Senior Sister/Charge Nurse

Job responsibilities

Clinical

• Lead on assessing planning and implementing high quality care, and evaluating care options for patients in the clinical area, in line with the Trust values and objectives

• Lead on complex clinical care for patients within critical care

• Ensure the safe custody,maintenanceand administration of medication,in accordance withestablished Trust policy

• Promote andmaintaina safe therapeutic environment for patients, theirfamiliesand staff, according to national and local Infection Control guidelines, Health & Safety legislation and Trust policies and objectives

• Coordinate discharges and transfers, promotingtimelyand safe processes for them

• Ensure that patient flow and the management of beds is effective and safe

• Ensure the delivery ofhigh qualityend of life care in line with national pathways

• Maintain a good understanding and implementation of clinical escalation procedures asrequired

• Understand the Trust clinical governance framework, andparticipatein the promoting and safeguarding ofhigh standardsof care, through effective risk management & governance, and adherence to the Trust values

• Ensure that the team promote, ensure and adhere to the Trust safeguarding polices

• Undertake effective multi professionally work with colleagues to deliver care

• Coordinate andmanage nurseled clinics where appropriate

• Coordinate specialist functions, including making clinical decisions where appropriate

• Monitor quality of standards of care, in line with CQC requirements and Trust and Divisional objectives

• Deliver and supervisea highquality patient experience

• Work with manager to collect anddisseminatedata on quality indicatorsetc, in line with national and Trust objectives

• Maintaina safeworking environment, including ensuring equipment is safe, and used in line with Trust policy and values

• Promote andmaintainpatient safety at all times,including proactivelyimplementing falls and pressure ulcer prevention and safe medicine management

• Lead role in the detection,managementand prevention of safeguarding issues

• Have anawareness ofcurrent professional and clinical developments within their area of practice and promote this to others

Leadership andmanagement

• Manage theday to daystaffing arrangements and rotas, to ensure safe levels of practice

• Be a shift coordinator on a regular basis where appropriate

• Ensure staff adhere to Trust protocols of care,egInfection Control

• Take continuing responsibility for the Ward / Department in absence of manager

• Participate in senior nurse / unit on call rota / bleep holder (some areas,egpaediatrics) as appropriate

• Lead and manage their own clinical team within general clinical areas, and of the total team in the absence of the manager, in line with Trust values

• Develop andmaintaineffective communication and working relationships with other professional groups, and staffgenerally withinthe Division and the Trust

• Contribute to the effective management of the area by ensuring correct levels of staff are in place to deliver andassistwith the planning of off duty rotas

• Assistinthe deliveryof induction / orientation ofnew staff

• Act as a role model, ensuring staff work to Trust guidelines and values

• Supervise, under the direction of their manager, the work of qualified and unqualified staff and learners

• Provide clinical support and guidance to staff

• Act as a resource for clinical knowledge to staff

• Initiate action on complaints & incident management and responses, andassistin their investigation and resolution

• Participate in recruitment andselection, and develop effectiveselectionand interviewing skills

• Undertake appraisals of staff, following training

• Chair team meetings asrequired

• Lead onspecific projects, asindicatedand agreed by manager

• Have a working knowledge of budget arrangements for area, focussing on costeffectiveness andquality, to ensure maximum use of resource

• Understand and manage local change with team members, including the embedding of new projects

Education & research

• Actively support andassistinpreceptorship andin pre-registration student support,supervision andguidance includingmentorship where appropriate

• Identifyand respond to learning needs for area

• Develop and deliver or organise local training sessions, mindful of the Trust values

• Facilitate others in the development of informal teaching skills

• Participate in the annual training needs analysis for their area

• Participate in any local orrelated researchprojects, clinical trialsetc

• Apply and encourage others to utiliseevidence basedpractice andrelevant researchfindings in practice

• Identifyareas of nursing / midwifery research within their area that will be of benefit, and encourage and educate other staff to recognise the importance of research

• Participate in clinical supervision / acting as supervisor

Professional development

• Maintain professional registration

• Ensure mandatory training and a satisfactory appraisal is in date

• Undertake a professional development plan anddemonstrateachievement of objectives

• Ensure adherence to Trust policy and guidelines at all times

• Role model Trust valuesat all times

Communication and relationship building

• Know andutilizeTrust values in all working relationships to patients,corersand staff.

