Senior Radiographer - CT - UPMC Whitfield Hospital, Waterford

Senior Radiographer - CT - UPMC Whitfield Hospital, Waterford

Location:

UPMC Whitfield Hospital
Job type:
Permanent

The Radiology Department provides services to inpatients and outpatients, including General Radiography, Theatre Imaging, Ultrasound, Cathlab, MRI, CT, PET CT and DEXA. The post holder will work as a member of the Radiology Department and multidisciplinary teams to provide a high-quality CT service to patients in accordance with professional standards of practice. The post holder will work within the Radiography Department and multidisciplinary teams to provide a high-quality Radiography service in assigned areas.

They must be able to manage in a rapidly changing environment and undertake additional duties within the Radiology Department as assigned. The successful candidate must have a high capacity for responsibility and initiative.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Clinical:

• Engage in leadership when required, creating and promoting healthy working relationships.
• Carry out general and highly complex CT and Radiographic procedures, ensuring high professional standards and compliance with current legislation.
• Organise, plan and prioritise workload according to clinical need.
• In the absence of the CSR, act as team leader and primary day-to-day responsibility for the CT Imaging service and utilisation of all allocated resources.
• Contribute to development and implementation of operational policies, protocols and guidelines to ensure optimum resource utilisation and systematic audit.
• Escalate operation issues to the CSR / Radiography Services Manager.
• Manage use of consumables efficiently.
• Assess patient suitability for IV injections by checking renal function and contraindications.
• Assess all implanted devices for X-ray / CT safety per Department Policy.
• Participate in continuous learning to stay up to date on CT safety issues and device updates.
• Dispense and administer IV injections as per Departmental policy.
• Ensure patients who experience a contrast reaction or any illness during or after imaging are appropriately cared for and followed up in line with Hospital Policy.
• Maintain patient confidentiality and ensure staff uphold this principle.
• Respect customs, values and spiritual beliefs of patients and staff.
• Monitor and maintain stock levels in the immediate work area.
• Coordinate with the CSR / Radiography Service Manager and senior staff on staff rotation to ensure adequate trained personnel.
• Participate in and ensure adherence to Manual Handling guidelines for patient movement.
• Radiation safety: ensure justification, optimisation (ALARA) and dose constraints/limits are followed; be familiar with applicable safety standards for health workers and medical exposure.
• Demonstrate flexibility in changing work patterns, including extended hours when needed.
• Provide on-call/standby service as per hospital policy where appropriate.
• PET CT: undertake PET CT duties and training to deliver a high-quality PET CT service; work with the PET CT Team and CSR to minimise doses while maintaining image quality.
• Dispense and administer FDG or other isotopes following pre-screening and assessment including IV cannulation.

Quality & Audit:

• Participate in providing department reports on audits and statistics.
• In CSR's absence, perform weekly huddles to address department wins, outline KPIs, and drive ongoing quality improvement.
• Encourage teamwork, communication and updates via TEAMs.
• Encourage staff to report incidents and opportunities for learning through Q Pulse.
• Maintain accurate information systems for clinical data in line with hospital standards.
• Engage with system providers and manufacturers on service excellence programs for continuous improvement.
• Maintain accurate records of equipment service, maintenance, downtime and performance; coordinate preventive maintenance schedules as required.
• Support the CSR and Radiography Service Manager in implementing initiatives for service development and improvement.
• Supervise and assess staff and student training as required.
• Ensure hospital radiation safety policies and relevant legislation are understood and complied with; complete safety questionnaires and upload to the Radiology IT System as per policy.
• Ensure infection control, health and safety policies are understood and complied with routinely.
• Assist in implementing and maintaining a Quality Assurance programme for the Department and provide updates to the CSR / Radiology Service Manager.

Health & Safety:

• Implement and maintain a quality assurance programme for the Department.
• Regularly liaise with the physicist on safety and operational issues where appropriate.
• Assist with new staff induction, orientation and training to promote high standards of service, quality and safety for patients and staff.
• Promote a safe environment for staff and patients.
• Assist in developing and implementing risk management and health and safety strategies with appropriate personnel.
• Assist the CSR with Code Blue response policy and ensure ongoing annual…