Cardiac Rehab Exercise Professional

Bedfordshire Hospitals; Bedford, Luton; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an Exercise Professional to support the Cardiac Rehabilitation service. Under the supervision of the Band 6 Exercise Professional, you will deliver high-quality cardiac rehab sessions and tailor programmes for patients with diverse cardiovascular needs.

You will assess function, contribute to education on lifestyle changes, and ensure care aligns with BACPR/ACPICR standards to deliver safe, effective patient outcomes across settings.

Qualifications

• MSc required or suitable level in Clinical Exercise Physiology.
• BSc in Clinical Exercise Physiology or Physiotherapy may be acceptable.
• HCPC registration or eligibility to register is essential.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high quality cardiac rehabilitation exercise programmes (including HIIT circuits and chair-based sessions).
• Develop, adapt and maintain personalised exercise plans for patients with varying cardiovascular conditions.
• Conduct functional testing, risk stratification and monitor progress to guide safe exercise prescription.
• Co-ordinate and support group and individual sessions under supervision of Band 6 professional.
• Contribute to clinical governance, audits and service improvement activities.
• Work within BACPR and ACPICR standards and collaborate with MDT colleagues.

Education

MSc in Clinical Exercise Physiology

BSc in Clinical Exercise Physiology

HCPC registration

Job description

Are you passionate about helping people regain their confidence, improve their health and achieve their recovery goals? We are looking for an enthusiastic Exercise Professional to play a key role in delivering our Cardiac Rehabilitation Programme as part of a supportive multidisciplinary team.

In this rewarding role, you will assess patients' functional capacity and mobility, deliver inspiring individual and group exercise sessions, and provide education that empowers patients to make positive lifestyle changes. You'll develop and adapt personalised exercise programmes to meet a wide range of needs, ensuring patients with co-morbidities or physical limitations receive safe, effective and tailored support. You will also contribute to the ongoing evaluation and audit of the programme, helping to drive high-quality care and excellent patient outcomes.

This is an exciting opportunity to combine your expertise in exercise and rehabilitation with a genuine passion for improving lives, supporting patients on their journey to better health and wellbeing.

Main duties of the job

Key Responsibilities

Under supervision of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Band 6 Exercise Professional, deliver and develop high quality cardiac rehabilitation exercise programmes. Amongst others, these will include a high intensity circuit based cardio vascular exercise programme and a chair based exercise programme providing low intensity functional exercise.

Deliver, develop and maintain safe and effective group exercise sessions for patients with a wide range of cardiovascular conditions and work within the standards and protocols set by the BACPR and ACPICR under the supervision on the Cardiac Rehab Band 6 Exercise Professional

To use clinical reasoning and evidence based practise to risk stratify and deliver individual and group exercise programmes, and recommendations for patients based on specialist knowledge.

Under the supervision of the Band 6 Exercise Professional hold responsibility for a given caseload of patients within a defined area of cardiac rehabilitation.

To understand and apply clinical governance and clinical risk management principles to your own caseload.

Demonstrate the ability to co-ordinate the cardiac rehabilitation service in absence of the Band 6 Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise Professional and Cardiac Rehab Team Leaders.

To undertake appropriate functional testing assessments both pre, post cardiac rehabilitation, and interpret results in order to guide safe individualised exercise prescription.

Working for our organisation

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarise yourself with all requirements of the job

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To ensure timely communication of assessment findings, treatment and outcomes to other disciplines through the provision of reports and letters etc. To refer appropriately to MDT colleagues or services as clinical need requires.

Participate and deliver cardiac rehabilitation exercise and lifestyle education programme in a variety of settings and locations.

Encourage patient with goal orientated exercise prescription, adjusting communication style appropriately to motivate and encourage behaviour change, and to empathise and reassure as appropriate. Liaise with Band 6 Exercise Professional and cardiac rehabilitation team to ensure continuity of advice and information. Involve relatives / carers as needed

Have day-to-day responsibility for assessing the health and health-related needs of patients, their carers and families. Primarily focused on assessment of exercise and mobility, maintaining a safe environment, health status, risk stratification and activity goals, but also able to offer advice on CHD lifestyle modification, and refer to appropriate services as necessary

Ensure patients taught safe and effective methods of warming up, cooling down and exercise techniques. To be responsible for the monitoring of patient care and safety throughout the duration of the exercise session and review patient progress at the start, interim and end of the exercise programme.

Work in collaboration with the multi-disciplinary team and primary and secondary health care colleagues to provide optimum management of patients especially those with complex cardiovascular disease presentations.

To ensure timely communication of assessment findings, treatment and outcomes to other disciplines through the provision of reports and letters etc. To refer appropriately to MDT colleagues or services as clinical need requires.

Participate and deliver cardiac rehabilitation exercise and lifestyle education programme in a variety of settings and locations.

In conjunction with the Cardiac Rehabilitation Band 6 Exercise Professional undertake local and national audit. Research and evaluate the effectiveness of exercise and physical activity using observational methods and outcomes measures to assist in the development of service delivery and own clinical practice.

To be involved with the induction of new staff, students and members of the MDT

Management of medical emergencies in collaboration with colleagues

Be flexible within the designated role and undertake other duties that may be required from time to time in the absence of a fellow team member.

To be responsible for personal continuous professional development by the use of self-education, reflective practice, active participation in the in-service training programme and attendance at relevant courses and tutorials as agreed in your personal development plan.

Qualifications

• MSc in Clinical Exercise Physiology
• BSc in Clinical Exercise Physiology OR
• BSC in Physiotherapy
• Health and Care Professions Council [HCPC] registration

Experience

• Experience of working with patients with cardiac disease.
• Experience of delivering exercise to a complex patient group
• Previous exercise teaching experience
• Experience in adapting exercise to those with co-morbidities.
• Recognising boundaries of own responsibilities.

• Working within a hospital setting, in a multi-disciplinary team to include an understanding of other roles and responsibilities of the cardiac rehab team.
• Motivational Interviewing and change management
• Experience in health promotion
• Functional capacity testing
• Experience or participation of data collection and analysis, research/audit.
• Evaluating the outcomes of cardiac rehab.
• Ability to deliver educational talks and lead both group and individual exercise programmes to patients with cardiac disease

Knowledge

• Knowledge of national and local strategies relating to cardiac rehabilitation
• Knowledge of BACPR and ACPICR standards.
• Knowledge of existing exercise, functional testing and prescription guidelines
• Demonstrable and competent knowledge of exercise physiology and impact of varied clinical pathologies.
• An understanding of the cause, process and associated risk factors of cardiac disease

• Experience of clinical audit and the principles of clinical governance.

personal skills

• Ability to assess clinical information and structure patient care accordingly
• Ability to manage potentially difficult situations.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills as interactions of role will be with a wide range of people
• Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Good verbal and written skills

• High level of computer literacy with good use of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Video Conferencing Platforms

It is an exciting time to join Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We run two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Our 7,500 staff provide high quality care for a growing population of around 700,000 across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas.

You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. Travel between hospital sites may be required. We have state‑of‑the‑art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering their first six months in post.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.