Radiation Therapist

Radiation Therapist - UPMC Hillman Cancer Centre Waterford

Location: UPMC Whitfield Hospital

Job type: Permanent

Overview Of Role

A Radiation /Senior 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 Radiation / Senior 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 junior members of the Radiotherapy team to do the same. A Radiation/Senior Radiation Therapist should possess leadership qualities and must be able to efficiently help manage the workflow within their designated clinical area. Applications are open to 2025 Graduates.

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 inputs this data into ARIA.
• 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 for coordination of patient care as required.
• Maintains a safe, orderly treatment room.
• Provides on-call coverage for the treatment of patients in emergency situations.
• Ensures the smooth running of the daily list.
• 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 competencies in the different areas are complete.
• Is involved in the individual performance review process and contributes to the implementation of staff development.
• Assists the Clinical Specialist team in developing and implementing new technology and procedures.
• Maintains familiarity with the administrative tasks associated with the running of the Department, providing cover for these tasks as necessary.
• Be responsible for your own continuous professional development in line with the state registration guidelines of CORU.
• Lives the UPMC Values

Qualifications & Experience

• Completion of a qualification in Radiation Therapy recognised by the Radiographers Registration Board at CORU
• Maintain annual registration with CORU.
• Have a minimum of 2 years fulltime 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 standards

This job description is intended to be an outline of the areas of responsibility and deliverables at the time of its writing. As the Radiotherapy Centre and the post holder develop, this job description may be subject to review in light of the changing needs of the Centre.

Equal Opportunity Statement And Benefits

UPMC 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.

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