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.
ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:
the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.
Specialist biomedical scientist is a Skill level 4 occupation.
These occupations require some skills and knowledge of specialist biomedical scientist. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of specialist biomedical scientist with a significant experience and/or extensive training.
This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of specialist biomedical scientist.
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. 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. Medical informatics: The processes and tools used for the analysis and dissemination of medical data through computerized systems.
These skills are necessary for the role of specialist biomedical scientist.
Respond to changing situations in health care: Cope with pressure and respond appropriately and in time to unexpected and rapidly changing situations in healthcare. 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. 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. Contribute to continuity of health care: Contribute to the delivery of coordinated and continuous 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. Make clinical decisions: Respond to an information need by collecting and analysing available findings to inform clinical decisions. 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. 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. 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 health education: Provide evidence based strategies to promote healthy living, disease prevention and management. 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. Validate biomedical analysis results: Clinically validate the results of the biomedical analysis, according to the expertise and authorization level. 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. 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. Keep up to date with diagnostic innovations: Keep up to date with diagnostic innovations and apply newest methods of examination. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Conduct health related research: Conduct research in health related topics and communicate findings orally, through public presentations or by writing reports and other publications. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Report the results of treatment: Analyse and process information and data, and subsequently formulate the results in a written report. 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. Develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship: Develop a mutually collaborative therapeutic relationship during treatment, fostering and gaining healthcare users’ trust and cooperation. 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. 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. 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. Work in multidisciplinary health teams: Participate in the delivery of multidisciplinary health care, and understand the rules and competences of other healthcare related professions. Accept own accountability: Accept accountability for one`s own professional activities and recognise the limits of one`s own scope of practice and competencies.
This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of specialist biomedical scientist. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of specialist biomedical scientist. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
Supervise nursing staff: Supervise nurses, trainees, healthcare assistants, support workers, and/or students by providing practical and theoretical training, mentoring, and support, as required. Have computer literacy: Utilise computers, IT equipment and modern day technology in an efficient way.
