Job responsibilities
Clinical/Professional
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.
Provide strong professional nursing leadership to staff within sphere of clinical responsibility. Lead and motivate staff by giving clear direction and setting achievable objectives.
Continuing responsibility for the assessment of care needs, the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care.
Maintain a high visible presence within the clinical area ensuring that patients, visitors, healthcare staff and the multidisciplinary team, have access to senior staff at all times. Act as an effective professional role model and expert clinician.
Develop the ward/department philosophy and models of care to ensure that all policies and procedures are implemented and to lead on the development of nursing practice. Ensure that all staff understand the significance of this philosophy to practice, monitoring its impact on the patient experience.
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.
Implement evidence based practice, 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 specialty.
Communicating, influencing and working with the multidisciplinary team in different ways to improve quality of care, and informed clinical decisions. Promote innovation and participate in benchmarking and quality audits to measure effectiveness of current practices.
In collaboration with other areas and the Matron, improve and maintain standards of fundamental nursing care, using tools such as the Portsmouth Bundle.
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, Family and Friends Test, concerns and complaints) evaluate patient processes and pathways of care are redesigned as required.
Create a culture for learning and development that will sustain person-centred safe and effective care.
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 Duty of Candour legislation.
Ensuring that accurate and timely nursing records are maintained, monitoring standards and taking corrective action as required.
Ensure all staff in the clinical area are competent in the use of medical devices/equipment and have access to training and monitoring compliance.
Management/Leadership
Responsible for the organisation and management of the ward/department on a 24-hour basis.
At all times, have an overall view of the intensity of the workload and the experience of the staff and act to utilise the nursing establishment to ensure the nursing cover on all shifts achieves a high standard of nursing care.
Using the Trust Ward Accreditation Programme, an essential part of the organisations Safe and Effective Care Framework to strive towards achieving excellence for the clinical area. Key quality indicators embedded in the framework, alongside trust peer reviews and focused CQC style reviews will be tools to measure the ward/department performance and identify key areas for improvement.
Manage the discharge and transfer of patients by using the SAFER discharge bundle and other discharge policies to ensure a seamless transition from hospital to home or other community care services.
Actively contribute to achieving the clinical governance goals/targets set by the trust and department and comply with reporting schedules for monitoring and reporting on clinical outcomes.
Implement the Nursing Strategy by setting clear achievable objectives into staffs annual performance and development reviews and evaluate performance.
Continually review the setting of staffing levels, robust roster management, skill mix in accordance with the changing needs of the service and inform senior colleagues of any issues as they arise. Working with the Matron/HoN lead on the recruitment, selection and retention of the nursing workforce.
Succession plan for hard to recruit posts and use Talent Management skills to identify key staff for further development.
Be proactive in the prevention and management of complaints (formal and those via Patient Advice and Liaison Service) and when they occur investigate and respond in a timely manner. Use any learning to share widely with the multidisciplinary team and to improve care delivery.
Responsible for the management of staff performance and attendance in line with trust policies.
Promote the health and well-being of staff, patients and their carers.
Comply and promote compliance with Trust policies and guidelines e.g. Health and Safety, Clinical Risk and Infection Control.
Take appropriate action to address unexpected changes and situations, informing the Matron/HoN or manager if unable to resolve.
Responsible for the ward/department pay and non-pay budgets to ensure good housekeeping and economic use of resources. All temporary nursing spend to be within agreed budget setting.
Delegate duties and tasks as appropriate to team members and evaluate the outcomes. Ensure efficient bed management.
Work closely with partners i.e. Engie, resolving any issues regarding cleanliness, provision of food and maintenance of the environment. Ensure staff are aware how to escalate when issues cannot be resolved.
Research and Education
Research
Develop a research culture within the nursing team to identify current knowledge and deliver evidence based care.
Support local research teams, actively contribute to local department multidisciplinary audits, represent the clinical area at governance meetings and highlight areas for change.
Liaise with the relevant research nurse to ensure patients are identified to take part in clinical research studies and research is delivered safely on the ward.
Report research activity as standard practice and as part of the ward accreditation process.
Education
Ensure all staff have an annual personal development review and set achievable objectives. Feed agreed development opportunities into department training plan and ensure there is a fair and equitable approach to post registration nurse education that is aligned to service delivery and succession planning.
Create an environment that is conducive to learning and encourage team open-ness so that an evidence based approach is utilised and applied to nursing care.
Commit to and encourage a culture where students receive quality placements supported by mentorship and teaching from the multi-professional team.
Ensure student mentors and sign off mentors within the clinical area are up-to-date with NMC standards, including annual updates and undertaking triennial reviews.
Responsible for ensuring that all ward/department staff undertake essential training.
Succession plan for hard to recruit posts and use Talent Management skills to identify key staff for further development.
Ensure there are processes in place for the orientation of new staff and preceptorship for junior nurses.
Embed in the team culture the concept of recruitment to clinical trials which is a national performance indicator.
Communication and Working Relations
Communicate highly sensitive and complex information with empathy ensuring that information is understood.
Communicating and co-operating with other wards and departments, promoting and maintaining good working relationships within own clinical area and across the organisation, giving accurate information as required and keeping everyone informed of any untoward incidents.
Develop expertise in dealing with interpersonal conflict and be responsible for the resolution of any adverse situation/incidents. Comply and promote compliance to Trust policies e.g. Harassment and Bullying.
An active member of the clinical nursing team contributing to Trust wide nursing groups and meetings.
Represent the Matron in their absence at department, specialty and Care Group level.
