Paediatric Nurse

Job responsibilities

The following are the core responsibilities of a Paediatric Nurse in delivering health services, noting that there will be additional roles and expectations dependent on the qualifications and experiences.

• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team (MDT)
• Consult with patients and their families to undertake assessments of patient need ensuring the provision of healthcare is appropriate, incorporating evidence-based practice.
• As required, to provide routine nursing care to patients in accordance with clinical based evidence, (NICE).
• Work with patients and their families to:

1. Support shared decision-making about self-management
2. Facilitate onward access to treatment services

• Support public health and screening programmes, including immunisations, vaccinations, and also provide opportunistic health promotion advice.
• To prioritise health issues and intervene appropriately.
• To support the team in dealing with clinical emergencies.
• To liaise with external services/agencies to ensure the patient is supported appropriately (vulnerable patients etc.)
• To support the clinical team with all safeguarding matters, in accordance with local and national policies.
• Communicate proactively and effectively with all colleagues across the MDT, attending and contributing to meetings as required.
• Maintain accurate and contemporaneous health records appropriate to the consultation, ensuring accurate completion of all necessary documentation associated with patient healthcare and registration with the organization.
• To ensure compliance with the practice chaperone policy.
• Communicate effectively with patients and, where appropriate, family members and their carers and, within the constraints of patient confidentiality, share complex and sensitive information regarding their physical health needs, results, findings and treatment choices.
• When necessary, provide support, information and training to family members, carers and other professionals within the constraints of patient confidentiality.
• Take the lead role in undertaking comprehensive culturally appropriate, evidence-based initial health and social needs assessments, determining the specific care needs of the individual and in the formulation, development, implementation and evaluation of individual and management treatment plans.
• Be aware of duties and responsibilities regarding current legislation and adhere to practice policies and procedures on Safeguarding Adults and Safeguarding Children.
• Work within national and local protocols.
• Participate in formal training events promoting best practice in area of expertise.
• Contribute to the delivery of local policy, procedures and protocols to improve identification, assessment, ongoing support for patients and their family carers.
• Recognise the boundaries of their practice and know when and to whom patients should be referred.
• Participate in the management of patient complaints when requested to do so and participate in the identification of any necessary learning brought about through incidents and near-miss events.
• Undertake all mandatory training and induction programmes.
• Contribute to and embrace the spectrum of clinical governance.
• Attend a formal appraisal with their manager at least every 12 months. Once a performance/training objective has been set, progress will be reviewed on a regular basis so that new objectives can be agreed.
• Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times

There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks, this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels

In addition to the primary key responsibilities, the Paediatric Nurse will be expected to:

• Assess patients, and as appropriate provide definitive treatment (including prescribing medications following policy, patient group directives, NICE (national) and local clinical guidelines and local care pathways) or make necessary referrals to other members of the primary care team.
• Be able to manage undifferentiated, undiagnosed health conditions and identify red flags and underlying serious pathology and take appropriate action.
• Use complex decision making to inform the diagnosis, investigation, complete management of episodes of care within a broad scope of practice.
• Prescribe medication in accordance with own scope of practice.
• Actively take a personalised care approach and population centred care approach to enable shared decision making with the presenting person.
• Support and participate in shared learning within the practice in order to improve patient care.
• Continually review clinical practices, responding to national policies and initiatives where appropriate.
• Participate in the review of significant and near-miss events applying a structured approach.
• Support the practice team with the reviewing and implementation of practice policies and protocols, ensuring conformance to extant legislation.

Qualifications

Essential

• Holds a professional qualification at diploma or degree level in childrens nursing and has a valid registration with the governing body.

Desirable

• Independent Non-Medical Prescribing qualification
• For an Advanced Practitioner, be educated to Masters degree level in the relevant area of expertise and has the capabilities of advanced clinical practice

Experience

Essential

• Two years experience of post graduate work in a core profession following qualification
• Experience of working autonomously
• A clear understanding of child protection policy and procedures and a commitment to the safeguarding of children

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Polite and confident
• Flexible and co-operative
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
• Effectively able to communicate and understand the needs of the patient
• Commitment to ongoing professional development
• Punctual and committed to supporting the team effort
• Problem solver with the ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required
• Ability to work under pressure/in stressful situations

Desirable

• Motivated, forward thinker
• Effectively utilise resources

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• Understanding of the importance of evidence-based practice
• Ability to promote best practice
• Ability to work within own scope of practice and understanding when to refer to GPs
• Ability to record accurate clinical notes
• Chaperone procedure
• Knowledge of health promotion strategies
• Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information effectively with people at all levels by telephone, email and face to face
• Ability to deal with non-routine and unpredictable nature of the workload and individual patient contact
• Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
• Effective time management (planning and organising)
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
• Ability to follow clinical policy and procedure, codes of conduct and legal, ethical and professional standards
• Good interpersonal skills
• Strong IT skills, including clinical IT system user skills
• Clear, polite telephone manner
• Experience with clinical risk management
• Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure

Desirable

• Good clinical system IT knowledge
• Broad knowledge of clinical governance
• Knowledge of public health issues in the local area
• Awareness of issues within the wider health arena

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).