Job overview

We are recruiting to a band 5 role within the Paediatric Sleep Team. You will be a Physiologist with an interest in sleep and ventilation, looking to gain experience in an expanding area of paediatrics. You will share responsibility of our home sleep service during office hours (8am-5pm), and work three night shifts a month to optimise inpatients' ventilator support. 

The Paediatric Sleep Team at Southampton Children's Hospital is one of a handful of comprehensive sleep centres in the UK, serving a large geographical area. The respiratory sleep service runs a near 24/7 service, facilitating inpatient and home studies on a weekly basis. We are a friendly and supportive team comprised of three sleep technicians who run our overnight studies, two respiratory and sleep technicians, four sleep physiologists, two Long Term Ventilation (LTV) nurse specialists with a dual role within the LTV and sleep team and a lead sleep physiologist.

Main duties of the job

Attached you will find the person specification document which provides more detail about the essential and desirable skills and experience needed for this role. We highly recommend you review this document and use it when completing your application as these criteria are used by hiring managers as guidance during shortlisting. 

For an overview of the main duties of the role please see the ‘Job Description and Main Responsibilities’ section below. To understand the day-to-day responsibilities in more detail please read the full job description document attached. 

Working for our organisation

As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. UHS is rated ‘Good’ by the CQC and in the latest national NHS Staff Survey, we were in the top 10 acute trusts for staff engagement and for staff recommending the hospital as a place to work or receive care. 

All non-clinical roles may involve a mixture of on site and remote working, Specific details and flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.

Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 20% lower than London and 14 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

Southampton Children’s hospital is a 115 bedded hospital catering for both local and regional children from the Wessex Region including the Channel Isles. Southampton’s Children’s Hospital is a Major Paediatric Trauma Centre in the region.

The children’s hospital provides specialist intensive and high dependency care, regional cardiac, neurological and neuro surgery, regional orthopaedic, urology, general , renal and  ear nose and throat surgery and is the regional oncology centre. The children hospital has a dedicated children’s emergency department , day surgical / medical unit, children’s outpatients and  Bursledon House which is a specialist unit treating a range of conditions. Southampton Children’s Hospital is a centre for paediatric research projects. 

Within the site also sits our tertiary level 3 medical and surgical neonatal unit. 

Our specialist paediatric consultants, nurses and wider healthcare teams offer a wide range of diagnosis, treatment and support facilities for children and their parents. 
The Children’s Hospital offers many learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to with support from ward based Clinical Facilitators and a central Paediatric Education Team. 

We support flexible working and will consider requests taking into account the needs of the service. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme. 

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

WHAT YOU’LL DO

You will help manage the inpatient and home sleep service in coordination with the Sleep & Respiratory Technicians and the Sleep Physiologists. You will organise and run clinics where families are trained to use home sleep study equipment and analyse and provide specialist interpretation of the sleep study results for the Respiratory clinicians. 

On three scheduled (according to rota) nights per month you will also run ‘LTV titration’ sleep studies. On these nights you will admit patients, apply sleep study sensors, monitor physiologic signals, and adjust ventilator settings according to a prescription and standardised protocols.

Assist in the management of the waiting list for inpatient studies and coordinate the study dates and diary management for this group of patients.

There will be opportunities to attend LTV clinics and increase knowledge base on other aspects of respiratory physiology.

Training on procedure, policies, equipment and software will be provided.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
 
We are looking for an enthusiastic physiologist with formal training to a BSc or equivalent level, or with very specific equivalent training and experience in a Respiratory or Sleep Laboratory or similar clinical environment. You must have:

•    the ability to communicate with a wide range of people in a variety of settings
•    the ability to work independently, assessing and intervening as necessary to ensure patient safety
•    the ability to work with respiratory equipment and trouble shoot problems
•    good organisation skills and effective time management

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Interviews will be held on Tuesday, 30 April 2024

Should you have any queries, please use the contact details below to get in touch.

Person specification

Trust values

Essential criteria

• Patient First
• Always Improving
• Working Together

Qualifications / training required

Essential criteria

• Scientific knowledge acquired through formal training to Healthcare Science BSc (Respiratory) or equivalent level, or specific equivalent training and experience

Desirable criteria

• Experienced and competent in additional clinical skills as per job description
• Relevant clinical experience in paediatric long term ventilation (either in the acute or community setting)
• Knowledge and understanding of carrying out sleep studies
• RSCN or RN (Child) Registered with NMC

Previous or relevant experience necessary

Essential criteria

• Experience working in a Respiratory or Sleep Physiology Laboratory or similar clinical environment
• Experience working with children

Desirable criteria

• Experience in care and maintenance of respiratory and sleep equipment, including ventilators

Aptitudes and skills required

Essential criteria

• Ability to communicate with a wide range of people in a variety of settings
• Ability to work as part of a Multidisciplinary team
• Ability to work independently, assessing and intervening as necessary to ensure patient safety
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Understanding of personal accountability
• Ability to work with respiratory equipment and trouble shoot problems
• Computer literate
• Ability to adjust to pressures of the job and deal with stressful situations
• Good organisation skills and effective time management
• Willingness to undertake further training

Please be advised that this vacancy may close earlier than stated if large numbers of applications are received.

Due to the volume of applications we receive, we are unable to acknowledge receipt of your application. If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date of this post, please presume that you have not been selected for interview.

Applicants from University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust whose posts are considered to be ‘At Risk’ will be given prior consideration for this post

Our Trust runs the return to practice course each year for nurses who have been out of the profession and wish to return. To find out more please visit our website:

http://www.uhs.nhs.uk/WorkingHere/Typesofjob/Nurses/Returntonursing.aspx

http://www.discoversouthampton.co.uk/   Information on Southampton as a place to live and enjoy

https://www.uhs-vle.co.uk/   See what fantastic training and development we have on offer at UHS

http://www.youtube.com/user/SouthamptonHospitals learn about the Trust through visiting our YouTube channel 

Getting to Work

Application can be made for parking on site at UHS or through one of the park and ride schemes. This will be based on specific criteria to determine eligibility for site parking as this can be very limited.  UHS encourages staff to utilise other green methods of getting to work such as cycling or walking where possible. UHS is well connected through bus services to the city centre and other areas.

Please note that we will not accept any applications or queries via agencies, under any circumstances.

Our staff are positive about working at UHS and rate us above average compared to other NHS Trusts in the Staff Attitude Survey. We are rated strongly on a number of areas including teamwork, communication and engagement.

Equality remains at the centre of all Trust policy making, service delivery and employment practice with all employees being given equality of opportunity to develop, apply for promotion and have working arrangements that enable them to achieve a manageable work-life balance.

The Trust actively promotes a work environment free from harassment and discrimination and provides training for managers and staff to ensure this happens. The Trust also closely monitors recruitment activity, training and development and employment practices to ensure equality of practice with regard to race, colour, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital status and age.

As a service provider the Trust ensures equality of access and delivery of our services through the provision of interpreter services, facilities for the disabled and sensitivity for patients ethnic and religious differences and needs.

Relocating to Southampton

If you are thinking of moving to the Hampshire area, please find below a link to our website which offers guidance on finding accommodation:

http://www.uhs.nhs.uk/relocating-to-southampton

The Trust is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers, and to this end may use the information you have provided on this form for the prevention and detection of fraud. It may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes.