NINEWELLS HOSPITAL &
STRACATHRO REGIONAL TREATMENT CENTRE, BRECHIN
THEATRE / ANAESTHESIA SERVICE
ASSISTANT THEATRE PRACTITIONER (ATP) – BAND 4 (2 POSTS)
Salary Scale: £18,838 - £22,016 per annum pro rata
An opportunity has arisen for highly motivated individual to join the multidisciplinary team within the operating
department of NHS Tayside. The successful applicant may be based on one site but there is an expectation
for the post holder to be deployed as required.
You will play an important part in the patient’s journey, working within the operating department and assisting
registered staff in the care and treatment of patients undergoing elective surgical procedures. You will also act
as the scrub practitioner as delegated by a Registered Nurse (RN) or Operating Department Practitioner
(ODP).
Experience as a Theatre Support Worker (TSW) or equivalent and completion of a Healthcare Support
(Clinical) SVQ 3, with appropriate theatre specific modules, is essential for this post.
You will be required to achieve the mandatory Induction standards for Healthcare Support Workers in
Scotland and to comply with the Code of Conduct throughout your employment.
Informal enquiries can be made to: SCN Lorraine Paterson Tele; 01356 665144
Hours of work are: Full time & part time with a commitment to day / night rotation and on call if
required by clinical area.
Please download the full application pack from www.jobs.scot.nhs.uk
Internal applicants: please download the application pack from Staffnet. Please read the Important Job
Application Information in the Information for Applicants section.
Completed applications should be returned to recruitment.tayside@nhs.net (quoting the job reference
number in the subject box) or to Workforce Services, NHS Tayside, Level 9, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee
DD1 9SY.
Short-listed applicants will be contacted by email. Please check your emails regularly.
Please quote reference number – D/LR/98/13
Closing date for receipt of completed application forms: Friday 25th October 2013 by 12 noon
Interviews will be scheduled for week commencing 4th November 2013
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NHS TAYSIDE-AGENDA FOR CHANGE
JOB DESCRIPTION
1. JOB IDENTIFICATION
Job Title
Assistant Theatre Practitioner (ATP) Band 4
Theatres / Anaesthesia Service
Department(s) /
Location
Operating Departments within NHS Tayside
Number of Job Holders
2. JOB PURPOSE
As part of a multidisciplinary team the post holder will carry out routine individual care duties for
patients, clients, carers and relatives in support of and supervised by a registered practitioner. Carry
out assigned duties to maintain hygiene, order and safety within the environment specified in Section 4
below.
Assistant Theatre Practitioners (ATPs) will practice in the scrub role to the same standard as a
Registered Nurse (RN) or Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) for a designated range of elective
only procedures.
3 ORGANISATIONAL POSITION
Clinical Service Manager
Head of Nursing
Operational Theatre Manager
Senior Charge Nurse / ODP /
Charge Nurse / ODP
Registered Nurse / ODP
Assistant Theatre Practitioner (ATP)
Theatre Support Worker (TSW) / Operating Department Orderly (ODO)
Directly accountable to:
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4. SCOPE AND RANGE
To provide a high quality, safe and supportive environment in order to care for patients within the perioperative
environment to meet identified care needs. Assistant Theatre Practitioners (ATPs) will practice in the scrub
role to the same standard as a Registered Nurse (RN) or Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) for a
designated range of elective only procedures.
Environments of Care
 Operating Department
o Theatre Reception Areas
o Anaesthetic Room
o Operating Room
o Recovery Rooms
 Day Surgery Unit
 HDU / ICU
 Other non theatre based clinical areas (wards, dental out-patients, x-ray, ECT Suite, MRI / CT, etc.)
To Include:

Support RNs & ODPs in the orientation of new staff to the area

Budgetary responsibilities, including effective participation in dealing with supplies / pharmacy
ordering in line with department guidelines, patients valuables and use of equipment
5. MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
Induction Standards and Code of Conduct
Your performance must comply with the national mandatory Induction Standards for Healthcare
Support Workers in Scotland 2009, and with the Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers.

Care Delivery
1.
Carry out assigned tasks in delivering and supporting patient care under the direction of a RN or
ODP to ensure delivery of a high quality of patient care
2.
Prepare, supply and maintain all necessary instrumentation and equipment for the specified
operative procedure/theatre list. This may involve complex machinery including microscopes,
lasers and endoscopies
3.
Assist in positioning the patient for surgical procedures
4.
Carry out surgical scrubbing, gowning and gloving procedures aseptically and in accordance with
departmental policy
5.
Participate as a member of the operative team carrying out pre-procedural counts of swabs,
instruments and needles. This will be checked in conjunction with a RN or ODP in accordance
with local policy
6.
Under the supervision of a RN or ODP, the post-holder will provide skilled assistance to the
surgeon in the operating theatre scrub role for procedures in which they have been assessed as
competent:
o Preparing and maintaining a sterile surgical field
o Assisting in skin preparation and draping of the surgical field
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o
o
o
Working alongside the surgeon, safely passing the correct surgical instruments and
materials within the sterile field in order to ensure safe and efficient completion of surgical
procedures
Anticipating the needs of the surgical team and responding effectively
Patient handover to recovery staff, providing accurate and appropriate information
7.
Support RNs & ODPs by assisting in the training and development of new ATPs, TSWs, trainee
ODPs and nursing students
8.
Co-operate with and maintain good relationships with other disciplines that are attending and
treating patients to maximise care
9.
Maintain good relationships and an empathetic approach to patients/clients/carers and relatives
and refer them to a RN or ODP for any questions they may have on the patients condition or for
any suggestions or complaints that they wish to raise
10. Report observed changes in patients physical / psychological needs and participate in
maintaining accurate and up-to-date records to ensure effective communication
11. Adopts a proactive approach to infection control, actively contributing to infection control policy
and practice.
12. Participate in quality improvement initiatives within the clinical area
13. Co-ordination of patient journey (including appropriate documentation/equipment, e.g. Patient
Controlled Analgesia equipment (PCA))
14. Verbal communication/IT re changes to list order/content.
15. Under supervision of RNs & ODPs, participate in admission process and receive / discharge
patients as appropriate to the clinical area, following defined guidelines / protocols.
16. Where appropriate, in absence of medical records staff carry out clerical duties.

Health & Safety
17. Work within NHS Tayside policies and procedures to ensure maintenance of safe working
practices for patients, colleagues and self

Resource Utilisation
18. Adhere to NHS Tayside procedures regarding the use of supplies and equipment in order to
promote the effective and efficient use of resources
19. Maintain and monitor stock levels of supplies including the preparation of orders to support the
smooth running of the area as required

Education
20. Participate in appraisal, personal and career development plan to maintain skills and develop
personal growth in order to maximise contribution to service delivery

Quality
21. Acknowledge the diversity of individuals respecting their rights, privacy and confidentiality
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6. COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS
Communicates continuously regarding routine daily activities, with a wide range of health and social care
workers, patients and families utilising a wide range of media such as telephone, verbal and written
communications.
Establish and maintain relationships based on mutual respect communicating on a regular basis with patients /
relatives / multidisciplinary team and external agencies involved in the provision of care.
7. KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO DO THE JOB
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
SVQ 3 Healthcare Support (Clinical) with appropriate theatre specific modules is essential
Evidence of understanding / compliance with the national mandatory induction standards for
Healthcare Support Workers in Scotland (2009) and with the Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support
Workers (2009)
Evidence of ongoing personal and vocational development
Ability to work with people and as part of a multidisciplinary team
Effective written and verbal communication skills
Ability to carry out assigned tasks effectively in a busy environment
Basic information technology skills
8 SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT
The post holder is expected to have the knowledge and skills necessary to use all equipment in the area in
line with local policies and procedures
Examples of equipment and machinery used:
Information Technology:
 Online incident reporting (Adverse Incident Management)
 PECOS
 Opera Theatre Management System
 eKSF
Moving & Handling:
 Hoists
 Patient transfer slides / boards
 Operating table and heavy (>15kg) attachments
 Instrument Sets
 Patient trolleys
 Video stacking systems
 Specific specialised equipment.
Near Patient Testing:
 Blood Pressure monitoring
 Blood glucose monitoring
 Oxygen Saturation monitoring
 Electro Cardiogram monitoring
 Electro surgical unit
 Patient warming devices
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Medical Devices:
 Defibrillator
 Diathermy machine
 Endoscopy (camera, light source, carbon dioxide insufflators) systems
 Endoscopes
 Fume cupboards
 Operating microscope
 Glue spray gun
 Tourniquet machines
 Syringe drivers & Patient Controlled Analgesia pumps
 Operating Tables
Treatments:
 Oxygen therapy
 Nebulisers
 Post operative bladder irrigation
 Maintenance of normothermia
RESPONSIBILITY FOR RECORDS MANAGEMENT
All records created in the course of the business of NHS Tayside are corporate records and are public records
under the terms of the Public Records (Scotland) Act 1937. This includes email messages and other
electronic records. It is your responsibility to ensure that you keep appropriate records of your work in NHS
Tayside and manage those records in keeping with the NHS Tayside Records Management Policy and with
any guidance produced by NHS Tayside specific to your employment.
9. PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB
Examples may include:Physical Skills: (Several times per shift)
 Safely manoeuvre wheelchairs, trolleys, beds and other equipment and varied specialised
equipment, e.g. O2 cylinder, tourniquet machine, diathermy machine
 Safely support patient mobility
Physical Demands: (Several times per shift)
 Patient movement with use of mechanical aides, manoeuvre unconscious patients
 Pulling and pushing Trolleys, Beds and Tables with patients.
 Pulling / pushing heavy equipment >15 kg
 Lifting heavy instrument trays and instruments >15 kg

