Lung Infections Clinical Nurse Specialist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Summary:

• An autonomous practitioner, responsible for the assessment, primary and secondary diagnosis, management and evaluation of treatment and care for a caseload of patients with respiratory disease.
• Lead a nurse led service for the case management of patients with Bronchiectasis including Home Intravenous antibiotics, immunoglobulin (IVIG) replacement and Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) services. Apply specialist practice knowledge and skills to improve the quality of patient care.
• Coordinate and implement an overall strategy of evidence-based care for a caseload of patients.
• Lead and coordinate the bronchiectasis service alongside the lead consultant.
• Through effective leadership ensure the clinical multidisciplinary team deliver a safe, effective, responsive, caring and well-led service where compassion is embedded, and a positive patient experience is achieved.
• Provide strong professional clinical and managerial leadership and act as a professional role model.
• Works across organisational and professional boundaries.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work within and across professional boundaries and effectively influence the standard of clinical practice relative to patients with Bronchiectasis. The post holder will be required to work in association with the Respiratory wards, consultant microbiologist, PCTs, District and community services and AHPs.
• Promote and set high standards of professional nursing care and maintain the delivery of quality care within the trust policies, protocols, and guidelines. Implement the trust values and beliefs ensuring they are embedded into everyday practice and evaluate their impact on the patients experience.
• Maintain a high visible presence within the clinical area ensuring patients, visitors, healthcare staff and the multidisciplinary team, always have access to senior staff throughout the day. Act a s an effective professional role model and expert clinician.
• Ensure that all nursing issues relating to the implementation of patient quality and safety are addressed on the ward/department. This includes monitoring and evaluating standards of care by the clinical team and providing regular feedback to the ward team on the standards of nursing care.
• Create a culture for learning and development that will sustain person-centred safe and effective care.
• In collaboration with members of the multidisciplinary team, ensure that the users of the service and their families have a positive experience and using feedback (Elephant surveys, friends and Family test, concerns and complaints and learning outcomes from Datix) to evaluate patient processes and pathways of care are redesigned as required.
• Lead the team in different ways, by supporting junior colleagues in the provision of direct care; facilitate learning in and from practice at the same time as working alongside; or undertaking a care plan review when a serious incident or complaint has occurred.
• Ensure concerns raised by patients and their families are dealt with in an open, honest, and transparent way, quickly and effectively, in line with trust policies, procedures and the Duty of Candour legislation.
• Provide professional nursing leadership to staff and within the MDT within sphere of clinical responsibility. Lead and motivate others by giving clear direction and setting achievable objectives (where applicable).
• Continuing responsibility for the assessment of care needs and the development, implementation, and evaluation of programmes of care.
• Act as a specialist clinical practitioner demonstrating developed clinical skills and knowledge.
• Develop a service philosophy and models of care to ensure that all policies and procedures are implemented and to lead on the development of nursing practice. Monitor any impact on the patient experience.
• If an Independent Non-Medical prescriber, to do so within areas of work as required, taking responsibility for the clinical assessment of the patient, determining diagnosis, clinical management, and responsibility for Prescribing where necessary and the relevance of any prescription issued.
• Independent Non-Medical prescribers will be responsible for prescribing a range of drugs within.
• their competence in accordance with Trust protocols, British National Formulary/NICE and their professional body.
• Implement and initiate treatment for NTM patients, ensuring all baseline tests are undertaken prior to commencing treatment. Inform patients of management plan, including any adverse reactions. Monitor patients throughout their treatment, acting as an advocate and a point of contact.
• Prescribe in accordance with Trust policy, taking full responsibility for the patient as well as for the medicines prescribed.
• Ensure the appropriate records are made in the patients case notes which identify you as an independent prescriber.
• In the event of adverse drug reaction, ensure that the incident reporting process is followed.
• Using a patient focused approach develop effective nurse-led clinics and services for patients with Bronchiectasis.
• Initiate prompt antibiotic therapy for Bronchiectasis exacerbations/NTM disease, treat in accordance with microbiology reports/empirically, optimizing therapy, reducing the risk of antibiotic resistance and improving patient outcomes.
• Act as a resource for appropriate antibiotic prescribing advice, among piers and colleagues.
• Initiate, Implement and oversee Patients requiring Home/self-administered Intravenous antibiotics, ensuring sufficient training and information has been given and the patient is competent, feels confident and safe in administration.
• Monitor home IV patients throughout the duration to ensure safety and outcomes are being met through blood monitoring, patient assessment and evaluation.
• Initiate, implement and Inform new Immunoglobulin replacement patients including submission of Clinician request forms in line with The National Demand Management Program. Ensure the procedure for binary consent is followed.
• Oversee and monitor the Immunoglobulin replacement therapy patients (IVIg). Ensure the correct procedures, accuracy of dosage and administration are followed in accordance with national guidelines.
• Ensure all Immunoglobulin patients are monitored four monthly and a review is carried out annually.
• Ensure that any patient quality and safety issues are addressed in a timely manner. This includes monitoring and evaluating standards of care by the clinical team and providing regular feedback to the specialty team on the standards of care.
• Implement evidence-based practice, identify, initiate, manage, and evaluate changes that lead to improved and high standards of care and in particular any service changes following feedback from patients. Use information to inform Business Plans for the specialist area.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Current RN +/- RN, registration with NMC and any other relevant post registration qualifications.
• BSc Degree in relevant field.
• Significant demonstrable experience within specialty with evidence of professional development.
• Leadership development programme.
• Teaching qualification /experience with an accredited NMC mentorship course.
• Evidence of change management with relevant management/leadership course.
• Evidence of developing policy, guidelines and managing resources
• Counselling and research awareness.
• Clinical supervision where applicable monthly attendance
• Specialist knowledge of Bronchiectasis/Respiratory medicine.

Desirable

• Current registration as an Independent Non-medical prescriber (NMC).
• Masters degree and evidence of working towards.
• Post Reg. qualifications for specialist area.
• Lead nurse led clinics, receiving direct referrals and arranging diagnostic test.

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Clinically competent.
• Clinical decision making skills.
• Advanced Communication Skills Training.
• Effective leadership skills.
• Organisational skills and forward planning.
• Flexibility.
• Able to support development of others.
• Coaching and mentoring skills.
• Critical appraisal skills.
• Strong customer service skills.
• IT literate.
• Understanding of the principles and application of effective budgetary management.
• Understanding of the principles and application of effective staff / HR management.
• Understanding of the theory and application of Clinical Governance.
• Demonstrable experience of effective management and supervision of staff and taking charge of ward /unit.

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

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Address

Queen Alexandra Hospital

Southwick Hill Road

Cosham

Portsmouth

PO6 3LY

Employer's website

https://www.porthosp.nhs.uk/work-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)