Orthopaedic Practitioner

Job overview

The post holder will be responsible for assessing individual patient care needs and developing, implementing, and evaluating plans of care in accordance with agreed policies and professional guidelines.

The role involves providing a comprehensive plastering service across orthopaedic wards, fracture clinics, theatres, outpatient clinics, and the Emergency Department, working flexibly to meet the needs of the service.

The post holder will work autonomously, undertaking holistic assessments and examinations to inform and implement appropriate management plans. Using specialist knowledge and skills, they will deliver high-quality treatment within the Plaster Room and support the Lead Orthopaedic Practitioner in the development of both new and existing services.

The role requires close collaboration with the Lead Orthopaedic Practitioner, Senior Nurses, Divisional Managers, and the wider multidisciplinary team to ensure delivery of high-quality, patient-focused, and cost-effective care. The post holder will also contribute to the provision of formal and informal teaching within the multidisciplinary team and act as a resource for ongoing education and development within the service.

The post holder is accountable for their own professional practice, works without direct supervision, and reports to the Lead Orthopaedic Practitioner.

Main duties of the job

• Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate patient care in line with professional standards and Trust policies
• Provide a specialist plaster casting service across multiple clinical settings including wards, theatres, fracture clinics, outpatient clinics, and Emergency Department
• Work autonomously to carry out holistic patient assessments and deliver appropriate management plans
• Apply specialist plastering techniques using plaster of Paris (POP) and synthetic materials
• Undertake application and adjustment of splints and braces
• Perform associated clinical procedures including wound care, removal of sutures, clips, and percutaneous K-wires
• Assist clinicians in delivering patient treatment plans
• Work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team to ensure effective and high-quality care delivery
• Support service development alongside the Lead Orthopaedic Practitioner
• Maintain flexibility to meet service demands and patient needs
• Contribute to education and training of staff within the department

At DCHFT, we pride ourselves on the care we provide for our patients, and on the culture, we are creating for our staff. We work hard to create a fair, inclusive environment for our staff.

Our Mission is to provide outstanding care for people in ways which matter to them, and our vision is Dorset County Hospital, working with our health and social care partners, will be at the heart of improving the well-being of our communities.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will be directly involved in patient care across the plaster room, theatres, Emergency Department, and wards. This includes the application, adjustment, and removal of casts and related orthopaedic appliances.

They will liaise closely with clinicians to ensure correct positioning of limbs before, during, and after casting procedures. The post holder will be expected to raise concerns promptly with the clinician in charge if any issues are identified.

Working autonomously, the post holder will formulate and deliver high-quality care, seeking guidance where required when situations fall outside defined standards. They will ensure that patient safety is maintained at all times, reporting and documenting adverse or potentially adverse events and supporting investigations, ensuring lessons learned are shared across the team.

The role includes responsibility for identifying and escalating any difficulties in achieving expected plastering standards to the Lead Orthopaedic Practitioner, Consultant, or Registrar, and taking appropriate action.

The post holder will work collaboratively with the wider departmental team to deliver outpatient services in line with Trust policies, procedures, and protocols, ensuring effective use of allocated resources.

They will promote a positive, professional, and approachable image at all times when interacting with patients, colleagues, and visitors within the Outpatients department.

Additionally, the post holder will contribute to both formal and informal teaching within the multidisciplinary team, supporting staff development and acting as a specialist resource within the service.

We understand that AI can be a useful tool when completing your application. However, we are seeing an increasing over-reliance of AI tools, which can negatively affect your application as it reduces a candidate’s individuality, and makes it difficult for us to gain a clear and authentic understanding of your experience, skills, and in turn your suitability for the role.

All submissions must be truthful and if you do use AI, it should only be used to enhance your application and not create your supporting statement in its entirety. Your supporting statement should be in your own words and must accurately reflect your personal experience and achievements.  Where we have concerns that AI has been used to generate content that misrepresents your experience and suitability for the role, we may withdraw your application.