Standing still for long periods of time (minimum 1 hr.) in a restricted position when
scrubbed.


Wearing lead aprons (>5kg) for prolonged periods of time
Throughout shift maintain high standards of cleanliness and safety in all areas of the perioperative
environment on a continual basis
Several times per shift - wearing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) compromising personal
comfort e.g. lead apron, surgical masks, surgical gown, surgical gloves, protective eye wear
Stand /walk for the majority of shift.


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Mental Demands: (Several times per shift for short periods)




Concentration required when undertaking care for patients
In conjunction with registered practitioners, perform and assume responsibility for correct swab /
instrumentation checks.
Concentration required when undertaking specimen collection and donation of bone.
Concentration required when organising / processing surgical instrumentation loan kits.
The above examples are subject to frequent interruptions from team members, telephone
and pager requests, demands from the surgical team etc.
Emotional Demands: (Several times per shift)
 Communication with distressed/anxious/worried patients/carers due to worry about anaesthetic,
uncertain diagnosis, recovery.
 Caring for the terminally ill during palliative procedures. (One shift per week)
 Caring for patients undergoing life saving/changing surgery. (Every shift)
 Looking after trauma patients
 Working with stressed individuals (Every shift)
 Dealing with sudden and often traumatic death within the theatre environment. (One shift per month)
 Performing last offices on patients who have died within the theatre. (One shift per month)
Dealing with demanding and often unreasonable behaviour exhibited by members of multidisciplinary
team. (Every shift)
Working Conditions: (Several times per shift)
 Exposure to highly unpleasant working conditions: dirty sharps, diathermy plume, bloody theatre
linen, body fluids, formaldehyde, body fluid/blood splashes, noise, blood borne diseases, highly
stressful environment.
 Shift pattern: late / early / nights / weekend.
 On-call and /or day / night rotation.
 Extremes of temperature / restricted natural light
 Working in isolated areas
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10. DECISIONS AND JUDGEMENTS
Assignment of work will be by a designated RN / ODP
Planning order of own work
Acknowledging changes in patients conditions, work or care environment and reporting to the RN /
ODP or appropriate other healthcare individual
Work review and formal appraisal of performance will be carried out by the designated RN / ODP
The post holder will use clinical skills and knowledge to ensure availability of equipment / supplies
resources and liaise with superiors (Senior Theatre Practitioner, Theatre Coordinator, Theatre
Manager, etc) and external bodies (CSSD, company representatives, etc) if there are any deficiencies,
to ensure consistency of service
11. MOST CHALLENGING /DIFFICULT PARTS OF THE JOB
Managing competing demands on time
Support patients to follow treatment plan
Ensuring patient safety at all times
12. JOB DESCRIPTION AGREEMENT
The job description will need to be signed off using the attached sheet by each postholder to whom
the job description applies.
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POST REF NO:
JOB TITLE/BAND:
LOCATION:
D/LR/98/13
Assistant Theatre Practitioner – Band 4
Theatres / Anaesthesia Service NHS Tayside
HOURS:
Full time & Part Time Hours Available
CRITERIA
ESSENTIAL
EXPERIENCE:
Previous experience in a Theatre
Support Worker role
QUALIFICATIONS:
(Training; Research;
Publications)
Good standard of education in
numeracy and literacy.
Willingness to undertake formal /
informal development training
DESIRABLE
SVQ 3 Healthcare Support
(Clinical) or equivalent (with
appropriate theatre specific
modules)
Good communication skills
KNOWLEDGE &
SKILLS:
Awareness of need to maintain
confidentiality
IT literate – ability to use computer
based packages / willingness to
undertake training.
Flexibility to be able to work full
range of shifts
PERSONAL QUALITIES:
Professional & conscientious
approach to work
Self motivated in regards to
personal / vocational development
OTHER:
(e.g. travel across Tayside)
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Travel between sites as required
to support service provision
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General Conditions of Service
POST REF NO:
D/LR/98/13
JOB TITLE/GRADE:
ASSISTANT
THEATRE
PRACTITIONER,
BAND
4
(2
POSTS)
LOCATION:
THEATRES/ANAESTHESIA
SERVICE,
NINEWELLS
HOSPITLA & STRACATHRO HOSPITAL
Conditions of Service
Remuneration
The terms and conditions of service for this post are those
