Overview
Post Title: Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist in Neuroscience Post Status: Permanent Department Occupational TherapyLocation: Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9 Reports to: Line Manager Title: Mr.Paul BernardSalary: Appointment will be made on Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist scale: (€69,998- €81,228)at a point in line with Government pay policy. Hours of work: Full-time (1.0 WTE)Closing Date: March 27th 2025 @5.00pm Position Summary: The post holder will deliver an integrated expert service to meet the occupational therapy needs of patients within the Neuroscience setting. He/she will join an experienced team of occupational therapists and multi-disciplinary colleagues delivering Beaumont Hospital’s Neuroscience services across a range of settings which includes Neurosurgery, Neurology and Stroke. He/she will work in collaboration with the occupational therapy manager and neuroscience occupational therapists in planning, co-ordinating, delivering and evaluating the neuroscience services. The clinical caseload will be determined by the clinical expertise of the successful candidate and the specific needs of the neuroscience clinical area. The main non-clinical duties of the post holder will be to ensure that all clinical areas have sufficient workforce plans in place, supervision and mentorship of senior neuroscience group therapists, develop and lead on service plans, aims and objectives and ensure these plans are progressed, ensure that all assessment and treatment practices are in line with current evidenced best practice, development of umbrella group CPD plans, and influence progression of the profession within the organisation and nationally.The Occupational Therapist should abide by the Code of Ethics of the Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland.
Responsibilities
Accountability: The clinical specialist occupational therapist is accountable to the occupational therapy manager, Beaumont Hospital. Professionalism: 1. Represent the occupational therapy profession and promote the profile of occupational therapy within the area of neuroscience and throughout the organisation, nationally and internationally2. Demonstrate sound clinical reasoning based on experience and clinical expertise in neuroscience service areas.3. Respect the values, beliefs and needs of patients and staff and include patients in decision-making processes as appropriate4. Support and delegate appropriately to occupational therapy staff working within the neuroscience service areas.5. Interpret standards of practice, as well as professional codes of conduct, professional and organisational policies ensuring they are incorporated into occupational therapy practice within the neuroscience service areas.6. Recognise when it is appropriate to refer decisions to a higher level of authority and include colleagues in the decision making process7. Promote initiatives in the neuroscience service areas that will ensure a high standard of professional practice development in line with improved patient care8. Demonstrate understanding and respect for the roles of all members of the MDT9. Keep up-to-date with developments within the neuroscience service areas in own organisation, professional body, nationally and internationally and apply to practice as appropriate10. Manage own work-life balance and support others (e.g. occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants) with same11. Contribute professional expertise to wider organisational initiatives/ committees/steering groups at local, national and international level12. Provide specialist support to the neuroscience service areas staff. Managing a Caseload: 1. Demonstrate advanced clinical reasoning and problem solving skills in completing occupational therapy assessments and interventions with patients referred from the neuroscience service areas.2. Use advanced prioritisation and planning skills to ensure patients are placed on the appropriate pathway and the timely completion of onward referrals to other services3. Demonstrate an advanced proficiency in ability to screen and prioritise patients according to clinical needs using clinical reasoning skills and providing support to all occupational therapy staff working in the neuroscience service areas.4. Prioritise and maximise effectiveness of intervention using available resources to ensure neuroscience service demands are optimally met e.g. appropriate delegation to occupational therapy colleagues and occupational therapy assistant5. Ensure collaboration with other relevant MDT colleagues for complex patient presentation to ensure holistic approach to patient care6. Balance clinical demands with other responsibilities (e.g. research, administration, service development, teaching, CPD, staff supervision) through effective time management and organisational skills. Communication: 1. Communicate oral and written information in a clear, concise and well-structured manner appropriate to the content and the target audience2. Build and maintain effective relationships with colleagues at clinical and management levels within the neurology service3. Facilitate and maintain open communication within own service and department4. Promote and foster effective cross discipline communications and evaluation processes with MDT colleagues, advocating shared discharge planning for optimal patient care5. Deal constructively with obstacles and conflict to ensure patient focused decision-making within the MDT6. Build relations and links with community colleagues, working together to promote and enhance appropriate patient pathways for a seamless service7. Ensure that communication with patients and families /carers is appropriate and timely and develop written resource packs for patients/carers as indicated8. Present lectures, service evaluation, audit and research projects at local, national and international level9. Negotiate clearly and effectively with relevant stakeholders Planning, Maintaining and Evaluating a Quality Service: 1. Demonstrate an advanced level of clinical knowledge and skills of neuroscience presentations and risk factors and provide senior support in decision-making for other occupational therapy staff2. Working with MDT colleagues, demonstrate advanced clinical skills in neuroscience service areas, assisting with advanced diagnostic, prognostic and patient management within the service3. Demonstrate advanced knowledge of care pathways appropriate to patients attending the neuroscience service and proactively work with senior MDT colleagues to design and implement processes to improve flow for patients4. Take a key role in discharge planning5. Recognise appropriate services and supports (OT, MDT and other) to optimise patient outcomes and identify the need for appropriate onward consultation or referral6. Design and implement processes and procedures to ensure the highest standards of practice are met in the neuroscience occupational therapy service by establishing governance systems7. Report emerging risk issues to the occupational therapy manager and other relevant senior staff within the neuroscience service8. Work collaboratively with the MDT to identify, plan and implement interdisciplinary practices9. Foster and lead a culture and practice of evaluating service outcomes and other data collection and implementing quality improvement initiatives as appropriate10. Develop and implement strategic service and business plans, quality initiatives, audits etc. based on up to date evidence based practice and report on outcomes in collaboration with the