Transfusion Practitioner

The Methodist Church in Britain; Taunton; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

NHS pension scheme

Flexible working options

Generous annual leave

Job summary

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a transfusion practitioner to ensure safe blood transfusion across the Trust. You will advise clinicians, design and deliver training, maintain BloodTrack, and investigate incidents to support governance and national standards.

The post involves travel between acute and community hospitals and liaising with committees such as the Jehovah's Witnesses Hospital Liaison Committee. Active NMC/HCPC registration is required.

Qualifications

• Candidates must hold a BSc (Hons) in nursing or biomedical science.
• Postgraduate qualification such as MSc or teaching qualification is required.
• Active NMC or HCPC registration is mandatory.

Responsibilities

• Advise clinicians on transfusion practice and alternatives.
• Design and deliver training for staff on equipment and procedures.
• Maintain and troubleshoot the BloodTrack system.
• Monitor traceability of blood components and follow up non-recorded transfusions.

Skills

Transfusion practice

Clinical guidance

Training design

Documentation

Education

BSc (Hons) Nursing or Biomedical Science

Postgraduate qualification (e.g. MSc or teaching)

Tools

BloodTrack

Job description

The Transfusion service at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust needs a practitioner to make sure blood and blood components are given safely and to national standards across the Trust. The post holder advises clinicians, designs and delivers training for multi-disciplinary staff, maintains the BloodTrack tracking system, and investigates transfusion incidents. The role is trust-wide, so travel between acute and community hospitals is part of the job, and it includes liaison with groups such as the Jehovah's Witnesses Hospital Liaison Committee. Active NMC or HCPC registration is required.

What the job involves

• Advise clinicians on effective transfusion practice, including alternatives to transfusion
• Design, implement and deliver training plans for practical equipment sessions to staff at all levels, including those with little technical knowledge
• Maintain and troubleshoot the BloodTrack electronic tracking system
• Monitor blood component traceability and follow up clinical areas where components are not recorded as transfused
• Build relationships with specialist client groups, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses Hospital Liaison Committee, to raise staff awareness of their needs
• Help plan and introduce new transfusion systems across acute and community services
• Provide expert advice and guidance so staff are trained and competent at every stage of the transfusion process
• Take part in audit and trend analysis to prevent harm and support continuous learning
• Promote compliance with governance, national standards and legislation by working with multi-disciplinary teams
• Keep accurate records of mandatory transfusion training attendance for governance, MHRA compliance and UKAS accreditation
• Investigate serious transfusion-associated incidents, errors and near misses, reporting to clinical risk, BSQR and SHOT
• Support incident investigations and make sure incident reports are completed promptly

What’s required

Qualifications

• BSc (Hons) in nursing or biomedical science
• Postgraduate qualification, for example an MSc, specialist portfolio or teaching qualification

Registration & licences

• Active NMC or HCPC registration

Experience

• Excellent knowledge of blood transfusion practice
• Experience of transfusion practice in a high-volume area such as oncology, critical care or a transfusion laboratory
• Experience of the audit process and using audit to improve quality
• Ability to question and challenge clinical practice constructively to improve standards of care

Skills & knowledge

• Understanding of legislation, directives and guidelines such as NICE NG24, BSH and CQUIN
• Good interpretation skills and the ability to explain complex information to clinicians and service users
• Accuracy and high attention to detail
• Ability to multi-task while handling multiple problems and distractions

Other

• Ability to travel to Trust acute and community hospitals

Nice to have

• Previous experience of, or familiarity with, BloodTrack

What’s offered

• Flexible working options
• NHS pension scheme
• Generous annual leave allowance
• Strong focus on career development
• Blue Light Card discounts on shopping, dining and leisure
• NHS-specific perks inside and outside of work