Senior Specialist Blood Conservation and Transfusion Practitioner

Band 7 - Senior Specialist Blood Conservation and Transfusion Practitioner

We have an exciting opportunity for an Senior Specialist Blood Conservation and Transfusion Practitioner to join our team. The Blood Safety and Conservation Team (BSACT) bring together several interrelated areas of work within the Trust. The team offers a multidisciplinary approach to blood safety, conservation, and haemostasis management.

We offer all aspects of haemostasis management to a wide variety of surgical specialities across the Trust. Expert haemostasis analysis and the introduction of blood conservation techniques have resulted in transfusion reduction, decreased exposure to donor blood for patients, better anti-coagulation management, improved wound healing and shorter ITU and hospital stays.

The role is firmly grounded in being a visible presence in clinical areas to ensure that staff are supported to achieve safe transfusion and conservation practices in the use of blood and blood components. This will encompass aspects of education, audit and management but is firmly grounded in appropriate care provision and work to promote high clinical standards in line with current practice guidelines. The post holder will work to the safe and efficient use of blood products through education, training, audit, and incident review in clinical practice.

• To provide a highly specialist technical and diagnostic haemostasis service to the clinical specialities across the Trust.
•  To identify procedures requiring extensive red cell transfusion to determine suitability for the use of cell salvage or other transfusion reduction strategies and advising clinicians appropriately. This will involve reviewing clinical case notes and blood usage data 
• To work with senior colleagues on the formulation of diagnoses and plan patient management in patients presenting with prothrombotic tendencies or haematological conditions. This will include but not be limited to appropriate anti-coagulation, anti-platelet, and anti-fibrinolytic therapy.
• To work with pre-operative assessment and anaesthetic colleagues to ensure all information on techniques utilised is available for patients.
• They will support education and training for staff as directed on safe transfusion practice
• Promote best practice in transfusion and patient blood management, and assist with educating staff on how to use the Smart Fridge Technology, including remote electronic crossmatching.
• Identify areas requiring improvement through audit and incidents, and address these through appropriate governance structures and trust forums.
• Acting as a visible clinical presence across all OUH sites, the role will foster collaboration across multidisciplinary teams to ensure consistent, safe, and sustainable use of blood and blood components Trust-wide.

• Registered Nurse/Midwife or Operating Department Practitioner
• Relevant Degree to the Profession
• At least 4 years’ experience as a Registered Nurse, Operating Department Practitioner or Registered Midwife with at least 1 year at Band 6 level.
• Teaching / Assessment / Mentoring experience or qualification
• At least 5 years perioperative experience
• Demonstrates up to date knowledge and experience in the speciality and evidenced based practice
• Knowledge of the key professional issues and guidelines relating to professional practice
• Demonstrate decision making and the ability to work across professional boundaries
• Demonstrate excellent leadership skills by identifying, leading and implementing change required for service improvement, risk management, governance and quality
• Knowledge of transfusion related regulatory compliance and reporting structures
• Advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of a wide range of approaches to the management of coagulation including point of care testing.
• Leadership evidence at Band 6 Level
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including presentation skills
• Experience or knowledge of audit
• Ability to assess and manage patient risk effectively and safely with independent problem- solving / decision-making, trouble shooting skills
• Good time management, organisational skills and ability to prioritise a busy/ unpredictable workload
• Appreciate the accountability associated with advanced clinical practitioner roles and autonomous working
• Demonstrable experience/knowledge of databases, specifically Excel, MS word etc and data analysis
• Able to perform under pressure in emergency situations. Flexibility to ensure the delivery of an effective and efficient service.
• Compassion: Putting patients first with kindness and empathy.
• Excellence: Striving for the highest standards in healthcare, research, and innovation.
• Learning: Encouraging education, training, and continuous personal growth.
• Respect: Valuing every individual and promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Delivery: Meeting operational goals and providing reliable services.
• Improvement: Constantly finding new ways to make care safer and more efficient
• An interest in clinical transfusion practice and demonstrates an understanding of relevant national strategy / policy and this relates to the service
• An interest in the advancement of Blood conservation strategies locally and nationally.

• Demonstrate post graduate level study (HEI Level 7) or post graduate level working evidenced via continuous professional development portfolio/ or equivalent / or willing to work towards
• Relevant role based experience
• Experience of working with and engaging a wide range of stakeholders
• Risk management training/education and awareness of the risk assessment process
• Experience in using Incident reporting systems ( e.g. Ulysses )
• Knowledge of Electronic Blood Management Systems (EBMS) e.g BloodTrack
• Ability to think strategically in relation to long term service development
• Awareness of Clinical Governance, Clinical Effectiveness, and Patient Safety Agenda within the NHS.
• Ability to deliver training and education across all professional groups
• Knowledge of cell salvage and TEG and their employment into blood conservation strategies
• Strategic vision
• Evidenced application of these values
• Interest in digital transformation

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Please note that this job advertisement will close automatically once the application limit is reached, regardless of whether this occurs before the advertised closing date.