NEPTS - Patient Carer, Higher Level Assistant
Job Description
Job summary
East Midlands Ambulance NHS Trust is pleased to advertise this new role within Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services. We provide patient transport services within Derbyshire, Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire and currently have vacancies across Lincolnshire where you will be based on one of our many stations.
Are you looking for a new challenge? Would you like to join a team that is committed to providing quality patient care? Maybe you aren't sure what the role involves? Check out our video in the supporting information that will give you an overview of what a typical shift looks like.
Whether you are looking in to a role with us now, or a few months down the line, we are actively recruiting throughout the next 12 months and have planned course dates throughout the year.
Main duties of the job
You must be a motivated and committed person to delivering outstanding care. Your personal values should align to the EMAS values of respect, integrity, compassion, teamwork and competence.
The post holder will be required to transport high dependency, non-ambulatory patients and escorts to and from all points of care in a comfortable, caring, compassionate, emphatic, reassuring and timely manner. You will work to defined standards in order to assist in the provision of an efficient and effective Patient Transport Service.
This will include manual handling of patients, the care of patients and assisting patients as well as driving and route planning. The administration of prescribed oxygen is included.
The patients will have varying mobilities including non-ambulatory and ambulatory patients that may need to be carried (including stairs) using various pieces of equipment including wheeled in a wheelchair, carry chairs, assistance aids or a stretcher and escorted to and from the vehicle. Further duties include assisting patients to walk and administering emergency first-aid.
You will be expected to deliver excellent customer service and care to all healthcare professionals whilst carrying out duties using ambulance service policies and procedures.
About us
Our NEPTS Patient Carers, Higher Level assistants work up to 37.5 hours per week across a range of shifts including days, nights, weekends and public holidays. Some of the shift patterns will require you to work a 24-hour rotating pattern.
All roles within NEPTS will require you to use technology such as a PDA and an iPad. During your education period, you will produce workbooks, undertake written and practical assessments and engage in face-to-face and online learning.
Please do not apply for this role if you have recently (within the past two weeks) been invited for an interview/if you have received email confirmation that you have progressed to interview stage. Applicants who been unsuccessful at interview/online assessment for this role, for any of our geographical areas within the past 6 months, will not be considered.
Job responsibilities
Main responsibilities:
1. To undertake journeys, transporting high dependency, non- ambulatory patients and escorts, including, health care professionals to and from specified locations (points of care) detailed within the journey booking to enable contractual requirements to be met, predominantly as part of a two-person crew. There may however be exceptions where operational needs require solo working.
2. To ensure the safety and well-being of patients at all times whilst in your care both on and off the vehicle and, when driving NEPTS vehicles, to ensure that consideration is given to other road users.
3. To ensure that patients are transferred without any undue delay (and within contractual quality requirements) both within a period of duty and, as necessary, when working over-time after a period of duty. Any updates to patient journey records will be identified and relayed to the Non-Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) as soon as practicable.
4. Ensure that patients are safe and secure at all times whilst left unattended and when escorted and assisted to and from the vehicle.
5. Complete dynamic risk assessments for moving patients safely and advise NEOC of any perceived problems, for example using carry chairs in confined spaces, on stairs, outside steps and uneven road surfaces.
6. Deliver patient care to an appropriate skill level in accordance with the training received and within scope of practice. This will include the administration of prescribed / monitoring of oxygen in accordance with patient booking details and within policy and procedure.
7. To manoeuvre high dependency, non-ambulatory and ambulatory patients, including those classed as bariatric into NEPTS vehicles using either the patients wheelchair or vehicle equipment such as a stretcher, wheelchair, carry chairs and secure both patient and equipment within the vehicle using appropriate equipment as per the training received. The equipment list is not exhaustive and will vary through evolved practices.
8. To have the physical ability to use the equipment provided, this will include the use of all types of carrying equipment such as chairs, stretchers, manual handling aids. This will include risk assessing the best way to undertake moving of patients taking into consideration their medical needs.
9. Ensure that all patients and escorts are safe in the Ambulance vehicle, e.g. seat belts fastened, stretchers and wheelchairs correctly secured.
10. To maintain the highest standards of conduct, patient care, and courtesy in dealing with patients whilst always maintaining their dignity and privacy. To provide demonstration of duties to new staff.
11. To maintain the highest standards of patient care and conduct in dealing with members of the public and other Health Service staff, and, as a representative of the Trust, to seek to promote a high-quality professional service at all times.
12. Provide reassurance to patients whilst making their journey as comfortable and safe as possible and to be observant and knowledgeable to the fact that patients health can alter/deteriorate at any given time.
13. To comply at all times with Trust procedures and relevant legislation to ensure an effective service delivery and ensuring the health, safety and welfare of patients and colleagues.
14. To observe situations in relation to patient well-being and safeguarding including their home environment and notify any potential problems to the NEOC and the appropriate manager and responsible medical carer.
15. To ensure the timely, accurate and legible completion of operationaldocumentation.
16. To maintain close liaison with NEOC, advising of any changes to normal routine and procedure including re-planning journeys due to road conditions, adverse weather or patients not ready. Cancellation of bookings or changes in mobility status.
17. Vehicle and equipment is wiped down between patients and at end of shift, ensuring adherence to all Trust Infection Prevention Control Procedures.
18. To maintain vehicles, equipment and premises to defined standards at all times. This will include ensuring that NEPTS vehicles and equipment are in operational readiness (for example, re-fuelled), daily vehicle checks and that any defects are reported. It may also include assistance with house-keeping duties as and when required. Ensure the vehicle has the correct, working communication equipment (PDA), reporting any identified defects using the current reporting procedures.
19. To report any hazardous or dangerous equipment, premises or practices to the appropriate line manager.
20. Report all near miss/incidents immediately through the Trust Incident Reporting Procedure.
21. To undertake all job-related training including online essential education as required to facilitate the provision of a service and then ensuring knowledge of equipment use and procedures is maintained. This will include the Trusts NEPTS driver training course.
22. To adopt a flexible approach in response to operational needs regarding duties, base / location and hours of work.
23. To undertake any other reasonable and appropriate duties as required.
Person Specification
Qualification
Essential
- 2 GCSEs to include English and one other subject (grade D/3 or above) or a literacy qualification or equivalent or previous experience in this or similar field of work
- Full clean manual driving licence (including category A - old style licence - or categories B - new style license) - minor offences may be considered, with no more than 3 penalty points in total
Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to complete documents accurately.
- Ability to communicate at all levels both in writing and verbally to manage patient data and achieve minimum mandatory requirements
Desirable
- Possess knowledge of the work of an ambulance service
Experience
Essential
- Evidence of a caring approach - for example: paid or unpaid experience in a direct carerelated capacity.
- Demonstrable driving experience (since obtaining full licence).
Desirable
- Experience of working in care providing environment
