Oxford JR Advanced Lab Support Worker Flashcards
Questions to ask at the end
What is your favourite part about working here?
How would you describe the work environment?
How would my performance be measured in this position?
What are the next steps in the interview process?
What is the onboarding process like for new starters?
Based on what we talked about today, what are your concerns about me being a good fit for this role?
Why do you want to work for the nhs?
I am extremely passionate about going the extra mile. I believe I can strive to achieve the core NHS values and the standards that sets for itself.
I am passionate about making a difference in the work I undertake therefore by working here, I will get an immense sense of pride seeing the positive outcomes of my work
Furthermore, I will be working alongside other professional, positive and talented healthcare professionals who all have a common objective. Working with other people to achieve the same goal is very rewarding.
Overall, I believe if I’m given the opportunity to work here, you’ll be pleased with my performance and contribution to the organisation as a whole
What are the 6 core values of the nhs?
1) working together for the patients - patients come first in everything we do
2) respect and dignity – value every person as an individual, respect their aspirations and commitments in life and seek to understand their priorities, needs, abilities and limits.
3) commitment to quality of care – we earn the trust placed in us by insisting on quality and striving to get the basics of quality of care. Making sure safety, effectiveness and patient experience is right every time
4) compassion – ensure compassion is central to the care we provide and respond with humanity and kindness to each persons pain, distress, anxiety or need.
5) improving lives – strive to improve health and well-being and peoples experience of the NHS
6) everyone counts- maximise our resources for the benefit of the community and ensure no one is excluded, discriminated against or left behind
The values are enshrined within the NHS and their purpose is to bring people so the goal of providing outstanding quality care can be realised.
Everyone in the NHS regardless of the role or band they occupy is required to demonstrate these values in their daily work
Tell me about yourself and why you’d be a good fit for this role
To work in the NHS, you need to have excellent attention to detail skills, be focused on demonstrating the NHS values in all of your work, and need to have high levels of integrity and professionalism
Prior to applying for this role, I studied the job description to make sure I have the right skills, qualities and experience to perform to a high standard, and I am confident that you will be pleased with my with strong work values and ethics
By working here not only will I be able to put my skills to good use, but I also work alongside a formidable set of individuals who all working towards a common goal
How do your skills meet the the job description of this role?
Prior to applying for this role, I studied the job description to ensure I have the necessary skills and qualities and experience to excel in this role
- strong communicator, both written and verbally
- I am hardworking and totally focused on completing my work to consistently high standards especially during times of high pressure
- exceptional attention to detail skills are required coupled with an ability to work accurately. In the past whilst working within the lab I would constantly double check my work and fill in data as I go to ensure better accuracy.
- research and analytical skills, knowledge of lab procedures and equipment while also having solid mathematical skills.
- you need to be a great team player because not only do you need to work with your colleagues within the lab, you also need to work collaboratively with other people including medical staff.
- it’s important to be organised and stay on track, follow safety procedures.
- have excellent time management as meeting deadlines is crucial in this field of work and I have the ability to prioritise my work and get things done on time
- concentration- the work will involve repeating the same short tasks
- I can be relied upon to follow strict rules and procedures, including those relating to the health and safety of myself and others as well as confidentiality.
Due to the many years’ experience I have gained, I fully understand how important it is to always strive for excellence, because that’s what our service users deserve
Oxford university hospital nhs trust and their values
OUH Nhs Trust is the one of the largest trusts in the country that provides a range of general and specialised clinical services
OUH Values:
- excellence
- compassion
- respect
- delivery
- learning
- improvement
It’s aim is to provide excellent care with compassion and respect. for example by putting patients at the heart of what is done and going the extra mile and following through with commitments
It’s other aim is to also deliver, learn and continuously improve. for example delivering the best clinical and teaching research and also monitoring and assessing performance by learning from successes and setbacks
Describe a situation when you demonstrated respect and dignity in a previous role
situation - in my previous I was completing a task when a member of staff appeared to be not her usual self. She was clearly upset and unable to concentrate on her task
task - as a supportive colleague, I felt it was my responsibility to speak to her and check if she was ok, so I pulled her to aside
action - I asked her if everything was ok and she began to talk about her current situation and the problems she was facing. It was clear that it was quite a distressing time for her. I encouraged her to speak, and while she did, I listen carefully, and did not interrupt, and showed empathy through facial expressions and open body language. After she had the time to explain her situation I encouraged her to speak to our manager as I thought she would be able to then supporter while she was at work. However, she asked me not to say anything to anyone to which I fully understood and agreed to. She thanked me for my support, and I told her she could speak to me any time she wanted to or if she needed any advice
result - a few weeks later, my colleague spoke to me again and told me that everything was well which was great news. She clearly appreciated the support I offered her and the fact I respected her wishes in regards to keeping our conversation private
How would you manage workload?
