Staff Nurse

Job responsibilities

Job Title: Staff Nurse

Band: 5

Responsible to: Lead Nurse, Inpatient Unit

Accountable to: Modern Matron, Inpatient Unit

Contract: 37.5 hours per week based on internal rotation (long days and night duty)

Main Description

To work as part of the multidisciplinary team to provide a high standard of individualised patient / family care and support.

To take charge of a shift as required, including staff delegation.

To ensure that excellent standards of care are achieved.

Key Responsibilities:

Clinical Practise & Leadership

To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work including the daily management of patients in own care

To provide a high standard of holistic and individualised patient care to patients using the hospice services by:

• On a day to day basis, coordinating the nursing team as delegated by the Lead Nurse, Ward or Deputy Ward Sisters to assess, plan, implement and evaluate individual patients care in partnership with other members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Promoting an appropriate environment in which to care for patients and their carers, being aware of individual physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs.
• Maintaining a safe, clean and pleasant environment for patients, relatives and their staff.
• Demonstrating and applying a knowledge of the options for achieving control of symptoms
• Acting as a reflective practitioner, applying evidence based practice and critical thinking to review all practices and processes of care.
• Maintaining a concept of nursing which reflects the Hospice philosophy.
• Promoting and maintaining effective liaison, communication and relationships with all of the Hospice multi-disciplinary team and ensuring effective liaison and collaboration with external Specialist Palliative Care services and other agencies.
• As part of the Multidisciplinary Team, independently assess patients needs, identifying their goals, and work with patients and families towards achieving them in accordance with the Hospice Philosophy.
• Admitting patients into the inpatient unit, including familiarisation into the unit and completion of admission assessment and documentation.
• Be responsible for triaging calls made through the Hospice 24 hour telephone advice line, referring on to on call colleagues and/ or external agencies as required.
• Assessing individual patient needs: developing care plans for patients ensuring all aspects of their physical, emotional, psychological, cultural and spiritual needs are addressed.
• Review these assessments at least on a daily basis, and have the underpinning knowledge and understanding to make changes as appropriate. Ensuring that these changes are documented and handed over as appropriate.
• Carrying out patient care in accordance with the management plan, including carrying out assistance with all activities of daily living as required.
• Assistance with mobilization of patients, taking into account the guidelines of safe moving and handling practice and using mechanical aids where necessary.
• Demonstrating competency for managing specific nursing tasks, e.g. epidurals, venepuncture, giving IV drugs and catheterization
• Ensure that Hospice procedures for the ordering, administration and recording of drugs issued to the Hospice or its patients are followed
• In conjunction with the Discharge Coordinator, assisting in the planning and execution of patients admissions and discharges.
• Give information, support and advice to carers following the death of a patient in collaboration with the counselling team.
• Acting as a link nurse for topics of special interest such as wound care; diabetes etc

Management

• Supporting and giving direction to colleagues, HCAs, students and volunteers in the clinical setting under guidance of Lead Nurse, Ward or Deputy Ward Sister/s
• Supporting and facilitating the orientation and teaching of new and existing staff, colleagues and students.
• Be responsible for the management of an allocated group of patients on a shift basis.
• Giving feedback to staff and the Lead Nurse about individual performance as appropriate.
• In the absence of the Lead Nurse, Ward or Deputy Ward Sister/s, be responsible for the effective management of the ward for rostered shifts, including ensuring appropriate skill mix and numbers of staff on duty arising from unexpected absence.
• Through practice, role modelling, teaching, and mentorship, provide staff support and training, to enhance the teams development.
• Implementing health and safety, infection control, safe moving and handling and fire procedures where appropriate.
• Reporting incidents, accidents and complaints to the Lead Nurse, Ward or Deputy Ward Sister/s and completing the relevant paper work.

Communication

Leading (as required) and participating in any ongoing discussions and handovers relating to the care of patients and their families/carers.

Practicing excellent communication skills with patients, family and members of the multi-disciplinary team including showing empathy and understanding and communicating sometimes complex information where there may be barriers to understanding.

Maintain accurate records and ensure junior staff who have delegated responsibilities do the same.

Contributing positively to anti discriminatory practice, actively promoting equality and diversity.

Quality

• Continually monitoring outcomes of care, taking effective action as required
• Initiating clinical reviews of patient and family care
• Working to ensure that patient dignity is respected at all times both before and after death, including acting as the patients advocate and caring for patients after they have died.
• Participating in forums for discussion of research and audit programmes.
• Assisting in maintaining equipment to a high standard of cleanliness and safety and ensuring that patient areas are kept clean and tidy
• Ensure all practices and procedures are in accordance with hospice policy

Grief & Loss

• Supporting staff in managing loss in the hospice, including day after death meetings and providing support for distressed patients, bereaved relatives, students and staff.
• Supporting and educating staff in issues surrounding tissue and organ donation
• Facilitating staff support through organised debriefs

Education & Training

• Identifying own and others learning needs, liaising with the Lead Nurse and attending training seminars, courses and study days as appropriate.
• Participating in the delivery of Nursing and Multi-disciplinary Team educational programmes.
• Ensuring clinical placements are effectively facilitated.
• Creating a positive learning environment
• Use staff appraisal constructively for personal and professional development.

Additional information

• Working in unpleasant conditions at times including dealing with soiled linen, use of bed pans, body fluids etc.
• The post holder will work within the NMCs Code of Conduct

Experience

Essential

• Working with patients at the end of life
• Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Ward/Inpatient experience.
• Post registration experience of palliative care/ oncology/ general medicine/ community

Qualifications

Essential

• First level registration
• Willing to or working towards of have completed further study in Palliative Care or Oncology

Desirable

• Advanced Communications Skills Course (MacGuire or similar)
• IV course
• Diploma/ Degree in relevant area.
• Counselling Qualification
• Teaching/ Assessing/ Mentorship Course

Skills, Knowledge and abilities

Essential

• Awareness of health and safety procedures and how they affect people in the workplace.
• Basic computer/IT skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Evidence of extended roles within his/her practice.
• Able to prioritise clinical case load.
• Able to instruct clearly, delegate and support colleagues.
• Use initiative and self-direction, learning and support.
• Work using reflective practise
• Participation in audit.
• Have an awareness of indicators of abuse and how to report and manage issues relating to vulnerable adults/ children

Desirable

• Research skills
• Phlebotomy and cannulation skills

Aptitude, Personal Characterists

Essential

• Ability to work as a member of the multi-disciplinary team
• Ability to plan workload of self and others
• Diplomacy and delegation skills.
• Approachable and adaptable.
• Motivated and enthusiastic.
• Good listening skills.
• Demonstrable resilience to working with those facing bereavement
• Able to contribute to a learning environment
• Demonstrable commitment to equal opportunities
• A flexible approach to work and an ability to work day and night shifts.
• Ability to undertake training and direct own learning.

Desirable

• An understanding of the need for self care when working in a palliative care environment

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).