occupational therapy manager and other stakeholders11. Oversee, evaluate and advise the occupational therapy manager on optimal resource utilisation for effective service delivery and optimal patient and service outcomes Leadership and Service Development: 1. Understand the principles of the operational management of the neuroscience service and be responsible for the day-to-day management of this clinical speciality area2. Act as an expert occupational therapy clinical resource for the neuroscience MDT, occupational therapy service and students3. Promote the role of occupational therapy service in the neuroscience service in the organisation and at national and international level4. Lead senior clinical decision-making processes in the neuroscience service5. Identify and prioritise the requirements of the neuroscience service within a constantly changing environment6. Develop guidelines for safe and effective practice in the neuroscience occupational therapy service7. Refine and advance occupational therapy practice in neuroscience service areas and develop formal links with appropriate national and international networks in any of the specialities under the neuroscience umbrella.8. Represent occupational therapy in the neurology service nationally and internationally as required9. Deputise for the occupational therapy manager in his/ her absence as required10. Explore and champion new initiatives, practices and models of care, in line with best practice, to improve the patient experience and outcome11. Seek to identify and avail of opportunities to assist with and contribute to strategic planning e.g. development of business cases12. Develop and implement new service initiatives in collaboration with appropriate stakeholders such as occupational therapy manager, MDT members etc.13. Assist the occupational therapy manager in the recruitment of staff14. Ensure that an efficient system of stock control is maintained15. Act as a role model for occupational therapy staff and staff of other professions, in the areas of clinical competence, attitude and enthusiasm of occupational therapy, being available as a resource for staff16. Collate and analyse workload statistics required for departmental purposes and for service reviews Evidence- Based Practice: 1. Demonstrate advanced level knowledge of evidence in relation to neuroscience services2. Apply this advanced specialist knowledge to local practice, working with colleagues to implement the necessary steps to achieve the highest possible standard of care3. Monitor and evaluate effectiveness of interventions within the service and modify accordingly where new evidence emerges or where evidence base is incomplete4. Monitor and report on the use of best practice clinical standards and guidelines in the occupational therapy neuroscience service areas and apply this specialist knowledge within the service5. Demonstrate expert understanding of service demands and trends and design processes, in consultation with the occupational therapy manager, to ensure demands are appropriately met6. Champion and lead the development of occupational therapy in neuroscience service areas, working with experts/partners nationally and internationally to advance practice Research: 1. Understand the principles of research and research methodology which underpin an analytical approach to clinical practice2. Lead and facilitate research projects relevant to the neurology service at local or national level3. Collaborate with all relevant stakeholders in respect of relevant research projects4. Co-ordinate and promote departmental research in conjunction with the occupational therapy department and the departmental strategic plan5. Publish research, case studies and critical reviews in peer-reviewed publications6. Lead the dissemination of research findings locally and nationally within occupational therapy and the wider healthcare arena7. Explore innovative ways to contribute to research related to neuroscience service areas.8. Research and report on emerging practices and new evaluation tools for the neuroscience occupational therapy service9. Identify gaps in the evidence base and initiate/facilitate research to enhance evidence based practice locally, nationally and internationally Act as a Clinical Resource: 1. Act in an advanced clinical advisory role to own colleagues and MDT2. Identify the need for appropriate onward consultation3. Represent the profession/HSCPs at local, national and international level for neuroscience services4. Act as an advanced clinical advisor, nationally and internationally Continuing Professional Development: 1. Identify own personal and professional learning needs and seek support from occupational therapy manager as indicated2. Facilitate staff in identifying their own development needs and addressing these needs through planned learning, clinical supervision and professional support as required3. Deliver appropriate and effective feedback and be receptive to feedback4. Evaluate the training and development needs of occupational therapy staff working in neuroscience service areas plan and implement training processes to meet these needs5. Provide education, supervision, mentoring and support for senior and occupational therapists in the neuroscience service areas.6. Contribute to MDT education as appropriate7. Plan, deliver and evaluate education, training and health promotion activities, incorporating inter-professional education models as appropriate8. Identify and avail of formal and informal learning opportunities within occupational therapy and MDT contexts9. Provide safe and effective under-graduate clinical placements10. Provide expert advice and training to network, national and international colleagues in the field11. Provide guest lecturing/education in the field of neurology as required by the HEIs/others12. Take the lead on occupational therapy input into post graduate clinical placements13. Contribute to educational policy and education of pre and post qualifying practitioner The above Duties list is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her, from time to time, and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.
Qualifications
Selection Criteria: Selection criteria outline the qualifications, skills, knowledge and/or experience that the successful candidate would need to demonstrate for successful discharge of the responsibilities of the post. Applications will be assessed on the basis of how well candidates satisfy these criteria.QUALIFICATIONSMandatory: Candidates must, on the latest date for receiving completed application forms, possess: a) Hold a qualification approved by the Occupational Therapists Registration Board at CORUb) The Bachelor of Science (Honors) in Occupational Therapy from NUI Galway, the University of Dublin or University College Cork orc) A Master of Science from the University of Limerick ord) A Diploma from a College of Occupational Therapy ore) A recognised qualification at least equivalent to (a) or (b) or (c) which has been validated by the Department of Health as broadly equivalent to the above qualificationsf) Have at least four years satisfactory post qualification experience in any of the neuroscience clinical areas of either Neurosurgery, Neurology, Neuro-oncology, and/or Strokeg) Have a proven record of clinical/academic achievement including development in the specialist area Desirable: a) Postgraduate education in the designated clinical area. Further Information for Candidates: Informal Enquiries ONLY to:Name:Paul BernardTitle:Occupational Therapy Manager Email address:paulbernard@beaumont.ieTelephone:01 8092520