Tissue Viability Nurse

Job responsibilities

Principal duties and Responsibilities Clinical Practice

Responsible for undertaking expert holistic patient assessments, including but not limited to wound, pressure ulcer and leg ulcer assessments, including Doppler ABPI and TBPI for patients across North West Surrey.

Deliver planned evidence-based care, including advanced compression bandage techniques and other high compression therapies as required.

Empower individuals and their families to reach their full potential in health promotion and health awareness.

Act as the patients advocate, raising any concerns.

Maintains strong working relationships and communicates effectively with the Community Nursing Teams, Diabetic Foot MDT, Vascular Services, GPs, Practice Nurses, Social Services, Acute/Community hospital colleagues, Borough Council staff and the local voluntary sector

Responsible for receiving and facilitating clinical supervision and undertaking peer reviews within the team

Responsible for teaching, supervising and mentoring other members of the team and pre-registration students

Undertakes formal student assessments and participates in the maintenance of an effective learning environment

Clinical and Technical

Use specialists nursing skills to assess the physical and psycho-social needs of patients within the defined caseload, providing both expert and clinical advice to patients and carers.

In partnership with the multi-disciplinary team develop and advise highly specialised programmes of care for patients, synthesising complex information whilst comparing a range of options based on the available evidence/best practice in order to support and empower patients and their carers to make informed choices.

Works autonomously examining and diagnosing peripheral vascular disease, making decisions about treatment, investigations, follow up and discharge, referring on to Consultant colleagues when reaching limits of own expertise.

Responsible for the delivery of a detailed, accurate and potentially complex handover.

Undertakes full nursing assessments of patients, including those with multiple pathology and complex health and social needs.

To provide holistic Doppler assessment to patients and provide teaching to junior co-owners.

Responsible for agreeing the patients care plan, liaising with others and adapting the care and treatment delivered according to need and patient choice.

Responsible for the correct use of aids and equipment supplied for patients and carers and for the security, care and maintenance of equipment ensuring standards of infection control and safety are maintained

Responsible for the ordering and lean stock management of dressings and other equipment

Effectively communicates with others involved in patient care at all times including weekends / out of hours, through the use of mobile phone, emails to enable a timely response to patients needs.

Analytical / Judgmental Skills

Recognises own limitations in the provision of clinical care and urgency of patients needs, referring to other health care professionals, such as Vascular Services, Diabetic Foot MDT, Lymphoedema, Dermatology accordingly and is accountable for his/her own actions without direct supervision

Maintains accurate and legible patient records in line with professional and organisational requirements regarding electronic patient record system and is responsible for ensuring all data within the service is completed within dates required for CSH Surrey reporting to the NWS ICP.

Accountable for making autonomous clinical decisions in planning and prioritising patient care and referrals to other agencies and the admission/discharge from the service

Responsibility for Policy and Service Improvement/ Development

Contribute to and implement policies and procedures for specialist area.

Acts on clinical incidents pertinent to area to reduce clinical risk.

Actively participates in clinical governance activities and works to maintain a high quality service.

Responsible for recognising the needs of the Tissue Viability Service, identifying risk and making rapid autonomous decisions, escalating to Head of Tissue Viability and or caseload holder.

To work closely with the Referral Hub and Administrators to ensure referrals are triaged and appointments allocated appropriately.

To have a positive attitude to change and have a flexible approach to work

Quality

Support achievement and maintenance of the necessary conditions to achieve high standards of professionalism and productive working.

Continually maintain standards of care and assist the improvement of care.

Contributes to data collection for National Wound Care Strategy.

Health, safety and security

Facilitate a clean work environment

for patient care and best practice in infection control.

Ensuring receive all mandatory training and maintain own records.

To support senior staff ensure that CSH Surrey policies, procedure and guidance are adhered to.

Ensure that an incident report is completed for all untoward incidents

To ensure confidentiality at all times, only releasing confidential information obtained during the course of employment to those acting in an official capacity. To comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.

To comply with CSH Surreys policies on equal opportunities, the consumption of alcohol and non-smoking.

Information Technology

IT skills including the use of email, databases, and word applications.

Able to input and retrieve patient information on computer-based systems.

To be competent at using the electronic patient record and ensure patient records are contemporaneous, accurate and timely

To participate in data collection and audit when required.

To manage own email and electronic communication in order to carry out the role.

Enhanced IT and analytical skills and maintenance of databases as appropriate

Responsibilities for human resources .

Supervising and appraising team members through annual appraisals, mid-year reviews and peer reviews within team

Responsible for completing all own mandatory training and for ensuring this is completed for all team members.

Participates in own annual appraisal and undertakes continuing professional development, clinical supervision and peer review for self to maintain and develop knowledge and skills.

Responsibility for Audit / Research & Development

Knowledge and understanding of research, audit and evidence-based practice, with the ability to participate in in audits and research and develop programs or activities within the framework of clinical governance at local level in order to advance and contribute to existing knowledge.

Participates in clinical audit/CQUIN and the implementation of changes to ways of working / clinical practice as a result of findings, recommendations and action plans

Actively participates in and contributes to meetings and working groups that inform the organisation and the nursing service / profession

Actively involved in the development and implementation of service developments and initiatives and acts as a role model for the 6 Cs of nursing.

Acts as a link nurse for defined area e.g., tissue viability, Vascular Team, Podiatry.

Other Responsibilities

Demonstrates excellent personal communication and team working skills.

Complies with the requirement to practice within data protection and confidentiality guidelines.

Attends departmental and organisation-wide staff meetings as appropriate.

Is aware of the limitations of the complex wound clinic remit and can refer problems or anomalies as appropriate

Any other duties, which may be requested by the manager, to facilitate the smooth running of the service.

Skills

Essential

• Planning / Organisational Skills
• Ability to work across a seven day week
• Ability to delegate nursing care and to prioritise visits in accordance with patient need and to organise workload without direct supervision
• Physical Skills
• Ability to travel effectively and efficiently within the locality and at times, across Surrey
• Dexterity to enable clinical skills to be performed i.e. removal of sutures

Communication

Essential

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Good presentation skills e.g. teaching, cascading information
• Facilitating teams e.g. through daily handover and clinical supervision groups
• Excellent role model

Experience

Essential

• Minimum 2 years post qualification
• Must have recent clinical experience at band 6/7 in specialty.
• Experience of successful change management.
• Experience of local/strategic influencing
• Broad range of clinical skills relevant to Vascular Nursing, wound management and tissue viability.
• Ability to Undertake full assessments of patients, including those with multiple pathology and complex health and social needs
• Experience of staff management and appraisal
• Evidence of professional development
• Demonstrable evidence of service improvement / implementing local change
• Good knowledge of health and safety / risk management
• Clinical audit and why this is important
• Understanding of health care policy and how this impacts on Community Nursing
• Computer literate and able to use Word, emails etc

Qualifications

Essential

• Current 1st level registration (Registered Nurse) at degree level or able to demonstrate equivalent experience.
• Evidence of formal training, post registration experience and/or qualification within Vascular/leg ulcer/wound care
• PG certificate in teaching
• Participating or working towards masters level study in relevant area
• Advanced assessment skills
• Independent nurse prescribing

Desirable

• Educated to masters level
• Physical Assessment Module

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).