Parkinson's Disease Practitioner

Job description

Job responsibilities

• All the following are to be carried out while working in close collaboration with members of the multi-disciplinary team under the guidance of the consultants
• To demonstrate clinical expertise within the specialty and work autonomously, managing own allocated clinics independently and seeking guidance/support when necessary

1. To co-ordinate the specialty care within the Trust including outreach clinics within the region
2. To become an essential member, and point of contact and resource, for the multi-disciplinary team.
3. Carries out diagnostic/therapeutic interventions as an independent practitioner, interprets, writes reports and commences further possible treatment based on findings.
4. Carries out complex therapeutic/ investigational procedures under indirect supervision of the consultant including device aided therapies in Parkinsons disease. Ensuring that they are carried out using safe practice and under agreed guidelines/protocols to ensure highest possible standard is obtained based on competent clinical practice.
5. To demonstrate the ability to develop new skills, to provide an expert high quality service.
6. To provide ongoing follow up care and support (telephone support/ PD lead clinics / and advice for inpatients with Parkinsons disease.
7. To undertake clinical practice at a specialist level (including non-medical prescribing skills) and provide clinical advice and management to patients referred & accepted to the Parkinsons disease practitioner service, professionals and others as appropriate.
8. To develop the service in a structured interdisciplinary way, initiating on-going change and progression in the expanding role of Parkinsons disease specialist.
9. To work in partnership with Ward Managers and Consultants and extended members of the multidisciplinary team, within the Trust and Community to provide a coherent patient-centered service.
10. To develop interdisciplinary clinical management protocols and work within them.
11. Autonomously or in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team, manage the care of patients carrying out relevant interventions, within agreed clinical protocols and in line with current practice/trends.
12. To ensure effective communication networks are established and maintained with all disciplines, patients and relatives / carers, to include Community Health Care Teams.
13. Communicates highly sensitive information, opens barriers to information. Demonstrates sensitivity, empathy and reassurance.
14. To offer a supportive service to patients and their carers, disseminating specialist knowledge enabling individuals to try to adapt to any changes to their body image and life experiences. Liaising with other health care professionals when necessary.
15. To provide, promote and maintain a support and advice to patients and their carers, to include provision of information giving from diagnosis through to all stages of Parkinsons disease progression, in liaison with relevant Health Care Professionals.
16. To maintain accurate and legible records of all clinical legal documentation with regard to Statutory and Trust Policies.
17. To assess, develop, implement and evaluate care within the acute and community setting.
18. To avoid patients admission to hospital, liaison with health care providers in the community to support people with Parkinsons at home.

Education and Research:

1. Training and supervision/support of nurses in the wards and community looking after People with Parkinsons disease.
2. Support and help with organising and chairing regular patients support/education groups (video and/or F@F)

• Educational Evening sessions for newly diagnosed people with Parkinsons disease.
• Patients and carers education on Parkinsons disease and healthy life style.
• Patients education on treatment for Parkinsons disease.
• Patient and carers education on device aided therapies including Apomorphine infusion and Duodopa infusion therapies.

1. To ensure appropriate information and educational literature is available to help patients make informed choices as to their treatment plan and continuing management.
2. To provide telephone support to patients and medical professionals who have queries relating to their ongoing management.
3. To help develop programmes of education to enhance the expert contribution and quality of care to nurses across the Trust.
4. To act as a clinical expert within the Parkinsons disease Service/team.
5. To contribute to the development of nursing practice within the team and where appropriate, to act as a practice supervisor to Trust and honorary contract employees.
6. To work with and support ward managers and other clinical staff to identify areas where changes to practice are required and where opportunities exist, to improve treatment and support for patients.
7. To actively participate in educational events provided by the Trust.
8. To attend meetings and conferences as appropriate ensuring that you are fully conversant with current issues both within the Trust and within the specialist services locally and nationally/ internationally.
9. To identify, apply and disseminate research findings relating to specialist Parkinsons care and practice.
10. To participate and assist with any Trust approved research projects conducted within the department.
11. Enrolment of patients into clinical research trials eg portfolio studies for which the Trust generate income.
12. To access effective clinical supervision to allow personal reflection on own practice and self-development both personally and professionally.

Audit

1. To assist with clinical audit, in particular ensuring patient experience surveys are completed and action plans developed.
2. Maintenance of a departmental database for audit and clinical research.
3. Audit of number of admissions and consultant outpatient appointments avoided through timely advice.

Management

1. Assisting with Parkinsons disease management. To work with consultants to develop clearer protocols and information sheets.
2. To play an integral role in the operational and strategic development of this highly specialist service for both inpatients and out patients.
3. To assist with the development of policies and protocols to improve patient care.
4. Liaise effectively with all other disciplines within the Trust and at local level.
5. Initiate and participate in the management of change to improve standards and communication links from Acute Trust through to Primary Care.
6. To actively contribute to any relevant initiatives within the Care Group and provide support to senior colleagues.
7. To contribute positively to the leadership of PD service within the Care Group acting as an effective role model.
8. To work with and support managers and clinical staff to identify areas where changes in practice are required.
9. To introduce measures to actively manage and reduce risk to patients. Ensure the formal reporting and recoding of adverse incidents in line with Trust policy.
10. To support PD service leads in implementing Trust initiatives and strategies.
11. Network with the team of specialised Practitioners within the Trust, nationally to evaluate, develop and promote the specialist- PD role.
12. Maintain contemporaneous and accurate treatment records, submitting relevant statistics, reports and activity data as requested. To evaluate the service in terms of clinical effectiveness, clinical excellence and value for money.
13. To draft reports for the Care Group and outline barriers to success.
14. To ensure the best use of available resources used within agreed budget to provide a cost effective service.
15. To forge effective links within primary, secondary and tertiary care to ensure effective communication.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• NMC Level 1 Registered nurse or Registered Allied Health Professional (AHPs)
• Degree relevant to healthcare

Desirable

• Relevant MSc, degree or willing to work towards
• Non-Medical prescribing skills

Experience

Essential

• Post-registration, experience at a senior level responsibility for patients with Parkinson's diseas
• Experience of audit

Desirable

• Able to practice advanced physical assessment skills

Knowledge

Essential

• Sound theoretical and practical Knowledge
• Clinical leadership skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellent communication skills, Both written and verbal
• Ability to work within multidisciplinary team
• Decision making skills
• Willingness to learn
• Organisation/ time management skills
• Ability to work flexibly as determined by needs of the service
• Ability to work independently using own initiative and consistent clinical judgment
• IT skills, Word and Excel

Desirable

• Knowledge of research and audit
• Managing/leading services
• Experience of interagency working
• Demonstrating an awareness of the complex issues involved in working across organisations and disciplines

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

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

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

King's College Hospital

Denmark Hill

London

SE5 9RS

Employer's website

https://www.kch.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)