Staff Nurse - Band 6

Job description

Job responsibilities

Purpose of role:

· To provide inspirational and motivational leadership in the clinical setting

· To practice clinically, co-ordinating and supervising, ensuring the highest quality of nursing care is delivered in accordance with policies and procedures.

· To promote and maintain the effective multidisciplinary team approach to care by facilitating good interdisciplinary communication and leading as a role model for others.

· To create and maintain a positive, open and supportive working environment, in line with the hospice values and wider strategy.

· To undertake evaluation outcomes of clinical practices promoting innovation and creativity.

· To actively seek to develop the skills of all Inpatient Unit (IPU) nursing staff and to act as a resource of specialist knowledge and clinical skills.

Key Responsibilities:

Clinical

· To demonstrate clinical excellence and a high standard of nursing practice in the field of specialist palliative care.

· To maintain effective communication with all members of the multi-professional team, Community Palliative Care Team and Wellbeing Team.

· To lead and guide specialist palliative care on the IPU acting as a role model and specialist resource to the multi-professional team and the IPU nursing team. With others, define and agree nursing standards with those who directly provide care and to monitor the provision and effectiveness of those standards.

· To ensure adequate staffing levels and skill mix are maintained.

· To facilitate meetings to plan and/or evaluate strategies of care for patients and their families/carers or friends.

· To ensure that all in-patient services are appropriately monitored, reviewed and audited.

· To take responsibility for safe custody and administration of drugs in accordance with Hospice procedures, legal requirements and NMC Guidelines, reporting errors without delay.

Management:

• To have managerial responsibility for the nursing team with direct responsibility for the band 5 Staff Nurses, Nursing Associates and the Healthcare Assistants.
• To provide nursing staff with consistent and supportive leadership and management through effective supervision, mentorship and appraisal.
• To lead regular IPU meetings and to ensure information is available to all nursing staff, IPU clinical admin staff and any other clinical staff working on the IPU.
• To ensure the effective use of the nursing resource to provide the highest quality of 24-hour nursing care.
• To actively promote personal and professional development for all grades of nursing staff and to ensure that all training/educational needs identified in annual appraisal are achieved where possible.
• To take responsibility and provide mentorship for student nurses and post-registration nurses allocated to the ward to attain palliative care nursing experience.
• To participate in the selection, recruitment and induction of all grades of nurses for own clinical area and to participate in other selection panels, where appropriate.
• In consultation with the Inpatient Unit Manager, take responsibility for problems that arise with staff, patients, volunteers or visitors being mindful of legal implications and disciplinary action that could result.
• In conjunction with the Volunteer Services Coordinator, to supervise the work IPU based volunteers.
• To participate in the review of nursing and hospice procedures and policies and the implementation of agreed changes.

Education:

• To liaise with nursing education, contributing to the Hospice education programme.
• To provide or oversee mentorship of student nurses allocated to the ward.
• Working with Senior Staff Nurses/Clinical Leads and nursing education to ensure a clinical environment conducive to learning.
• Maintain own professional development and knowledge through identifying and pursuing learning opportunities pertinent to the field of specialist palliative care.
• To undertake audit and participate in research in order to promote a culture of service improvement.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered general nurse.
• Evidence of continued professional development and statutory mandatory training.
• General nursing experience.
• Understanding of specialist palliative care.
• Knowledge of current clinical and professional issues relating to palliative care.
• Understanding of governance.
• Committed to maintaining own personal learning and development.
• Good written and verbal communication.
• Good numeracy skills.
• Willingness to develop new skills.
• Ability to assess, plan and implement high standards of care.
• Can work independently but also as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Good time management skills.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities.

Desirable

• Qualification in palliative care.
• Degree or working towards.
• Mentorship course.
• Specialist palliative care experience.
• Audit/research experience.
• Experience supervising junior staff.
• Mentoring experience.
• Experience of using databases.

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).

Employer details

Employer name

St Raphael's Hospice

Address

London Road

Cheam

Sutton

Surrey

SM3 9DX

Employer's website

https://www.straphaels.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)