Critical Care Technologist

Job overview

The Critical Care environment is a highly concentrated area of sophisticated electro-medical equipment which monitors patients’ vital signs, analyses respiratory and metabolic activity and supports respiratory and renal functions. Duties of the Critical Care Technologist include dealing with technical problems as they arise, as well as routine maintenance, calibration and quality assurance of equipment.

The post is to provide specialist technical knowledge in the area of Critical care technology to assist in the smooth running of the CICU critical care area, the wider Children’s Hospital, Children’s Emergency Department and support Adult, Cardiac PICU and Neonatal ICU and Theatres and wards at all UHL sites in the provision of medical devices.

Main duties of the job

A wide range of complex diagnostic, therapeutic and analytical equipment is managed to ensure equipment operates effectively and safely.

• Training on equipment is given to nursing and medical staff.
• Advice is provided and demonstrations organised during equipment procurement.
• To have responsibility for carrying out scheduled maintenance, servicing, repair and calibration on a wide range of medical equipment.
• Work to high standards of safety and accountability.
• Liaise very closely with clinical, technical, managerial and manufacturing staff to ensure the smooth running of equipment on the units.
• Actively contribute to the improvement of services and the quality of provision to meet the needs of service users, patients and colleagues.

Ensure medical devices required by clinical teams are available when required and performs as per manufacturer’s literature

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Undertake advanced fault-finding utilising precision tools and metering equipment. Apply suitable fault-finding techniques to diagnose problems, including those beyond the scope of manufacturer supplied information. Report novel fault conditions to manufacturers. Exercise judgement to determine the causes of faults in devices with multiple complex and inter-related systems (e.g. electronic, computer and mechanical systems), which may be due to user error, equipment failure or environmental issues.
• Train staff in the safe and effective use of medical devices
• Troubleshoot at bedside to help patient-staff-medical device interaction be as good as possible
• Rectify complex equipment faults. Where necessary involve the Electro-medical Servicing Section.
• Check that equipment performs to manufacturer’s specification.
• Carry out daily, weekly and monthly maintenance and calibration procedures.
• Manage the quality control for various Point of Care equipment used within Critical Care Units liaising with Pathology Department as necessary.
• Carry out electrical, mechanical and functional safety checks.
• Using technical and clinical experience, and through regular communication with the nursing and medical staff, identify potentially hazardous symptoms and faults on the critical care units.
• Liaise with clinical staff to plan planned preventative maintenance. Adjust schedules in response to short-term clinical needs.
• Advise on equipment specification, evaluation and selection.
• Be involved in equipment procurement procedure by advising on specification and organising demonstrations to aid evaluation and selection.
• In conjunction with nursing, medical and technical/scientific staff, identify and implement improvements to equipment/equipment usage/procedures and practices including designing and writing equipment competencies.
• Be familiar with the roles of the Specialist Medical Physics Technicians on other Critical Care Units in order to provide cover and support.
• Work carried out will comply with set procedures and conform to the appropriate quality standards.
• Keep relevant scientific and technical records of work performed. In particular ensure that computerised equipment management systems are kept up to date.
• Liaise with manufacturers to obtain information and provide feedback on equipment performance.
• Monitor stocks of appropriate consumables, components and spares, reordering where necessary to keep an adequate stock. Liaise closely with Critical care senior staff to ensure ITU stock levels are maintained.
• Take responsibility for all tools and equipment within the Postholder’s care. Ensure workshop facilities are kept clear and tidy and that all equipment is maintained to acceptable standards.
• Provide technical advice to medical and other staff groups as appropriate.
• Provide technical expertise and assistance to other functions within the Department as appropriate.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with external partners eg off site sterilising department,
• Respond to field safety notices as necessary keeping all staff informed of health and safety MDA field safety notices
• Liaise with manufacturers and external companies to ensure equipment is fit for purpose.
• Draw up and ensure continued provision of external contracts for servicing equipment. Liaising with finance department as required and keeping accurate records
• Clean and decontaminate contaminated equipment. Information must be sought as to the nature of contamination and the associated risks before carrying this action out.
• Manage own day-to-day workload and the workload of others with only minimal direction by line manager. Maintain high quality customer services in the absence of senior staff.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.