Clinical Specialist Radiation Therapist

Overview of Role  A Clinical Specialist Radiation Therapist, as a member of the multi-disciplinary team, is responsible for the preparation and treatment of patients with a cancer diagnosis or other benign conditions requiring radiotherapy, providing psychosocial support throughout the course of treatment. A Clinical Specialist Radiation Therapist is responsible for the justification of pre-treatment imaging and accurate treatment delivery. S/he must not only adhere to and implement all radiation safety regulations in their work environment, must assess the quality of their own work on a continuous basis and engage in continuous professional development in line with the state registration guidelines of CORU but also encourage and monitor other members of the Radiotherapy team to do the same. A Clinical Specialist Radiation Therapist should possess strong leadership qualities, as well as management skills and must be able to efficiently manage the workflow within their designated clinical area. Duties & Responsibilities   Maintains an atmosphere of caring, concern and support for patients of all age ranges, visitors, medical staff and co-workers on a consistent basis.Delivers radiation treatment according to written prescription and treatment plan. Provides safety in patient care through the consistent practice of Departmental Procedures for treatment administration. Recognises deviation from prescribed treatment delivery and reports all deviations to the Physics team.Assures the quality of treatment delivery through the complete and accurate documentation of treatment records.Assures the quality and consistency of treatment by acquiring, interpreting and evaluating electronic images and implementing any required changes according to departmental procedures. Explains treatment procedures to patient and/or family. Refers medical questions to appropriate personnel.At the request of a Radiation Oncologist, performs CT simulation/clinical mark ups after identifying and performing the optimal and most appropriate immobilization procedure for the specific patient. Responsible for the administration of oral contrast and IV contrast (with additional competencies) agents requested by a Radiation Oncologist for simulation procedures. Performs measurements for use during treatment calculation. Collects and documents data acquired during the simulation procedure and accurately records this information in the EMR.Assists in the orientation and supervision of students during clinical rotations. Assists the appointed Student Liaison Radiation Therapists in evaluation of student performance.Assists as needed in all treatment-related procedures. Assists at other UPMC Ireland locations as needed.Uses effective communication techniques and interpersonal skills to provide explanations for treatment-related procedures. Responds effectively to patient concerns. Observes patients for expected and unexpected reactions to treatments and communicates this to appropriate staff members. Reinforces patient education/side effect management information and indicates non-compliance to medical/nursing staff.Performs and documents daily and weekly QA activity for assigned equipment. Documents findings outside the range established by Physics. Notifies the Physics team immediately of findings outside the normal range of operations. Participates in programs to measure and improve the quality of care within the Department.Attends multidisciplinary team meetings. Completes the daily treatment schedule. Maintains an accurate record of procedures, including billing information and codes.Maintains a safe, orderly treatment room.Provides on-call cover for the treatment of patients in emergency situations.Oversees the day to day running of treatment units and CT unit. Ensures the smooth running of the daily list and adequate skill/grade mix cover of Radiation Therapists working on the unit.Work alongside more junior members of staff, make decisions and take responsibility for those decisions made relating to treatment of individual patients. Trains and supervises more junior Radiotherapy staff and ensures clinical competencies are complete. Is involved in the individual performance review process and contributes to staff development.Assists the Clinical Specialist team in developing and implementing new technology and procedures while providing a leadership role to staff in managing and implementing such change.Maintains familiarity with the administrative tasks associated with the running of the Department, such as billing and scheduling procedures and generation of statistical reports, providing cover for these tasks as necessary.Be responsible for your own continuous professional development in line with the state registration guidelines of CORU.Performs in accordance with system-wide competencies/behaviours. Performs other duties as assigned. Lives the UPMC ValuesQualifications & Experience  Candidates on receipt of application must have :Completion of a qualification in Radiation Therapy recognised by the Radiographers Registration Board at CORU Maintain annual registration with CORU.Have a minimum of 5 years fulltime (or an aggregate of 5 years) post qualification clinical experience. Acts in accordance with the vision, mission, and values of the company and in compliance with the corporate policies, JCI and HIQA quality standardsUPMC is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.At UPMC we provide a total rewards program that is not only market competitive, but fair and provides growth opportunities for all our colleagues.Compensation – Competitive pay for the work employees do – base pay, performance related pay and premium pay where applicable.Benefits – Fully paid maternity and paternity leave for new parents. Competitive Pension Plan, company funded Death in Service Benefit x 3 times. Critical Illness cover for all employees up to the age of 66.Performance and Recognition – Rewards for performance that supports the goals and mission of UPMC through our annual ACES programme.Work-Life Balance – Enhanced annual leave up to a maximum of 27 days. Flexible working opportunities to support you to work around external family commitments.Development and Career Opportunities – Opportunities for each employee to reach their career goals through continued learning and/or advancement.About UPMC      A $26 billion healthcare provider and insurer, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based UPMC is inventing new models of patient-centred, cost-effective, accountable care. Working in close collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences, UPMC shares its clinical, managerial and technological skills worldwide through its innovation and commercialisation arm, UPMC Enterprises, and through UPMC International.Providing high-quality healthcare in the South East since 2006, UPMC’s operations in Ireland now include UPMC Whitfield Hospital in Waterford, UPMC Sports Surgery Clinic in Dublin, UPMC Kildare Hospital in Clane and UPMC Aut Even Hospital in Kilkenny. Outpatient care is available at the UPMC Carlow Outreach Centre, UPMC Hillman Cancer Centre radiotherapy locations at UPMC Whitfield and in Cork, the UPMC Sports Medicine Clinic at SETU Arena, Waterford, TUS Moylish Campus, Limerick, TUS Thurles Campus, Tipperary, and the UPMC Concussion Network. The UPMC Institute for Health is located in Mayo and the Global Technology Operation Centre is based in Kilkenny. UPMC is the Official Healthcare Partner of the GAA and GPA.