Job summary
The aims of this post are to improve the care and monitoring of all patients in the Trust who are receiving clozapine and to improve the physical healthcare of mental health patients. The post holder will provide a clozapine service to both community patients and inpatients.
The clozapine service is a tri- borough service based in Hounslow, Ealing and Hammersmith. This post will be based primarily in Hammersmith and also partly based in the Ealing clozapine service. There may be rare occasions when support is needed in the Hounslow clinic. The clozapine mental health nurse will be given full support when covering other areas from the team phlebotomists and the leads for the service. Coverage of other areas will not be given as an extra workload or duty, but allocated within the 37.5 hours a week.
There is a medium to long term plan for the clozapine service to be integrated in the location of community mental health services in the local MINT teams (Mental health integrated network team) which will be in the catchment of the existing locations of the clozapine service.
Main duties of the job
The main duties of the role will involve organising Clozapine clinics and facilitating appointments to administer clozapine medication to patients. There will be a need to prioritise and make arrangements for patients who have missed appointments for their clozapine medication.
You will use clozapine clinic equipment, including machinery used to analyse blood results, maintain maintenance of this equipment and report concerns.
You will also be involved in completing Physical health assessments for patients. You will be able to use physical health equipment (Blood pressure machine, BM machine, etc). You will be able to document physical health results and act on physical health concerns with awareness of the parameters of physical health (blood pressure, Blood sugar, Lipids, BMI etc) and escalation actions, including liaison with the patient's psychiatrist and GP.
Maintain a high standard of clinical work when carrying out nursing procedures.
Responsible for the safe custody of medication, including checking and administration and assessment of side-effects.
About us
West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse providers of mental health, community and social care in the UK.
Our 3,982 staff care for people in hospital and in the community, helping them to recover and go on to lead full and productive lives. We aim to be the best organisation of our kind in the country.
We provide care and treatment for more than 800,000 people living in the London boroughs of Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow, delivering services in the community (at home, in GP surgeries and care homes), hospital, specialist clinics and forensic (secure) units.
We'rerated good overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Together, we're committed to promoting hope and wellbeing, working with patients, service users, carers, families and partners across the communities we serve.
We are keen to ensure that our workforce reflects the community it serves, particularly in terms of ethnicity, gender, disability, LGBTQ+ and experience of mental illness.
The regulations mandating vaccination for in-scope roles in the NHS have now been removed. The Trust does however continue to encourage and support staff to be vaccinated as this remains the best line of defence against COVID19. Vaccination data will be collected by our recruitment team during your on-boarding if you are happy to provide a copy of your COVID pass.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Clozapine nurse role will involve monitoring patients mental and physical health, coordinating clozapine clinics and liaising closely with patients, carers, inpatient units, CPNs, community teams, GPs, Consultant Psychiatrists and others to ensure the wellbeing of patients and to promote the general understanding of medication and monitoring issues.
The role will also involve providing a wide range of physical health monitoring and treatment and working with the Clozapine Team manager and Community Matron to participate in development of the Clozapine service across the three boroughs.
The post holder will be provided line management and clinical supervision by the Clozapine Team Manager. The post holder will work closely with fellow Clozapine nurses, Phlebotomists and the Team Manager to ensure high quality service delivery and cross cover across the three boroughs.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Clozapine nurse role will involve monitoring patients mental and physical health, coordinating clozapine clinics and liaising closely with patients, carers, inpatient units, CPNs, community teams, GPs, Consultant Psychiatrists and others to ensure the wellbeing of patients and to promote the general understanding of medication and monitoring issues.
The role will also involve providing a wide range of physical health monitoring and treatment and working with the Clozapine Team manager and Community Matron to participate in development of the Clozapine service across the three boroughs.
The post holder will be provided line management and clinical supervision by the Clozapine Team Manager. The post holder will work closely with fellow Clozapine nurses, Phlebotomists and the Team Manager to ensure high quality service delivery and cross cover across the three boroughs.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Nurse with current registration [mental health/LD/Adult], appropriate to the job role
- Evidence of continuous professional development
- Completion of Mentorship Course/ENB equivalent
Desirable
- Further professional qualifications
- Phlebotomy training
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working alongside people with complex health problems in the designated care group
- Experience of supervising staff
- Experience of managing a caseload
- Experience of providing a range of clinical interventions to people in the designated care group with a variety of health problems
- Experience of working consultatively with professionals
- Experience of conducting clinical assessments including risk assessments
- Experience of partnership working within and across various statutory and non statutory teams and agencies
- Experience of working within the CPA process or new systems for working within shared care and enhanced in Mental health services
- Previous experience of working in the community
- Contribute to the implementation of services.
Desirable
- Lived experience of mental health issues
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of clinical governance
- Knowledge and understanding of the principles of recovery and their application to risk management, positive risk taking and strengths orientated approaches to care delivery.
