Critical care technologist job

THE WORK AND ALL THAT IS INVOLVED IN IT

Critical care technicians (also known as CCTs) are responsible for ensuring that the medical equipment that is used in the treatment of critically sick patients is both safe and effective. It's possible that you've heard of CCTs by a different name before, such intensive care unit technicians.

Your primary responsibilities as a CCT would center on ensuring that the machinery and technology that is necessary to sustain life and ensure proper organ function is both operational and being utilized appropriately. Your profession would need you to integrate in-depth understanding of physiology and technology with the care you provide to patients.

Your work could also involve the following:

Putting together the apparatus, hooking up the patients, and keeping an eye on the workings of the machinery as they go.

Performing routine preventative maintenance inspections on the bedside and equipment used in critical care.

Help with technical issues.

Collaborating with other medical specialists in order to provide treatment during critical situations

Providing guidance and instruction to medical personnel on the usage of various pieces of equipment.

Discussions with representatives of medical sales companies.

Putting in an order for supplies and equipment from the pharmacy, such as medical gases and fluids.

Performing administrative duties such as processing invoices, maintaining records, and other similar chores on a regular basis.

managing the on-call schedules as well as the work of the other staff members.

Patients are being transferred.

doing research, creating novel therapies and technologies, assessing them, and offering them to the market.

The following are examples of the kinds of tools you might be working with:

Analyzers of the blood that measure several biochemical variables.

Systems of dialysis that filter blood via a machine located outside of the patient's body.

machines that assist patients in breathing, known as ventilators.

Equipment for haemofiltration and various forms of life support.

Defibrillators and monitors that assess important bodily processes such as heart rate and brain activity are two examples of these types of devices.

Infusion pumps and syringe drivers are medical devices that are used to provide medication to patients.

In a normal week, you would put in 37.5 hours of labor, which would include rotating shifts as well as an on-call system.

Because you may be required to handle potentially dangerous chemicals and substances as part of your profession, you may sometimes be required to wear protective clothing, including overalls, jackets, gloves, glasses, and a mask.

You would work in close proximity to physicians, nurses, and other members of the medical staff (such as physiotherapists, nutritionists, and pharmacists), often in situations that were high-stress and emotionally taxing.

You would spend a significant amount of time interacting with patients who are very ill as well as their distraught loved ones.

The annual salary range for new hires might be anything from £21,200 to £27,500. There is a potential ceiling of £40,200 for earnings for advanced practitioners and managers.

There is some variation in pay from one NHS Trust to the next. It's possible that pay in the commercial sector is tied to the scales used by the NHS, but it might still be greater.

There is the possibility of receiving additional compensation for working overtime or participating in an on-call rotation. Those who call the city of London home will also, in most cases, be eligible for an increased allowance.

HOW TO BEGIN THIS OPTION FOR A PROFESSIONAL CAREER

Larger NHS hospitals are likely to have the greatest number of employment possibilities available. You might also look for job in the private health care industry if that's more your style.

EDUCATIONAL AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

In most cases, you will be required to have at least four GCSEs (grades A to C) in topics including mathematics, physics, and biology. On the other hand, the majority of companies will give you more weight if you have better credentials, such as:

A levels are required, often in fields such as mathematics, biology, physics, and chemistry.

Certificate or Diploma in Applied Science from the BTEC Institution (including units in physiology, medical physics and electronics).

Check with the institutions or universities of your choice to learn the admission criteria for the courses they offer.

It is possible that having some relevant experience gained via paid or volunteer work, such as working as a health care assistant in a hospital, may be a benefit (contact the voluntary services coordinator or manager at your local NHS Trust).

State Registration

This line of work is heading in the direction of obtaining state registration. Check out the website of the Society of Critical Care Technologists (SCCT) for further information on how to join the Voluntary Registration Council after you have started working as a trainee CCT. This council's goal is to assist its members in getting ready for the registration process.

A HANDFUL MORE TESTS MAY BE REQUIRED OF YOU.

You will typically receive on-the-job training as a trainee CCT, and this may be combined with part-time study for a relevant qualification such as a degree in clinical physiology (specializing in critical care technology) – which is offered by City of Westminster College and validated by Middlesex University. If you are interested in becoming a CCT, you can learn more about the application process here.

You might add to your work-based training if you already hold a degree (in another field), by completing modules from the degree in clinical physiology (CCT), as well as professional tests provided by the Society of Critical Care Technologists (SCCT).

You would be able to have access to opportunities for professional development as well as the Voluntary Register of CCTs if you were a member of the SCCT (which will help you achieve state registration, when this is introduced).

SKILLS AND PERSONAL QUALITIES NEEDED

A critical care technician must have the following:

a fascination with technical devices, scientific research, and medical practice.

Excellent levels of focus and concentration.

The capacity to maintain one's accuracy and precision in the presence of external pressure.

Good team working capabilities.

An attitude of responsibility toward one's job.

The assurance necessary to communicate in front of others and show how to use various pieces of machinery.

The capacity to deal effectively with upsetting circumstances.

Good problem solving and decision making abilities.

the capacity as well as the will to acquire new abilities.

A comprehension of both technology and biology is required.

the capacity to empathize with patients and to calm and reassure them when necessary.