Clinical Sleep Technician/Nurse

Job overview

The Sleep Technician/Nurse will work under the supervision of the Lead Nurse within a very busy Sleep Department, collaborating to deliver high-quality patient care.

The post holder will be responsible for initiating and reviewing CPAP therapy and assessing its effectiveness. They will provide patient education on sleep-disordered breathing, ensuring individuals understand their condition and treatment.

The role requires maintaining up-to-date clinical knowledge, producing accurate and clinically relevant results, and taking responsibility for ongoing professional development and registration requirements. The post holder is also expected to consistently demonstrate compassion, respect, and professionalism in interactions with both patients and colleagues.

This role does not meet the minimum criteria for visa sponsorship under the current UK immigration rules, which set specific salary and skill thresholds. As such, we are unable to provide sponsorship for this post. Applicants will therefore need to already have the right to work in the UK to be considered. We include this information at the outset to provide clarity and avoid unnecessary inconvenience for applicants.

If you do not meet the sponsorship requirements, and you are applying using a Graduate visa as your right to work, you must have a minimum of 18 months remaining on your visa at time of application.

Main duties of the job

The Sleep Technician/ Nurse will work under the Lead Physiologist supervision in the sleep departments alongside the sleep nurses. The post holder is required:

• To set up patients on CPAP and review patients, review efficacy of CPAP therapy & identify further testing if required.
• To educate patients around sleep disordered breathing.
• To maintain up to date clinical knowledge.
• To obtain accurate and informative results.
• To be responsible for own professional development and professional registration.
• To demonstrate care and respect, for both patients and fellow staff members.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical and Technical Responsibilities

• Set up new patients on CPAP machines, selecting and fitting appropriate interfaces, and adjusting therapy settings in line with the sleep study findings to ensure optimal treatment efficacy and patient comfort.
• Educate patients about their sleep conditions, explaining the results of the sleep study, including a description of the physiological events observed.
• Ensure the patient understands the nature and severity of their condition and provide education on the potential short- and long-term health implications of both treating and not treating obstructive sleep apnoea. This includes discussing the impact on cardiovascular health, daytime functioning, and overall quality of life, thereby supporting informed decision-making and promoting adherence to therapy.
• Offer advice on relevant DVLA regulations relating to sleep apnoea and driving, ensuring patients are aware of their responsibilities. In addition, they will discuss potential risks associated with CPAP use, troubleshoot common issues, and provide guidance on managing therapy in a variety of situations, including travel, to promote adherence, safety, and optimal clinical outcomes.
• Carry out both telephone and face-to-face review clinics, delivering ongoing assessment and support for patients established on CPAP therapy.
• Will need to use a range of verbal and non-verbal tools to be able to communicate effectively with patients who may have a variety of different communication requirements, such as patients with language barriers, cognitive or learning difficulties, and varying levels of health literacy, recognising the higher prevalence of such challenges among patients with sleep apnoea. The clinician will ensure information is delivered in a clear, accessible, and supportive manner to promote understanding, engagement, and adherence to therapy.
• Be responsible for making clinical decisions regarding initial treatment of the patient without supervision, including interpreting sleep study data to determine the type and severity of sleep apnoea, and integrating this with the patient’s clinical presentation—such as reported symptoms, level of daytime sleepiness, comorbidities, and relevant social factors—to inform and implement the most appropriate treatment plan.
• Make clinical decision about complex cases and discharge of patients under the supervision of the Band 7 Sleep Nurses.
• Troubleshoot areas of concern with regards to equipment and staff to ensure an efficient service.
• Support the Sleep clinic preparing and downloading sleep study devices if required.
• The postholder will from time to time be required to obtain arterial blood gas (ABG) samples to support the assessment of obesity hypoventilation syndrome. This procedure demands a high level of accuracy, and training will be provided if needed.
• Accurately record electronic information relating to equipment issued to patients and discuss with patients the appropriateness of their therapy.
• Liaise when necessary with consultants and senior sleep nurses to review and evaluate patients’ clinical progress, therapy compliance, and overall response to treatment. This includes presenting relevant clinical information, discussing any challenges or barriers to adherence, and contributing to shared decision-making regarding ongoing management plans.
• Participate in team meetings, recording and circulating minutes of these, to work collaboratively to foster good communication within the department at all times and to encourage the exchange and implementation of new ideas and evidence-based practice.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Managerial and Organisation Responsibilities (including human resource, financial, information and physical resource responsibilities)

