Job responsibilities
Role
Purpose
To offer harm reduction
advice and information including overdose prevention, wound awareness, and
naloxone.
To carry out DBST, and
referral for Hepatitis C treatment if required.
To carry out Healthcare
Assessments for new and people already in services.
Use appropriate infection
control procedures and maintain work areas in each clinical room so that they
are clean, safe and free from hazards reporting any potential risks identified.
Record information and
activities undertaken with service users in an accurate and timely manner,
maintaining confidentiality and data security at all times.
Key
duties and activities of the role
Clinical
Practice
Undertake initial physical
and mental health screening for people who use our services and ensure
appropriate sign posting/referral to primary care or appropriate secondary
health care services for identified health issues.
Following training and
competency sign off undertake interventions such as blood pressure, pulse,
temperature monitoring, height/weight recording and ECGs for individuals who
use our services as indicated or requested.
Assist and carry out
appropriate toxicology screening processes including urine and saliva tests.
Assist in the titration
process for opioid individuals who use our services as
required by service need.
Provide education, health
promotion and screening for blood borne viruses (BBV).
Following training and
competency sign off provide Hepatitis A and or B vaccinations under a patient
specific direction (PSD) when indicated.
Work as part of the
integrated care and treatment pathways for individuals who are identified as
being infected with BBVs (Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and/or HIV).
Support community alcohol
detoxification either at the service or at the service users home.
Support opioid
detoxification in the community.
Undertake phlebotomy
following training and competency sign off, as required, ensuring adherence to
identified pathways for blood sample labelling, collection, obtaining results
and signposting.
Support in the referral to
specialist inpatient services (including detoxification) and liaise with
hospital and inpatient unit staff as required.
Contribute to Vias
Naloxone Strategy by training staff and individuals who use our services in the
use of naloxone. Ensuring naloxone is distributed to individuals who use our
services at every opportunity.
Ensure vaccines are stored
correctly and the cold chain is maintained as per current Department of Health
Guidance. Maintain clinic fridge and room temperature checks and record as
required.
Maintain required standards
of infection control and hygiene as per Via policies and procedures. Undertake
regular clinic room checks, report and address, as directed, all variances from
expected standards.
Provide evidence-based harm
reduction services, including needle exchange.
Undertake basic life
support and anaphylaxis training so you are confident and competent to assist
in a medical emergency including the administration of anaphylaxis medication
and naloxone if required.
Understand and adhere to
the legislation surrounding the use of PSDs (Patient Specific Direction).
Utilise psychosocial
intervention to promote engagement in treatment services and ownership of each
individuals recovery journey.
Complete the Care
Certificate if not already undertaken.
Communication
Develop therapeutic
alliances with people who have substance misuse problems and develop effective
partnerships with them to support their individual recovery journeys, offering
health promotion and harm reduction advice.
Ensure that there is good
communication of treatments offered, treatment progress and outcome of any
investigations to other members of the clinical team.
Liaise with and take
direction from other members of the team to provide the best possible
specialist care for individuals who use our services, ensuring co-ordination
and continuity of care.
Provide health education,
regarding problematic alcohol and drug use and alcohol and drug detoxification.
Attend meetings appropriate
to the development and maintenance of the role in agreement with and under the
direction of the nurse.
Actively promote and
participate in working with partnership organisations to develop and sustain
effective treatment pathways.
Delivering
a Quality Service
The post-holder will
contribute to the service to ensure that people who use substances consistently
receive high quality services that adhere to the best practice guidelines and
to the highest professional standards.
Work as part of the nursing
team to ensure that procedures are constantly reviewed to promote best practice
and evidenced based practice in accordance with UK Guidelines on Clinical
Management, NICE guidance, and Via clinical protocols and procedures.
Support colleagues by
providing coaching and teaching around harm reduction and BBVs.
Team
Working
To work with others to
ensure individuals who use our services have timely access
to safe and effective
prescribing for community detoxification from substances
across operational sites.
Contribute to the overall
performance of the service to ensure that contractual output targets are
achieved.
Working with colleagues in
the service to deliver a community opioid and alcohol detoxification plan
utilising a care co-ordinated approach to service user care.
Risk
Management
Provide harm reduction
advice to individuals who inject drugs, providing information and equipment and
ensure all equipment is disposed of safely.
Undertake risk assessments
and contribute to risk management plans for individuals who use our services
engaged in the service.
Utilise appropriate
prevention techniques to reduce substance misuse related harm and to aid in the
prevention of multiple physical harms caused by drugs and alcohol.
Managing
Information
Record and input client
data and information in order that the service operates within contractual,
administrative, and financial requirements.
Ensure that all data
requirements in relation to individuals who use our services are met within
defined deadlines.
