Anatomical pathology technician jobs

Post-mortem exams need the assistance of anatomical pathology technologists, who also see to it that the bereaved families get the utmost care and compassion possible.

Working at mortuaries as an anatomical pathology technologist (APT), your primary responsibility will be to provide assistance to pathologists while they perform post-mortem exams. You will be responsible for collecting and delivering samples of tissue and fluids, both of which will contribute to your understanding of disease processes and the determination of the cause of death. After that, you will rebuild the corpse to the greatest quality and clean it thoroughly so that it may be seen by the deceased's loved ones.

You will be responsible for doing administrative responsibilities related to the function, such as confirming the identify of the dead, admitting them into the facility, and processing their documentation. You will also communicate with funeral directors and turn over care of deceased individuals to them. APTs engage in conversation with a wide variety of other professionals in addition to funeral directors. These other professionals include the police, officers of the coroner, medical and nursing personnel, and spiritual care teams.

A substantial portion of the work consists of making arrangements for visits and providing assistance to families that have the desire to see their relatives.

Anatomical pathology technicians (APTs) are another name for those who work in the field of anatomy and pathology.

Responsibilities

As an APT, you may need to:

Accept the dead and store them in a storage facility that has a refrigerator.

document the dead person's name and identify.

ensure that the deceased's personal things are properly cared for.

During the postmortem examination, it is important to collect samples and specimens, keep a record of the findings, and weigh organs as they are being removed.

Make sure that everything, including the rooms, equipment, and instruments, is clean and maintained properly.

sterilize the equipment and ensure that it is in working order before using it.

coordinate your efforts with the coroners in Northern Ireland, England, and Wales, or the procurator fiscal services in Scotland if the cause of death is uncertain or suspected.

sanitize the body of the dead and put it back together before handing it over to the undertaker.

Ensure that a mortuary is operating normally on a day-to-day basis.

At the quiet area of the mortuary, you may organize and lead viewings for family members.

Give your family information and guidance on matters such as filling out death certificates and making funeral preparations.

APTs with more experience may also:

assume responsibility for the day-to-day operations of a mortuary.

provide instruction on the rules and procedures governing the mortuary.

APT trainees should have mentors.

Salary

Beginning annual remuneration for trainees working as APTs in the NHS is normally set at £19,737. (Band 3 of the Agenda for Change - pay rates).

After gaining the necessary experience, your potential salary range is between £21,892 and £24,157. (Band 4).

The salary range for senior APTs who have extra responsibilities, such as management and training, is between £24,907 and £37,890. (Bands 5 and 6).

The wages of trainees, for example, may range anywhere from Band 3 to Band 5, and individual hospitals are free to choose their own pay scales. Salaries also differ from state to state.

Your degree of experience, the amount of training you have had, your level of professional registration, your location, and the specific nature of the position are some of the other aspects that might impact your salary.

The monetary amounts listed are just meant to serve as a reference point.

Time spent working

You should expect to put in an average of 37.5 hours of work per week. You may, however, be required to work non-standard hours, participate in a shift pattern, or be on-call at all times.

Locum tenens labor that is either part-time or temporary is also frequent.

What may be anticipated

When you are working in the post-mortem chamber, you are required to wear protective clothes. This includes gloves, a theater gown, a visor, and boots.

You need to ensure that you are mentally and physically ready for the demanding environment in which you will be working.

You will need to be adaptable and ready to transition between different duties on short notice since a significant portion of the work requires you to react to unforeseen circumstances.

You will need to present yourself in a professional way, both in terms of your look and your demeanor, and you will also need to be conscious of the effect that your actions have on the people around you.

You will need to be open and, to the extent that it is feasible, accommodating to family of diverse religious views, since the rituals surrounding the passing of a loved one are an essential element of many religious traditions.

Qualifications

In order to train to become an APT, you will normally require five GCSEs or the equivalent, including subjects in science (ideally biology), mathematics, and English.

Even while a degree is not required, you may discover that having one in anatomy or a similar field can be beneficial to you at a later time in your professional life. However, as a graduate, you will still need to submit applications for positions at the trainee level.

You will be required to find a trainee position at either a hospital or a public morgue in order to complete your training, which will be a combination of both theoretical and practical work. Throughout the course of your education, you will be required to complete the requirements for the RSPH Level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Science (Anatomical Pathology Technology), which is granted by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH).

During the course of your education, you will have the opportunity to submit an application for student membership in the Association of Anatomical Pathology Technology (AAPT).

You will have a deadline of two years to finish your training, during which time you will be placed under the tight supervision of a mentor who will be an experienced coworker. During this period, you will also be required to work. Every learner is expected to compile a portfolio that demonstrates that they have received enough training and are proficient in practical APT skills. Your hands-on abilities will be evaluated by a third party independently in the workplace.

Practical modules cover:

preparation for an inspection of the deceased after their death

aiding in the performance of the postmortem examination

attendance during the viewing of the dead

preparing a funeral home for service and managing its daily operations

efficient cooperation within a group.

You will also participate in five theoretical courses, which will cover the following topics:

Anatomy and physiology of the human body

the regulation and supervision of procedures performed in funeral homes and cemeteries

the morgue's commitment to health and safety

containment of infections

efficient means of communication

After obtaining the Level 3 Diploma, you will be eligible to submit an application for membership to the RSPH and the AAPT. You also have the option to submit an application for registration with the Science Council and the Healthcare Science Practitioner Register of the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS).

