Job overview

The post holder will work as part of a team to provide a safe, cost effective, efficient care environment for patients, relatives and carers. They will be expected to function clinically within the Theatres Department and other associated areas as required. They will also be actively involved in providing supervision and guidance to junior or less experience health care support assistant and care support workers.

The Theatre Support Workers (TSW) will perform circulating duties for a define range of surgical procedures for which they will be competency assessed. They will received a competency based assessment training as part of the theatre department induction programme.

The Theatre Support Worker requires a wide range of competencies including – communication skills, problem solving, recognising and responding appropriately to emergency situations, demonstrating awareness of equality and diversity issues, maintaining privacy  as  well as variety of clinical skills.

To maintain own personal and professional development with the support of the Practice Development Lead Nurse.

To demonstrates commitment to Trust CARES Values and Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England.

Main duties of the job

1. Communicate and respectfully with patients, team leaders and all members of the multi-professional theatre team utilising a wide range well developed communication methods.
2. Uses effective communication, written and verbal with all levels of staff including the multidisciplinary team, patients and relatives, taking into account impairments, levels of consciousness and language barriers.
3. Communicate appropriately and effectively (seeking support where necessary) with patients who have specific needs including children and their family members, learning disability and difficulty, mental illness including those with memory loss, distressed and angry patients.
4. Maintains accurate, contemporaneous and legible written records of care where required and accurately completes the perioperative care plan, electronic records and be a signatory for the Operating Register.
5. Documents incidents on Datix and escalates any concerns/issues to the Theatre coordinator or team leader.
6. Ensures own practice complies with Information Governance/ Confidentiality/ Caldicott Principles.
7.  Demonstrate the ability to identify and escalate changes or concerns in relation to patient well-being to the Registered Practitioner in a timely manner.

Working for our organisation

The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is the only acute Hospital in the London Borough of Hillingdon and offers a wide range of services including accident and emergency, inpatient care, day surgery, outpatient clinics and maternity services. The Trust’s services at Mount Vernon Hospital include routine day surgery, delivered at a modern treatment centre, a minor injuries unit and outpatient clinics.

The safety and well-being of our patients and of our staff is paramount and we are making urgent improvements to address this – particularly in infection prevention and control. We are making progress and going forward by working in partnership with local GPs, charities,
community services, academic partners, our local authority, neighbouring hospitals and the wider North West London Integrated care system, and ensuring that we listen and work in partnership with our local population. We are absolutely focused on ensuring that our hospitals
provide high quality, safe and compassionate care, while drive forward the building of the new Hillingdon Hospital.

We have over 3,500 members of staff that are proud to care for nearly half a million people, with a vision to be an outstanding provider of healthcare through leading health and academic partnerships, transforming services, to provide the best care where needed.