Physician Associate in Acute Medicine
We encourage applications from all with protected characteristics and from those in the Armed Forces Community. Applicants are invited to apply in Welsh, any application submitted through the medium of Welsh will not be treated less favourably than applications made in English.
If you are successful at interview for this post you will receive your conditional offer of appointment and information pack via email.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time. Therefore we encourage early applications to ensure consideration for this post. If you are short listed for this post, you will be contacted via your email account you used to apply for this post, therefore please check your account regularly.
Please check your email account regularly. Successful applicants will receive all recruitment related correspondence via the email account registered on the application form.
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board support flexible working.
Please note that this vacancy may be withdrawn at any time should it be filled via the internal redeployment process
Job overview
Experienced Physician Associates are invited to join the expanding team of Physician Associates working in the Department of Acute Medicine at one of the largest Health Boards in Wales.
At Aneurin Bevan are proactive in recruiting Physician Associates, and have a well-established group within the Health Board covering Secondary Care.
We offer a PA specific CPD programme as well ensuring all PAs have a dedicated supervisor and regular personal appraisals.
Specific development opportunities in the Acute Medicine department include procedural skills including lumbar punctures, insertion of mid lines and diagnostic ascitic taps. We have team members training in POCUS at the moment and we hope that in the future PAs will wish to pursue this opportunity as well.
We have also invested in a Physician Associate Leadership model with the appointment of a Professional Lead PA which brings further leadership opportunities. This gives the profession greater organisational exposure and ensures that professional standards are met whilst also supporting you to safely further your skills and representing your needs across and outside of the organisation.
To thrive in this challenging, exciting, and demanding role you will require commitment, resilience, and an eagerness to succeed. You will need to have confidence to communicate and influence groups and individuals at all levels while remaining committed to providing excellent patient care.
Main duties of the job
The department of Acute Medicine currently covers 3 sites, The Royal Gwent Hospital, Nevill Hall Hospital and The Grange University Hospital.
On all three sites PAs would be expected to contribute to the post take ward round, review of the Acute Medical patients and clerking of new patients in ED, AMU and our new SDEC Unit (Same Day Emergency Care) at the GUH site. The PAs will work as part of the Acute Medical team, which is made up of made up of junior doctors, Advanced Nurse Practitioners and Consultants.
The department of Acute Medicine provides Consultant cover to the medical on call from 08:00-20:00 seven days a week at GUH and from 08:00-16:00 at NHH and RGH Monday to Friday supported by a dedicated on-call team.
We currently have 7 PAs in post and are looking to replace and expand to 8 PAs. The current rota shifts are an 08:00-20:30 shift or an 08:00-16:30 shift Monday to Friday, but this is subject to ongoing review depending in the needs of the service.
The rota has been created to ensure an even split of these shifts working with the PAs.
Weekend and Bank holiday working is expected as part of the core hours, this would be on a 1:8 rota working 08:00-16:00 for the weekend and an even distribution of the bank holidays.
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.
Working for our organisation
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is a multi-award winning NHS organisation with a passion for caring. The Health Board provides an exceptional workplace where you can feel trusted and valued. Whatever your specialty or stage in your career, we have opportunities for everyone to start, grow and build your career.The health board provides integrated acute, primary and community care serving a population of 650,000 and employing over 16,000 staff.
We offer a fantastic benefits package and extensive training and development opportunities with paid mandatory training, excellent in-house programmes, opportunities to complete recognised qualifications and professional career pathways including a range of management development programmes.We offer flexible working and promote a healthy work life balance, provide occupational health support and an ambitious plan for a Wellbeing Centre of Excellence to support you at work.
Our Clinical Futures strategy continues to enhance and promote care closer to home as well as high quality hospital care when needed. This includes the Grange University Hospital which provides specialist and critical care and is the newest addition to the clinical futures strategy opening in November 2020.Join us on our journey to pioneer new ways of working and deliver a world-class healthcare service fit for the future.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click “Apply now” to view in Trac.
Person specification
Qualifications and / knowledge
Essential criteria- Meets all essential criteria as per attached job description/person specification
- BA / BS degree prior to Undertaking PA Programme
- Current and valid Certification or Re Certification by the Physician Associate National Examination Board
- Registration with the UK Managed Voluntary Registry for Physicians Associate
- Undertake Continuous directly observed procedural skills, case based discussions and Min Clinical examination exercises to maintain on-going certification with the PA Managed Voluntary Register or equivalent
- Basic Life Support (BLS)
- Master’s degree in physician Associate Studies from a recognised UK training programme and evidence of successful completion of the UK National PA exam.
- Meets all desirable criteria as per attached job description/person specification
- ILS ACLS PALS Certification
- Evidence of successful completion of internship period
Experience and Ability
Essential criteria- Experience of workload prioritisation
- Ability to exercise sound judgement when faced with conflicting pressures
- Ability to motivate and develop the multi-disciplinary team
- Ability to manage and lead a working group
- Ability to implement and interpret policies and procedures
- Experience of conducting clinical audit
- Assist in the educational development of Physician Associate Students through student shadowing and/or teaching
- Awareness of current developments and initiatives in emergency medicine services
- Ability to be mobile and to meet the travel requirements of the post
- Able to communicate highly complex, highly sensitive and/or contentious information, including where there are barriers to understanding
- Understands highly complex situations/ information to decide the best course of action
- Assist in the development of the role of Physician Associate locally and nationally
Skills
Essential criteria- High level of clinical skills
- Ability to work well with colleagues and within a team
- Verbal and Written comunication skills
- Ability to maintain confidentiality
- Ability to respond to questions in a tactful and professional manner
- Critical & Analytical Skills
- Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues, patients, relatives, nurses, other staff and agencies
- Commitment to professional development
- Possess good IT Skills
- Has good problem solving and decision making skills.
- Knowledge of medical procedures and terminology
- Ability to learn or speak Welsh
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria- Can demonstrate flexibility, commitment and adaptability
- Ability to travel if needed to a number of different NHS sites
- Demonstrates high level of self-awareness and knows when to seek advice
- Caring attitude toward patients
- Energy and enthusiasm and the ability to work under pressure
Knowledge
Essential criteria- An understanding of the current NHS environment, particularly in relation to reforms, initiatives and issues
- Knowledge of evaluation to support the development of a ‘new role’
If you are eligible for the Health and Care visa, application costs are lower and you do not need to pay the annual Immigration Health Surcharge.