Because APT job is so highly specialized, trainee opportunities don't become available very often and there is a lot of competition for them when they do. In order to find a position, you may need to seriously consider moving to a new location.

Skills

You'll need to make sure you have:

good attention to detail

the capacity to perform well under stress while maintaining composure in difficult and emotionally charged situations

a solid foundation in anatomical knowledge

a solid comprehension of health and safety regulations

Interpersonal skills and sensitivity are necessary in order to provide the bereaved with knowledge and assistance in a way that is courteous and empathetic.

a disposition that is open to communication and does not pass judgment

abilities in written communication for the purpose of report writing

capability of working alone as well as personal initiative

Have faith in your own ability to decide things.

Ability to collaborate with pathologists and communicate effectively with other professionals, such as law enforcement, coroners, and fiscal procurators, is essential for this line of work.

an awareness of the wide variety of religious, nonreligious, and cultural beliefs, as well as funeral traditions and customs, that surround the subject of death.

attitude to one's job that is both proactive and self-motivated

abilities in information technology as well as knowledge on how to manage sensitive personal information

a familiarity with the Human Tissue Act as well as coronial law.

In addition to this, you will need to have a good degree of physical fitness, as well as the ability to stand for extended periods of time, manual dexterity, and the capacity to handle heavy lifting equipment.

If you work for the National Health Service (NHS) or for an organization that provides services to the NHS, it is also required of you that you have an awareness of how the values of the NHS relate to the job that you do.

Practice in the workplace

Due to the fact that all training is received on the job, previous relevant work experience is not as important as it is in many other professional pathways. However, you will discover that past job experience might provide you the chance to build and explain a significant number of the required abilities that the training providers will be seeking for. This is something that you should keep in mind. Particularly beneficial is any prior experience one may have had in either the keeping of records or the handling of legal papers.

Finding job experience at a morgue might be difficult, but it is beneficial to get experience in a laboratory, with an undertaker, or with funeral directors and undertakers. Participating in activities associated with grief services, care homes, hospices, and hospitals may also result in the acquisition of useful connections and experience.

Find out more information on the many types of work experience and internships that are currently offered.

Employers

APTs are nearly always employed by the mortuaries of NHS hospitals or by the public mortuaries run by local authorities.

There are over 700 APTs spread out throughout the UK, and each year between 15 and 20 trainee slots are made available (AAPT).

Look for sources of open positions at:

AAPT - Vacancies

Jobsgopublic (for jobs with local authorities)

LocalGov Jobs (for jobs with local authorities)

NHS Jobs

Jobs in the NHS in Scotland

Improvement of one's profession

After obtaining your certification, you will be required to remain current on the modifications made to mortuary regulations and processes, as well as be aware of any new advances in your field of work.

It is beneficial to be a member of the AAPT. They organize a variety of educational activities related to anatomical pathology technology, one of which is a conference that takes place once a year. In addition to that, they provide an online CPD program for you to utilize in order to keep track of your own personal growth.

In addition, the RSPH provides its members with access to a variety of events, conferences, and webinars. Anyone employed in the field of public health is eligible to become a member of the organization; however, in order to advance from associate to member status, prior experience serving as an APT is required (MRSPH).

After receiving their certification, many ATPs choose to further their education by enrolling in the RSPH Level 4 Diploma in Healthcare Science program (Anatomical Pathology Technology). This certification gives instruction in more sophisticated methods and procedures pertaining to mortuaries, in addition to abilities pertaining to management.

Higher-level credentials, which will lead to a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Anatomical Pathology Technology, are now in the process of being developed as part of the NHS Practitioner Training Programme.

You are eligible to submit an application for registration with the Science Council if you are a competent anatomical pathology technologist. You can submit an application to become a Registered Science Technician (RSciTech), a Registered Scientist (RSci), or a Chartered Scientist (CSci), and the level of registration you receive will depend on the number of qualifications you possess, the amount of experience you have, and whether or not you are a member of the AAPT. Registration demonstrates that you are committed to meeting professional standards and working in the APT profession. Additionally, registration might be beneficial for career advancement.

Prospects for one's career

When you have completed your Level 3 Diploma and gained more experience with the practical aspects of the job, you will begin to work more independently and will be given more responsibility for arranging the day-to-day operations of a mortuary. This will give you the opportunity to take on greater leadership roles. The next step that makes the most sense is to work one's way up into a more senior APT post. Employers often anticipate that APTs will possess a Level 4 Diploma if they are applying for more senior employment.

In addition to your job in the morgue, you will start to be responsible for teaching and management duties when you reach the senior APT level. You will most likely be responsible for delivering training sessions, mentoring junior colleagues, and managing junior staff members. In addition, you will likely provide training to other staff groups within the NHS, such as training for nursing staff on "last offices," which is the process of preparing a deceased person for burial.

Further advancement may include moving into more sophisticated technical labor, schooling, or mortuary management roles. Keep in mind that if you decide to further your career and go into a more senior management position, you will have a decreased likelihood of being engaged in the hands-on task of doing post-mortem examinations.