- Knowledge of MHA and governance structures
Desirable
- Experience of working in Inpatient area.
- Relevant life experience
Skills
Essential
- IT skills, using clinical documentation systems, spreadsheets, Email systems and electronic calendar.
- Writing skills- writing patient notes on electronic documentation, writing emails to colleagues
- Communication skills- able to communicate information to patient's colleagues and other services. Able to listen and provide adaptable verbal responses.
- Medication management Skills, drug calculations, administering correct medication to right patient. Side effect assessment skills and ability to take appropriate action.
- Physical health assessment skills. Able to use physical health equipment (Blood pressure machine, BM machine, etc). Able to document physical health results and act on physical health concerns with awareness of the parameters of physical health (blood pressure, Blood sugar, Lipids, BMI etc) and escalation actions
- Mental health assessment skills - able to complete a mental state examination and assess mental health and support needs of patients and refer to appropriate services.
- Able to work with diverse patient groups including patients from BAME backgrounds.
- Organisational skills - able to organise clinics, involving appointments to administer clozapine medication to patients, Able to prioritise and make arrangements for when patients have missed appointments.
- Skills of personal resilience. Knowledge of how to manage personal stress. Awareness to share concerns in supervision. Ability to maintain a healthy work/life balance and maintain personal wellbeing, requesting and accessing support when needed.
Desirable
- Phlebotomy skills able to take bloods from patients and send for analysis.
- Able to use clozapine clinic equipment effectively, including machinery used to analyse blood results, maintain maintenance of this equipment and report concerns
Other Requirements
Essential
- Demonstrate support for the values and beliefs of the Care Group and those of the Trust
- The ability to multi task and mental adaptation to different unpredictable situations
- Demonstrate support for the values and beliefs of the Care Group and those of the Trust
- Role models high standard of professional qualities e.g. punctuality and due diligence, honesty, responsibility, compassion
- Respectful to others. Able to discuss issues calmly and constructively
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Nurse with current registration [mental health/LD/Adult], appropriate to the job role
- Evidence of continuous professional development
- Completion of Mentorship Course/ENB equivalent
Desirable
- Further professional qualifications
- Phlebotomy training
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working alongside people with complex health problems in the designated care group
- Experience of supervising staff
- Experience of managing a caseload
- Experience of providing a range of clinical interventions to people in the designated care group with a variety of health problems
- Experience of working consultatively with professionals
- Experience of conducting clinical assessments including risk assessments
- Experience of partnership working within and across various statutory and non statutory teams and agencies
- Experience of working within the CPA process or new systems for working within shared care and enhanced in Mental health services
- Previous experience of working in the community
- Contribute to the implementation of services.
Desirable
- Lived experience of mental health issues
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of clinical governance
- Knowledge and understanding of the principles of recovery and their application to risk management, positive risk taking and strengths orientated approaches to care delivery.
- Knowledge of MHA and governance structures
Desirable
- Experience of working in Inpatient area.
- Relevant life experience
Skills
Essential
- IT skills, using clinical documentation systems, spreadsheets, Email systems and electronic calendar.
- Writing skills- writing patient notes on electronic documentation, writing emails to colleagues
- Communication skills- able to communicate information to patient's colleagues and other services. Able to listen and provide adaptable verbal responses.
- Medication management Skills, drug calculations, administering correct medication to right patient. Side effect assessment skills and ability to take appropriate action.
- Physical health assessment skills. Able to use physical health equipment (Blood pressure machine, BM machine, etc). Able to document physical health results and act on physical health concerns with awareness of the parameters of physical health (blood pressure, Blood sugar, Lipids, BMI etc) and escalation actions
- Mental health assessment skills - able to complete a mental state examination and assess mental health and support needs of patients and refer to appropriate services.
- Able to work with diverse patient groups including patients from BAME backgrounds.
- Organisational skills - able to organise clinics, involving appointments to administer clozapine medication to patients, Able to prioritise and make arrangements for when patients have missed appointments.
- Skills of personal resilience. Knowledge of how to manage personal stress. Awareness to share concerns in supervision. Ability to maintain a healthy work/life balance and maintain personal wellbeing, requesting and accessing support when needed.
Desirable
- Phlebotomy skills able to take bloods from patients and send for analysis.
- Able to use clozapine clinic equipment effectively, including machinery used to analyse blood results, maintain maintenance of this equipment and report concerns
Other Requirements
Essential
- Demonstrate support for the values and beliefs of the Care Group and those of the Trust
- The ability to multi task and mental adaptation to different unpredictable situations
- Demonstrate support for the values and beliefs of the Care Group and those of the Trust
- Role models high standard of professional qualities e.g. punctuality and due diligence, honesty, responsibility, compassion
- Respectful to others. Able to discuss issues calmly and constructively
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
