Job description

Band 6 Occupational Therapist - Emergency Department

Permanent post, 37.5 hrs per week

Includes working twilight shifts and weekend working on a rota.

Come and join our friendly, dynamic Therapy Service working within the Emergency Department and admitting areas at Treliske Hospital.

,You will be responsible for ensuring patients who do not need to be admitted the the acute trust are given the support they need to return home.

We can offer you access to a generous study leave budget, and you will be supported by our Band 7 Occupational Therapy Lead for Acute Services.

To provide a high standard Occupational Therapy service to patients at Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust.

To provide specialist assessment, treatment, and goal setting of patients on the wards. Some patients may have complex and/or chronic presentations. To determine clinical diagnosis and Occupational Therapy treatment indicated. To maintain records as an autonomous practitioner.

You will develop highly specialist skills under the guidance of the Senior Staff.

To provide clinical cross cover and deputise as delegated by your Clinical Team Lead.

To attend clinical level discussions / meetings relating to your area of work as delegated by your Clinical Team Lead.

Sustainability is integral to the Trust achieving the NHS Net Zero target. All staff are therefore actively encouraged and supported to implement new ways of working within their field of expertise.

To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work including the management of patients in your care. To ensure a high standard of clinical care for the patients under your management.

To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts to form accurate diagnoses and prognoses in a wide range of surgical/vascular/medical/ neurological conditions/Eldercare independently, and for complex conditions with the guidance and supervision of your Senior Staff. Specialising in Frailty. To recommend the best course of intervention and to develop comprehensive discharge plans and to support and educate junior staff to do likewise.

To undertake the comprehensive assessment of patients, using investigative and analytical skills. To use clinical reasoning, and utilise a wide range of treatment skills and options to formulate management and treatment programmes of care that are sensitive to individual values, cultural and religious diversity. To integrate these into a multidisciplinary care packages and to support and educate junior staff to do likewise. To work with your Senior Staff to provide this service for patients with complex presentations.

To delegate parts of your caseload to junior staff, support staff and Occupational therapy students as appropriate; assisting these staff in the organisation of their workload. To maintain appropriate professional and legal responsibility and accountability for the work that you delegate.

To demonstrate dexterity, co-ordination and palpatory senses for assessment and manual treatment of patients. You will be required to employ safe patient moving and handling techniques (± hoists/ walking aids etc) during your therapeutic handling of patients.

To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date documentation, in line with legal and departmental requirements, and communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines both verbally and in writing e.g. medical notes, reports and letters.

To provide spontaneous and planned advice, treatment options, teaching and instruction to patients, relatives, carers and other health and social care professionals, to promote understanding of the aims of Occupational therapy, and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care.

To organise, complete and document assessments in the patient’s home environments. This would include risk assessing the transporting of the patient and equipment and the active environment e.g. steps, carpets, unsafe floor coverings, environmental health risks e.g. dogs. You will do this in compliance with the RCHT home visit policy. You will liaise with other agencies in order to complete these effectively including Department of Health and Social care, voluntary agencies and carers. See Home Visit Policy.

To assess patient understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment. To work with your Senior staff to assess for compliance to Fraser Guidelines for the consent of paediatric patients

To support the development of people considering Occupational Therapy as a career e.g. work experience and access students, and to contribute to the pre and post registration training and experience of other health care professionals.