Chief I Neuro-Physiologist

Beaumont Hospital incorporating St. Joseph's Hospital, Raheny is a major teaching hospital providing an important Emergency Medicine and Trauma service together with National and Regional services in a number of specialities.  The hospital is one of the eight designated centres for the development of cancer services in Ireland. The hospital employs approximately 3,000 staff and has a complement of 820 beds.

Applications are invited for the following whole time specified purpose post:

General Information

Beaumont Hospital is a major 820-bed teaching hospital associated with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. It is the National Centre for Neurosurgery and also has significant departments of Neurology, Clinical Neurophysiology, Neuropathology and Neuroradiology.  It accepts primary, secondary and tertiary referrals.  Specialised Clinical Neuroscience services provided include neuromuscular clinics, migraine clinics, an active epileptology and epilepsy surgery programme, and an acute stroke service. Several other specialties including medicine for the old age, general medicine and surgery, orthopaedics and endocrinology and rheumatology refer for neurodiagnostic testing.

Clinical Neurophysiology is a member of the NEUROCENT Directorate, which includes Neuroscience Ophthalmology, Cochlear Implant and ENT. A range of services including electroencephalography (EEG), nerve conduction studies (NCS), electromyography (EMG) and video telemetry EEG, botulinum toxin clinic for neurological disorders and carpal tunnel clinics are delivered. The service provides an inpatient service to Beaumont Hospital with increasing number of referrals from the critical care units. Outpatient referrals are received from Beaumont Hospital, Connolly Hospital, and from centres throughout the country. As a tertiary referral centre the neurological cases are often complex requiring prolonged and detailed studies. As the epilepsy service along with epilepsy surgery continues to grow demands on prolonged EEGs and video telemetry EEG are increasing. As part of the HSE’s Quality and Clinical Care Programme for epilepsy, an expansion of the existing epilepsy monitoring unit to 4 beds with the appointment of additional Clinical Neurophysiology Scientists is planned.

The department comprises 4 clinical labs (2 x EEG and 2 x EMG), the national epilepsy monitoring unit, 3 offices, administrative, waiting, storage and conference areas. The department works closely with the IT and medical physics departments.

1.   Reporting:

Line reporting:  Chief II Clinical Neuro-physiologist, Neurophysiology Department

Clinical reporting: Consultant Clinical Neurophysiologists.

Professional reporting: Head of Clinical Services,   Chief II Clinical Neuro-physiologist

2.   General Accountability

• Maintain throughout the hospital an awareness of the primacy of the patient in relation to all hospital activities.
• Create and promote healthy working relationships.
• Participate in the development of the department in conjunction with the Chief II Clinical Neurophysiologist.

Specific Responsibilities

The Chief I Clinical Neuro-physiologist will assist the Chief II Clinical Neuro-physiologist in managing the Neuro-physiologists assigned to that area.  He/She will be required to undertake and participate in a wide range of current and clinical diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

• Clinical Responsibilities

• Chief I Neuro-physiologist is expected to perform his/her duties under the guidance of the Chief II Neuro-physiologist and reports to the Chief II Neuro-physiologist and Consultant Clinical Neurophysiologists.
• Supervise and conduct a full range of non-invasive diagnostic investigations: EEG – routine, sleep deprived, portable; Wada, video telemetry EEG monitoring.
• Supervise and perform nerve conduction studies in conjunction with the consultant neurophysiologist
• Supervise and perform evoked potential recordings in conjunction with the consultant neurophysiologist.
• Supervise and conduct the technical support required for invasive procedures including stereoEEG, intraoperative monitoring and electrocorticography
• Develop and supervise nerve conduction studies programme with the consultant clinical neurophysiologists.
• Provide first line electrical safety checking and calibration of equipment and be actively involved in equipment procurement and maintenance.
• Responsible for the training standard of junior staff and undergraduate students.
• Be actively involved in own continuing professional development, maintaining competency.
• Participate in research and audit activity of the department.
• Availability outside normal working hours for emergency situations.
• Initiate and participate in dealing with medical emergencies including status epilepticus and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Ensure clinical standards and standards of patient-care are maintained.

2. Managerial duties

• To comply with Hospital policies and procedures
• As part of management of the department to be involved in strategic planning of the service.
• Contribute to the annual business plan for the service, which contributes to the overall Directorate business plan in conjunction with the Chief II Clinical Neurophysiology Scientist and Consultant Clinical Neurophysiologists.
• To support the development of business cases and/or other proposals for improvements or modernisation of services.
• Act as a full member of the NEUROCENT directorate
• To work to identify cost improvements, service developments and income generation opportunities
• To act as a budget manager for the technician service and link with the Business Manager for overall monitoring/cost control plans.
• To collaborate on and lead projects which improve the quality of services provided to patients evidenced by improved performance against national and international benchmarks.
• To ensure accurate patient records and departmental statistics are kept, using computerised systems as appropriate, and make the statistics and records available as required
• To ensure that clinical activity is measured accurately and fully costed where appropriate.
• To be the line manager for the Clinical Neuro-physiologist and technician assistant staff complying with hospital HR policies and procedures in the absence of the Chief II Clinical Neuro-physiologist.
• To work with HR to develop local strategies for the recruitment and retention of staff in conjunction with the Chief II Clinical Neuro-physiologist and Consultant Clinical Neurophysiologists.
• To ensure the involvement of all staff through open and direct communication to sustain a high level of commitment and flexibility from staff through implementing the hospital Communication Strategy and in particular the Team Briefings Policy.
• To collaborate to the development and lead on the implementation of best practice service modernisation and improvement plans and strategies within the Service.
• Encourage a culture of continuous improvement and mutual co-operation in the achievement of the highest possible standards of clinical care and maximum efficiency. 
• To work with the Chief II Clinical Neuro-physiologist, Consultant Neurophysiologists, Directorate Management Team, stakeholders and colleagues to develop clinical governance systems for the service which ensure that all relevant HIQA and international standards are met.
• To ensure that the service has an effective process for risk assessment and risk management. To report accidents and incidents.  Participate in any investigation and remedial actions as appropriate.
• To operate the policy on continuing professional development to ensure that funding and study leave is sanctioned in accordance with the needs of the organisation, service and staff development.
• To optimally utilise internal and external resources/expertise to facilitate continuing professional development and share learning with other staff in the department.
• To co-ordinate training of student neurophysiology technicians.
• Actively participate in audit.
• Participate in the development and updating of MOP’s and SOP’s in conjunction with the Chief II Clinical Neuro-physiologist, Consultant Clinical Neurophysiologists and clinical and management teams in the hospital.
• Display qualities of leadership and good communication.
• Be familiar with Hospital and Departmental major emergency plans and their implementation.
• Research interests are encouraged and will be facilitated.

Requirements:

          (a)      On the latest date for receiving completed applications for the office a candidate must:

(i)       Possess the B.Sc. in Clinical Measurement from Dublin Institute of Technology or equivalent

                                                             or

(ii)      Possess the Certificate in Medical Physics and Physiological Measurement (MPPM) from the Dublin Institute of Technology or equivalent

or

(iii)      Possess an equivalent relevant scientific qualification (Level 8)

and

• Candidates must have a minimum of 3 years managerial

            and administrative capacity to properly discharge the    

            functions of the role.

                                                                 And

(c )     Have the clinical, managerial and administrative capacity to  properly discharge the functions of the role.

Informal enquiries to  Alma O’Donnell by telephoning 01 8092742 or e-mail:  almaodonnell@beaumont.ie