determined by the NHS Staff Council.
The current salary scale for the post is £18,838 to £22,016 per
annum (pro rata for part-time staff). Placing on the scale on
appointment is normally at the minimum but may be higher
subject to verification of previous relevant service.
*Pay points under £21,000 will receive an additional non-
consolidated non-pensionable sum to raise basic pay by a total
of £250 pro rata for part-time staff. This addition will be divided
into 12 equal monthly payments, will cease on 31 March 2014
and will be noted separately on payslips
Hours of Duty
Superannuation
Salary is paid monthly by Bank Credit Transfer.
The hours of the post are full time and part time hours per week
with a commitment to day/night rotation and on call if required by
clinical areas.
Start and finish times will be determined by the needs of the
service.
Membership of the NHS Superannuation Scheme is not
compulsory but is open to all staff between the ages of 16 and
70 (65 in some instances).
The contributions paid are a percentage of superannuable pay,
which is essentially basic pay excluding, for example, overtime
or travelling expenses.
Contribution rates with effect from 01.04.13 are as follows:
Annual Pensionable Pay
(Full-time equivalent)
Up to £15,278
£15,279 to £21,175
£21,176 to £26,557
£26,558 to £48,982
£48,983 to £69,931
£69,932 to £110,273
£110,274 and over
Contribution
5%
5.3%
6.8%
9.0%
11.3%
12.3%
13.3%
Contributions are subject to tax relief and reduced National
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Annual Leave
References
Occupational Health
Clearance
Rehabilitation of
Offenders Act 1974
(Exclusions and
Exceptions) (Scotland)
Order 2003
Disclosure Scotland
Immigration, Asylum and
Nationality Act 2006
Insurance contributions. NHS Tayside also makes a substantial
contribution towards scheme benefits – currently around 14% of
basic pay.
On appointment = 27 days (pro rata for part-time Staff) or 5.4
weeks per year.
After 5 years aggregated service = 29 days (pro rata for part-time
staff) or 5.8 weeks per year
After 10 years aggregated service = 33 days (pro rata for parttime staff) or 6.6 weeks per year
Public Holidays = 8 days (pro rata for part-time staff) or 1.6
weeks per year
All offers of appointment are subject to receipt of two
satisfactory references
All offers of appointment to new entrants to the National
Health Service are subject to a medical examination.
Medical examinations are arranged and undertaken by the
Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Service (OHSAS).
All current or spent criminal convictions, cautions, warnings or
any case pending must be disclosed prior to commencing in
employment as detailed on the application form.
Please note that having a conviction will not automatically debar
you from obtaining employment with NHS Tayside. Careful
consideration will be given to the relevance of the offence to the
particular post in question. However, if you are appointed, and it
is found that you did not reveal a previous conviction your
employment may be terminated.
The successful applicant will be required to become a member of
the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme (PVG) in respect of
regulated work with protected adults and regulated work with
children.
It is a criminal offence for an employer to employ anyone who
does not have permission to live or work in the UK.
Shortlisted applicants will be asked to produce specific original
documentation at interview e.g. Passport, or full birth certificate
together with an official document giving the applicants
permanent National Insurance Number and name issued by a
Government Agency or a previous employer, as well as
photocopies of these documents.
Professional Registration/ New entrants to NHS Tayside will be required to achieve the
Induction Standards & Codemandatory Induction Standards for Healthcare Support Workers
of Conduct
(HCSWs) in Scotland and comply with the Code of Conduct for
HCSWs throughout your employment.
Internal candidates will be required to comply with the Code of
Conduct for HCSWs
Smoking Policy
Smoking is prohibited within NHS premises and grounds.
Applications
Completed forms should be returned to:
recruitment.tayside@nhs.net quoting the job reference in the
subject line
or to Human Resources Directorate, NHS Tayside, Level 9,
Ninewells Hospital, Dundee DD1 9SY
By closing date of Friday 25th October 2013 by 12 noon.
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ADDITIONAL APPLICATION SHEET
D/LR/98/13
ASSISTANT THEATRE PRACTITIONER – BAND 4
THEATRES
CANDIDATE NUMBER: ________________________________
Please tick to indicate preference:
Ninewells Hospital
Stracathro Regional
Treatment Centre
PLEASE RETURN THIS SHEET WITH YOUR APPLICATION FORM
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