Profession specialist biomedical scientist

Specialist biomedical scientists lead a department or specialist area, working as a diagnostic partner with a clinical team (investigating and diagnosing patient illnesses like diabetes, haematological disorders, coagulation, molecular biology or genomics) or undertaking clinical research projects.

Personality Type

• Investigative / Realistic
• Investigative / Artistic
• Investigative / Social

Knowledge

• Hygiene in a health care setting

  The procedures related to maintaining a hygienic environment within a health care setting such as hospitals and clinics. It can range from hand washing to cleaning and disinfection of medical equipment used and infection control methods.

• Medical informatics

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

• Biosafety in biomedical laboratory

  The principles and methods for managing infectious materials in the laboratory environment, biosafety levels, classification and risk assessment, pathogenicity and toxicity of a living organism and their possible hazards in order to minimise any risks for human health and the environment.

Skills

• 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.

• Keep up to date with diagnostic innovations

  Keep up to date with diagnostic innovations and apply newest methods of examination.

• Listen actively

  Give attention to what other people say, patiently understand points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times; able to listen carefully the needs of customers, clients, passengers, service users or others, and provide solutions accordingly.

• Provide health education

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

• 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.

• Contribute to continuity of health care

  Contribute to the delivery of coordinated and continuous healthcare.

• Use a computer

  Utilise computer equipment or digital devices to facilitate quality control, data management, and communication. Follow instructions given by a computer programme, create computer files or documents.

• 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.

• Apply safety procedures in laboratory

  Make sure that laboratory equipment is used in a safe manner and the handling of samples and specimens is correct. Work to ensure the validity of results obtained in research.

• Develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship

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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Make clinical decisions

  Respond to an information need by collecting and analysing available findings to inform clinical decisions.

• Manage infection control in the facility

  Implement a set of measures to prevent and control infections, formulating and establishing health and safety procedures and policies.

• Monitor biomedical equipment stock

  Monitor the day-to-day biomedical equipment usage and the management of stock such as maintaining blood transfusion stock levels and records.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Accept own accountability

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

• Follow code of ethics for biomedical practices

  Deal with complex ethical issues and conflicts in biomedical science by following certain codes of ethics during healthcare practice. Raise ethical awareness amongst fellow workers.

• 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.

• Conduct health related research

  Conduct research in health related topics and communicate findings orally, through public presentations or by writing reports and other publications.

• 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.

• Record data from biomedical tests

  Use information technology to accurately record and analyse data from biomedical tests, writing reports on the data and sharing results with the appropriate persons.

• 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.

• 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.  

• Provide treatment strategies for challenges to human health

  Identify possible treatment protocols for the challenges to human health within a given community in cases such as infectious diseases of high consequences at the global level.

• 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.

• Respond to changing situations in health care

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

• Work in multidisciplinary health teams

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

• Validate biomedical analysis results

  Clinically validate the results of the biomedical analysis, according to the expertise and authorization level.

• Report the results of treatment

  Analyse and process information and data, and subsequently formulate the results in a written report.

• Train employees

  Lead and guide employees through a process in which they are taught the necessary skills for the perspective job. Organise activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the performance of individuals and groups in organisational settings.

• 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.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB