history and current medical conditions. Taking into consideration both cardiac and physical risk of exercise allowing

Communication Skills

• The post holder will need to communicate effectively and in a timely manner with other health professionals to discuss clinical management plans
• The post holder must be able to counsel patients individually on a daily basis over the telephone or face to face.
• The post holder will be able to deliver teaching sessions at differing levels to educate groups of patients and other staff members.
• To urgently report and take appropriate action if there are concerns about staff or a patient’s safety to more senior staff or other specialists e.g. in the event of a cardiac arrest be able to manage both the patient, other patients and staff whilst arranging paramedic attendance.
• Liaise with and support other family members as appropriate.
• Refer and/or signpost individuals to other health or help agencies appropriately.
• To represent the community cardiac service at meetings with other professionals with the aim of accurately contributing and reporting back relevant information to their line manager.

Education and Research

• The post holder will contribute to audit information regarding the provision of cardiac care and cardiac rehabilitation recruitment, uptake and evaluation of the cardiac care programmes on a monthly basis.
• Maintain and further knowledge within speciality of cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation to expert level.
• Participate in sharing knowledge and skills with other health professionals.
• Consider and present clinical effectiveness projects that promote service development and personal development.
• Act as a resource and be able to provide educational sessions for community teams.

Organisational Responsibilities

• To be responsible for day-to-day operational delivery of Cardiac Rehabilitation and contribute to the strategic development of exercise provision within the service as agreed with the Service Lead for Community Cardiac Team.
• To plan, co-ordinate and evaluate this effectively and efficiently with regard to patient management and use of time and skills by staff within the service
• To be personally responsible for all aspects of safety relating to equipment used when exercising the patient or issued to a patient for their own use. To be responsible for checking emergency equipment prior to use.
• To provide supervision and mentorship to junior staff, students and other team members
• Assist with service development proposals – identifying gaps and pressures in the service, proposing and implementing remedial action as agreed with line manager.
• Attendance and representation at neighbourhood locality meetings, CCG meetings, trust service development meetings and team meetings as deemed appropriate

Information Management

• Accurately gather information and input data using electronic systems (System One) as per Trust policies. This information will also be provided for inclusion and contribution to the National Audit Cardiac Rehabilitation (NACR)

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.