Job responsibilities
Clinical
To oversee the daily running of the CDWH for the Rossini Platform study to ensure patients are reviewed and responded to in a timely manner on the digital remote wound platform (Isla).
To support and line management of junior colleagues for optimal review patient submission on Isla for a seven-day and out-of-hours service.
To provide timely review of patient submissions to the Central Digital Wound Hub, ensuring appropriate reassurance, advice and/or referral as required.
To ensure early identification of patients who require MDT escalation for infection or delayed wound healing, and action this or support junior staff in doing so.
To ensure information on clinically relevant information on community treatment is recorded for visibility and optimal care delivery.
To collect and/or oversee data on clinical outcomes.
To identify areas for improvement in relation to the Central Digital Wound Hub and work with the Trust Lead for SSI to deliver an improvement plan, using appropriate methodology.
To participate in research studies as required.
To work with the CTU and Isla providing specialist input in SSIS data collection, handling ensuring correct completion of surveillance forms or electronic surveillance data platforms
To undertake audit in relation to SSIS and to ensure audit documentation is completed correctly.
To work autonomously managing a case load of defined group of patients ensuring close surveillance is undertaken to identify Surgical Site Infections (SSI) and determine incidence and prevalence of infections
To promote a patient focused approach to care ensuring high standards of surgical care are followed and in collaboration with all relevant health professionals.
To support the Rossini Platform in the initiation of appropriate actions to enable all grades and disciplines of staff to prevent SSI
To assess surgical patients to identify signs of infection and initiate interventions to prevent or mitigate infection or wound healing issues
To support, encourage and advise (as required) staff on the management of patients who develop SSIs.
Participate in data entry and coding
Participate in telephone and remote digital post discharge follow up surveillance
To provide information to patients and their carers as required where a need has been identified in relation to infection surveillance
To provide specialist nursing input in the identification, prevention and monitoring of SSI
To support the Infection control surveillance lead nurse in the review of microbiological data to evaluate the efficiency of an intervention and plan future practice in consultation with relevant clinical leads
Support general enquiries relating to SSIS from patients, staff and the general public always acting appropriately, sensitively and professionally to ensure confidentiality is maintained at all times
To collaborate with the CDWH Co-Leads and/or SSI team to investigate potential outbreaks
Collaborate and support surgical teams in providing information which enables patients to make choices about adopting a healthier lifestyle and actions to reduce surgical site infections.
To report any unsafe infection prevention and control practices to the CDWH Co-Leads.
To participate in the promotion and maintenance of effective communication with patients, health professionals in relation to surgical site wound surveillance.
To maintain effective communication within the SSI team.
To support the Trust Lead for SSI Surveillance, Research and Innovation in assisting clinical teams in the formulation and initiation of appropriate strategies or action plans required to minimise the risk of SSIs.
Management
Provide clinical support for junior colleagues, including ongoing training needs and development, providing consistency even when working remotely.
Review shift rotas for the Central Digital Wound Hub, ensuring adequate cover for a seven-day service including out-of-hours.
Assist Team leaders as to deliver and manage quality improvement projects.
Attendance of clinical governance meetings for relevant surgical directorates, if required.
To organise network surgical specialism meetings (external) alongside SSI team colleagues.
Identify technical issues and work with Isla to resolve this in a timely fashion.
Maintain accurate records of the SSIS ensuring that confidentiality is maintained.
To maintain a flexible approach to the role and ensure provisions on an efficient and effective service within agreed resources.
Supervision responsibility for junior CDWH Team members
Act as a facilitator and change agent enabling clinical staff to embrace strategies for change.
Prioritise workload taking into account varying demands and resources.
- Identify problems related to the prevention of SSIs and be involved in developing improved methods of work in a multi-disciplinary team environment.
- Develop and maintain optimal relationships with lead clinicians, senior nursing staff, clinical audit leads the infection and prevention control teams, microbiology teams and those involved in SSI surveillance.
- To support and work collaboratively with CDWH Co-Leads in the production of logical, structured written reports for study requirements.
Clinical Research, Audit, Quality & Education
Responsible for monitoring and ensuring the validity of patient information collected for for the Rossini Platform study alongside SSI team colleagues.
Take responsibility for ensuring the standard of data collection for the Rossini Platform study and data entry is accurate and reliable.
Participate in clinical audit, quality improvement, service evaluation, innovation and research as requested by the Trust SSI Lead.
Work with clinical areas where SSIS in undertaken in identifying the education requirements.
To organise and deliver, with support from the Infection control surveillance lead nurse, the feedback of SSI surveillance results to clinical teams; to review results and where appropriate agree actions.
To participate in the training and development of the SSI team and the wider surgical teams
e.g. UKHSA SSI surveillance training.
To participate alongside SSI team colleagues, in education of clinical and non-clinical teams at Infection Control Awareness days, Infection control link practitioners' course and meetings and Quarterly Infection control briefings.
Incorporate UKHSA guidelines, NICE guidelines, and other public issues into guidance and advice for all staff in consultation with clinical leads and the SSIS lead nurse
Critically appraise and evaluate IPC practice around SSI through a structured audit programme designed to reduce SSI.
- Acts as a facilitator in relevant clinical trials related to SSIS.
Present clinical findings at and attendance at conferences nationally when required
Develop and improve own competence in a structured way through self-assessment, education, self-directed learning and conferences
