Job responsibilities
Clinical Service
To provide high standards of holistic and individualised patient care, embracing the hospice's vision and values.
To assess, plan and implement a wide range of interventions and regular evaluations/reviews to ensure care is appropriate to meet the patient's needs in achieving their maximum independence.
Work with patients to identify mutually agreed goals, monitor, evaluate and modify treatment using outcome measures in order to progress and ensure effectiveness of interventions.
Provide high quality non-pharmacological interventions for the management of symptoms such as pain, breathlessness, anxiety and fatigue.
Provide support and advice to patients and their families, friends and caregivers as appropriate and within your scope of practice.
You will plan your time to work across the Community, IPU and Wellbeing Hub, managing your caseload effectively and mitigating risk by proactive reprioritisation and good communication.
To lead, participate and assist with development of palliative rehabilitation programmes for patients where appropriate.
To be aware of contraindications limitations to treatment within the disease constraints and be skilled in the recognition and management of palliative care and generalist emergencies.
To apply a high level of understanding of the effect of a palliative care diagnosis when providing support and input.
Communicate clearly, effectively, professionally and compassionately with patients, carers and colleagues during assessments, implementation and evaluation for all aspects of patient care.
To be able to use advanced communication skills to give and receive complex and sensitive information with compassion and empathy, and be able to deal with distressing or emotional circumstances.
To establish a therapeutic relationship with patients and relatives, enabling their active involvement in informed decision making, if that is their wish.
To ensure appropriate and timely referrals to other internal or external health or social services.
To liaise with other members of the multi professional team to ensure effective and safe hospice admission and discharge plans.
To lead, design and act as facilitator or co-facilitator of groups and expert clinics within the Wellbeing Hub. For example (but not exclusively), Breathlessness group, Advanced care planning and Acupuncture.
To promote the principles and practice of Physiotherapy within palliative care as an extension of the hospice into the community.
Demonstrate the influence of Therapy and its distinct contribution to patient care.
Maintain high quality electronic patient documentation, report writing, referrals and assessment in-line with professional standards and expectations.
To follow hospice procedures and guidelines for the ordering, administration and recording of equipment and other clinical supplies.
Integrated working with Occupational Therapy Colleagues.
Team/Self-Management
The ability to work as an autonomous practitioner and act on own initiative.
Work effectively as a member of the Hospice team promoting positive working relationships and collaboration.
To foster positive working relationships with other internal or external health care professionals.
To coordinate the day-to-day management of your designated patient caseload, and supporting more junior staff in managing their caseload, ensuring that the patients' needs are met.
To support and educate volunteers to complete tasks within the scope of their role.
To attend and participate in appropriate patient related and team meetings.
To ensure that adequate supplies of stock and equipment are ordered and maintained.
To engage with and contribute to the performance development process for self and the wider MDT.
Quality and Service improvement
To participate and identify needs for service development initiatives as required.
To participate in the hospice Clinical Governance procedures.
To ensure adherence to hospice and professional policies and procedures.
To follow hospice procedures for incident/accident reporting, including escalation.
To evaluate interventions and service provision to continually monitor the effectiveness of Therapy interventions.
Education and training
To be a role model and expert practice resource for all colleagues.
Ensure that professional standards set by the Health Professionals council and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy are met.
To ensure personal compliance with hospice Mandatory training requirements.
To act as a role model for employees and volunteers, participating in personal development initiatives as appropriate.
Clinical education- actively engage and provide opportunities for Students to have placements at the Hospice. To participate in mentoring of colleagues and Therapy students on placement.
To ensure personal awareness of new developments in palliative care.
To assist in orientation of new colleagues, students volunteers and visitors.
To keep abreast of advances in Therapy practice and research and take responsibility for your personal continuous professional development and registration.
Through the appraisals process, to plan your continuing professional and self-development, attending in-house study days and courses as identified in your personal professional plan.
To participate in clinical supervision, debriefing and reflective practice sessions.
Provide appropriate education to patients and their families to promote health and encourage self-care.