I would always manage my workload based on urgency by creating a list of priority
By using a systemised process ensures nothing will be missed and I will keep on top of everything
GDPR
General Data Protection Regulation
The way in peoples personal information is used is covered by law known as GDPR
Healthcare professionals who provide care, maintain records about our health and treatment or care we have received previously. These records help to provide us with the best possible health care and treatment. These records can be electronic, paper based or a mixture of both.
The information is stored can be used for management audit purposes. However it’s only available to and used by those involved in our care. We have the right to know what information that is held about us and if we like to see what info is held we could always ask. as patients we have the right to prevent confidential information from being shared or used for any purpose other than providing care except personal circumstances.
As staff member, I would ensure I follow the code of practice and rules that are applicable to the laboratory team and I’ll make sure I never never leave confidential information or records lying around, never discuss anything about a patient unless it was within permitted realms of my work, with authorised personnel also within the boundaries of the code of conduct
Why is confidentiality important?
Confidentiality in the NHS is important because all staff have a legal duty to respect it and to understand the confidentiality procedures applicable to the NHS Trust they are working in.
Confidential information relating to service users must never be shared unless it is needed for the safe and effective care of the individual. It is important to obtain consent before sharing any confidential information.
If I am successful in my application to join this NHS Trust, one of the first things I will do is fully familiarise myself with your confidentiality policies and procedures.
If ever I am unsure about the right to share confidential information, I will seek advice.
Why do you want to work for our organisation?
You are a high performing and innovative organisation
It’s clear you train and support your staff well and they all have a passion for the work they undertake.
By working here, this would be a place where I will continually learn and develop skills as I will immerse myself in challenging but yet interesting tasks
As a result I would like to work here because the without the work and support laboratories receive, other medical staff such as clinicians and doctors would be unable to diagnose and treat illnesses and I want to play a key role in positively impacting and potentially saving the lives of others
Final year project
It was based on the overuse of hand sanitisers and the development of Antimicrobial resistance
The aim of the project was to find if there was a variation in the Antimicrobial activity of commercial alcohol free and alcohol based hand sanitisers against bacteria commonly found on the hands (enterococcus faecalis, ps. Aeruginosa, e. Coli, staph aureus and staph epidermidis) and that are known to cause illnesses, and to determine if resistance of bacteria chosen to hand sanitisers can arise.
This was determined via a range of assays:
- growth of overnight cultures —> use of sterile technique to introduce innoculum of pure culture to sterile nutrient broth
- agar well diffusion —> determine the efficacy of hand sanitisers by measuring the zones of inhibition
- MIC—> determine the MIC
- sub inhibitory concentration exposure assay —> evaluate if bacteria, species had the ability to acquire Antimicrobial resistance to hand sanitisers at low concentration. Afterwards, the mic was tested again to see if there was any changes/resistance
Final result showed that although alcohol based hand sanitisers showed a decreased Antimicrobial efficacy against test organisms, it was the only hand sanitiser to show a decreased generation of resistance. Whilst alcohol free hand sanitisers suggested their overuse could lead to the development of potential resistance
What duties do you think are involved?
Receiving and sorting specimens, assessing whether they’re acceptable
Input of patient data onto the system
Full understanding of SOP and laboratory policies and ensuring you work in compliance to them
Preparing reagents in accordance to the SOP
recording and reporting findings
liaising effectively with others, and answering any enquiries they may have.
Pre analytical prep of samples
What are your strengths?
- ability to retain information
- follow strict rules and procedures
-Fast learner
-Work well under pressure
-Multitask
-Able to adapt quickly
-Work collaboratively with others
-Hard worker
-Proactive
-Exceptional time management skills
-Attentive to detail
-Good hand/eye coordination
-Good written and verbal communication, keyboard and software skills in word/excel
What are your weaknesses?
I have high expectations and tend to be too hard on myself if things do go well as I had envisioned
Over time, I’ve learned to silence negative self-talk by regularly looking back at my successes and viewing my mistakes as an opportunity to grow.
I’ve also begun to recognize when my self-criticism is valid and when I can ignore it.
