Profession doctors' surgery assistant

Surgery assistants test and operate medical imaging equipment to produce images of body structures for the diagnosis and treatment of injury, disease and other impairments.

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Personality Type

• Conventional / Social

Related professions medical assistant

• Anaesthetist assistant
• Hospital orderly
• Medical assistant
• Physician assistant

Knowledge

• Multi-professional cooperation in health care

  The way to behave during team meetings, visits and meetings in multi-professional cooperation especially with other health professionals.

• Health care system

  The structure and function of health care services.

• Anaesthetics

  Anaesthetics is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Administrative tasks in a medical environment

  The medical administrative tasks such as registration of patients, appointment systems, record keeping of patients information and repeated precribing.

• Health care legislation

  The patients` rights and responsibilities of health practitioners and the possible repercussions and prosecutions in relation to medical treatment negligence or malpractice.

• Techniques of blood-sampling

  The appropriate techniques for the collection of blood samples for laboratory work purposes, depending on the group of people targeted such as children or elderly.

• Surgical asepsis

  The way to keep equipment and surfaces sterile to prevent infections during medical care.

• Medical informatics

  The processes and tools used for the analysis and dissemination of medical data through computerized systems.

• Health records management

  The procedures and importance of record keeping in a healthcare system such as hospitals or clinics, the information systems used to keep and process records and how to achieve maximum accuracy of records.

• Medical terminology

  The meaning of medical terms and abbreviations, of medical prescriptions and various medical specialties and when to use it correctly.

• Professional documentation in health care

  The written standards applied in the health care professional environments for documentation purposes of one`s activity.

Skills

• Maintain healthcare user data confidentiality

  Comply with and maintain the confidentiality of healthcare users` illness and treatment information.

• Accept own accountability

  Accept accountability for one`s own professional activities and recognise the limits of one`s own scope of practice and competencies.

• Ensure proper appointment administration

  Set up a proper procedure to manage appointments, including policies related to cancellation and nonappearance.

• Comply with legislation related to health care

  Comply with the regional and national legislation that is relevant to one`s work and apply it in practice.

• Advise on healthcare users' informed consent

  Ensure patients/clients are fully informed about the risks and benefits of proposed treatments so they can give informed consent, engaging patients/clients in the process of their care and treatment.

• Apply organisational techniques

  Employ a set of organisational techniques and procedures which facilitate the achievement of the goals set. Use these resources efficiently and sustainably, and show flexibility when required.

• Communicate effectively in healthcare

  Communicate effectively with patients, families and other caregivers, health care professionals, and community partners.

• Record healthcare users' progress related to treatment

  Record the healthcare user's progress in response to treatment by observing, listening and measuring outcomes.

• Develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship

  Develop a mutually collaborative therapeutic relationship during treatment, fostering and gaining healthcare users' trust and cooperation.

• Interact with healthcare users

  Communicate with clients and their carer’s, with the patient’s permission, to keep them informed about the clients’ and patients’ progress and safeguarding confidentiality.

• Apply context specific clinical competences

  Apply professional and evidence based assessment, goal setting, delivery of intervention and evaluation of clients, taking into account the developmental and contextual history of the clients, within one`s own scope of practice.

• Provide health education

  Provide evidence based strategies to promote healthy living, disease prevention and management.

• Provide pre-treatment information

  Explain treatment options and possibilities, informing the patients in order to help them make well-balanced decisions.

• Answer patients' questions

  Respond in a friendly and professional manner to all inquiries from current or potential patients, and their families, of a healthcare establishment.

• Work in multidisciplinary health teams

  Participate in the delivery of multidisciplinary health care, and understand the rules and competences of other healthcare related professions.

• Adhere to organisational guidelines

  Adhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.

• Empathise with the healthcare user

  Understand the background of clients` and patients’ symptoms, difficulties and behaviour. Be empathetic about their issues; showing respect and reinforcing their autonomy, self-esteem and independence. Demonstrate a concern for their welfare and handle according to the personal boundaries, sensitivities, cultural differences and preferences of the client and patient in mind.

• Work in a multicultural environment in health care

  Interact, relate and communicate with individuals from a variety of different cultures, when working in a healthcare environment.

• Follow clinical guidelines

  Follow agreed protocols and guidelines in support of healthcare practice which are provided by healthcare institutions, professional associations, or authorities and also scientific organisations.

• Contribute to continuity of health care

  Contribute to the delivery of coordinated and continuous healthcare.

• Ensure safety of healthcare users

  Make sure that healthcare users are being treated professionally, effectively and safe from harm, adapting techniques and procedures according to the person's needs, abilities or the prevailing conditions.

• Deal with emergency care situations

  Assess the signs and be well-prepared for a situation that poses an immediate threat to a person's health, security, property or environment.  

• Comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice

  Apply quality standards related to risk management, safety procedures, patients feedback, screening and medical devices in daily practice, as they are recognized by the national professional associations and authorities.

• Promote inclusion

  Promote inclusion in health care and social services and respect diversity of beliefs, culture, values and preferences, keeping in mind the importance of equality and diversity issues.

• Monitor patients' progress related to treatment

  Observe and report on healthcare users' response to medical treatment, monitoring their progress or decay on a daily basis and modifying the treatment procedures whenever necessary.

• Respond to changing situations in health care

  Cope with pressure and respond appropriately and in time to unexpected and rapidly changing situations in healthcare.

• Use e-health and mobile health technologies

  Use mobile health technologies and e-health (online applications and services) in order to enhance the provided healthcare.

• Process medical insurance claims

  Contact the patient`s health insurance company and submit the appropriate forms with information on the patient and treatment.

• Manage healthcare users' data

  Keep accurate client records which also satisfy legal and professional standards and ethical obligations in order to facilitate client management, ensuring that all clients' data (including verbal, written and electronic) are treated confidentially.

• Provide test results to medical staff

  Record and pass test results to medical staff, who use the information to diagnose and treat patient`s illness.

• Maintain treatment records

  Keep accurate records and file reports related to the prescribed treatment or medication.

• Apply health sciences

  Apply a broad range of bio-medical, psycho-social, organisational, educational, and societal aspects of health, disease, and healthcare to improve healthcare services and to improve quality of life.

• Inform policy makers on health-related challenges

  Provide useful information related to health care professions to ensure policy decisions are made in the benefit of communities.

• Educate on the prevention of illness

  Offer evidence-based advice on how to avoid ill health, educate and advise individuals and their carers on how to prevent ill health and/or be able to advise how to improve their environment and health conditions. Provide advice on the identification of risks leading to ill health and help to increase the patients' resilience by targeting prevention and early intervention strategies.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB