what does the hospital biomedical engineer do?

success in any job depends highly on job description. it is an important step in the planning of staffing in any facility, but in a hospital setting it is critical to have a clear understanding of what needs to be done, who to report to, who reports to you, & where authority starts and ends. 

Normally hospital biomedical/clinical engineers have the following tasks: 

1- keeping an updated record of ALL the medical equipment: type, model, serial number, date of purchase, status & location. 
2- keeping an updated file with all the manufacturers contact details
3- performing routine maintenance as per manufacturers recommendations AND skill level
4- making sure proper maintenance contracts with agents are issued for specialized equipment
5- following up the agents work
6- contacting the suitable companies when any equipment needs servicing, following up with the users, purchasing dept, management & the company until the equipment is back in use, assigned to storage for spare parts or dispensed. 
7- keeping a maintenance log of ALL medical equipment, updated daily
8- keeping an original/ copy of service & operating manuals for all medical equipment
9- drafting a maintenance plan for All medical equipment & diligently following it
10- keeping a working stock of most needed spare parts, with proper warehousing methodology. 
11- training hospital staff on proper use for equipment, or arranging for the manufacturer's authorized agent to give that training regularly
12- checking the safety of the site & that the users are following safety recommendations
13- continuously communicating with other staff members to be better able to assess their various needs
14- working with other staff in drafting proper specifications for new equipment purchases, following up tendering, bidding, purchasing through to acceptance, installation, testing & staff training.
15- closely monitoring the new equipment & being aware of warranty periods
16- presenting the state of affairs, accomplishments, goals & challenges to the board of directors on a regular basis 
17- ensuring that the biomedical dept is assigned a proper budget for optimal operation

This is frequently the sum of the jobs performed in the biomedical engineering dept. where about 2-5 biomedical engineers engineers can be working together, one of them is boss, alongside the HVAC technician, electrician, plumber, & carpenter. 
In some hospitals however one biomedical engineer runs the whole show, & technicians are called in when needed ! 

words of caution: 
1- DO NOT attempt to fix an equipment you are not well trained to service. 
2- the hospital setting can harbor a lot of hostility & aggressiveness from the upper ranks, good communication & a low profile at the beginning is a big plus!
3- nobody is asking the biomedical engineer to fix everything himself, but he needs to get it fixed promptly through manufacturer's agents or give a good reason why he hasn't. 
4- doctors, nurses, technicians & managers all speak a different language, it is best to be clear & precise. 
5- do not be afraid to ask a question ( don't be pushy too!) and you might repeat what you understood from someone to check that you both mean the same thing. 
6- read a lot about the way hospitals work, trends, new equipment, latest standards & recommendations. this field changes rapidly & it is critical to keep up. 
7- safety comes first, before acceptance from other staff: some equipment is back in operation immediately when a valve was removed not replaced, the staff is happy but that is so wrong! .. and before popularity among managers: the engineer who doesn't spend much is liked by his superiors, but the equipment suffer & people actually die!
8- preventive maintenance is not a luxury, it is necessary & it keeps the equipment in good working condition for a long time
9- the hospital is a high risk environment. the risk is much less when you know what you are up to, equipment you handle can have fatal biological or chemical agents on them! .. personal safety should always be a priority
10- the biomedical engineer in the hospital is not the star of the show, doctors are. but it is the only place to understand biomedical engineering. & there are many unspoken rules within that setting .. may be we can address this issue next ...