• Facilitate students and others to develop their competence through supervision,

• Providing cross cover as and when required to the other hospital sites.

teaching and role modelling.

• Assist in setting department objectives in line with the Unit, Corporate and

national objectives.

• Responsibility for ensuring that safe systems of work are practised in the Sleep department and that all Health and Safety legislation, other relevant legislation and Trust policies are adhered to.
• Responsibility for undertaking risk assessments and reporting all significant problems and identified hazards to the Respiratory speciality management group meetings.
• To communicate and negotiate with staff at all levels, within the Trust (medical, nursing, technical and administrative colleagues, Consultant medical staff and senior management) and external stakeholders as required.
• To maintain databases and records and to produce timely and relevant statistical reports on workload.
• Active participation in the MDTs or Respiratory meetings.
• To ensure that all information is recorded appropriately on the necessary clinical systems.
• To ensure all statistical and activity data including coded is accurately recorded.
• To ensure stock is replenished on a weekly basis allowing space to be allocated within the stock areas.
• Participate in audits and research to help improve and support the service.

People management and development

• Responsible for jointly overseeing the work of the Sleep Coordinators alongside  the other sleep nurses. •    Participate in the setting of standards for clinical practice and for care involving the multi-disciplinary team. •    Maintain awareness of Trust and National targets, ensuring that within the scope of your role you support their delivery.  •    To have responsibility for risk management and health and safety in the workplace.  •    Work with the MDT to ensure infection control procedures and cleanliness are observed in the clinical area.  •    Maintain awareness of evidence base and best practice in clinical care ensuring that within the scope of your role you support their delivery. •    Responsible for carrying out duties in line with the Trust’s e-rostering processes, including managing rosters, supporting staff allocation, and contributing to effective budget reconciliation and workforce planning

Responsibilities for policy and service development and implementation.

• Work with the site lead to ensure all standard operating procedures are embedded as required.
• To demonstrate innovative practice and seek to always develop knowledge and awareness.
• To demonstrate leadership skills and initiative in all areas of service delivery

Training Responsibilities (including staff development)

• Provide training and ongoing support to respiratory nurses managing ward patients receiving CPAP therapy on a weekly basis, which will include training on how to use the machine, appropriate mask selection and fitting, troubleshooting of common issues, and answer questions related to the therapy and good practice.
• To lead group training sessions with the MDT team, which may include nurses, AHPs and medical staff, on a quarterly basis.
• Ensuring adherence to statutory and mandatory training as per trust policy
• Participate in departmental meetings

Professional and self-development responsibilities

• Participate in regular in-house and external clinical training to maintain up-to-date knowledge of clinical practices, as well as any updates to CPAP devices and monitoring systems.
• Achieve agreed strategic objectives to effectively contribute to provision of department’s services.
• To undertake Continued Professional Development in accordance with professional registration.

Learning and development

• Attend mandatory training updates as required.
• Undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with the line manager as part of the personal development process.
• Achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales.
• Identify own learning needs and jointly plan training requirements with your line manager
• Participate in the Trust’s appraisal process to discuss how your role will help deliver the best possible care to our patients and help to deliver any changes in service.

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This job description is an outline of the role and responsibilities. From time to time due to the needs of the service, we may ask you to flexibly undertake other duties that are consistent with your role and banding, including project work, internal job rotation and absence cover.

The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the department and the organisation.