• Demonstrate good leadership skills and ensure that communication is effective between the patient,relativesand members of the multidisciplinary team, and ensureappropriate nursinginput into patient care discussions

• Ensure communicationis usedeffectively in the interests of patient care, including the use of clinical incident reporting if necessary.

• Communicate handover of care in a professional manner

• Demonstrate politeness,courtesyand sensitivity in dealing with patients/clients, visitors/relativesand colleagues,maintaininggood customerrelationsand recognizing individuality and rights for each patient in line with Trust values.

• Work cohesively with all members of the ward team in ensuring that thevery bestservices to patients areprovided at all times

• Work effectively within a multi-racial and cultural environment

Specific skills / Competencies forthe Intensive Care Unit

Team Management

• Coordinating and managing a team through facilitation of effective team function, promotion of team development and ensure that the team meetsidentifiedstandards of care of best practice. Including:

• Ensure team days take place

• Responsible for ensuring all staff have a PDR andmaintaintheir revalidation

• creating an environment for mutual support within the team

• ensuringgood communicationexists within team members

• monitoring participation of team members in inter team projects

• Ensuring thatteamundertake patient reviews at least threemonthly.

• Monitoring and auditing the quality of care provided to patients

• Care planning and documentation

• Reviewing and learning fromPatientfeedback

• Completion of Mandatory updates.

Shift Co-ordinating

• To act as a shiftco-ordinatoron a regular basis, ensuring the following occur:

• Planning and allocation of staff in accordancetocontinuity, skill mix, student nurses, bank or agency staff and developmental needs of staff.

• Effective handover of patient care between shifts (both coordinator and bedside staff)

• Providing clinical support and learning opportunities forstaff ,Ensuresthat staff are aware of teaching sessions/inter team projects and attend them

• Maintenanceof qualityissues (damp dusting, documentation)

• Management of the ward round and plan of care for patients

• Maintaining unit infrastructure including the coordination of patient admissions and discharges to the unit;maintainingquality issues, stock levels, transfer of patients via EBS andappropriate staffinglevels.

• Maintaining a safe environment through the checking of emergency equipment, preparation of bed areas, adherence to trust policies, maintenance of equipment, reporting of clinical incidents and staff performance

Other responsibilities

• Supporting other departments through expert advice and clinical support whenrequired

• Networking with the northwest London critical care network

• To develop ICUresearch basedguidelines with support of colleagues.

• To lead one of the ICU-team projects andfacilitatethe management of change in relation to inter-team group project work.

• On completion of ALS training to act as a member of the Trust Resuscitation Team

• To act as primary nurse for designated patients and deliver primary nursing reviews/case reviews.(Chelseasiteonly)

• Provide formal teaching sessions in relation to critical care as part of the Foundations of critical care programme

• To act up in the absence of the lead nurse/matron

Trust Values

Essential

• Putting patients first
• Responsive to patients and staff
• Open and honest
• Unfailingly kind
• Determined to develop

Education and qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse
• oDiploma in Higher education or Degree
• oCritical Care Course
• oALS Provider
• oEvidence of leadership course
• oEvidence of teaching / mentorship qualification

Desirable

• oMaster qualification

Experience

Essential

• oRelevant post reg experience at Band 6 level
• oWide variety of clinical experience.
• oExperience of excellence in leading all /part of a clinical team in practice.
• oExperience of teaching and supporting learners / new staff etc

Skills and knowledge

Essential

• oProven clinical knowledge linked to area of specialty, and excellence in care delivery
• oProven knowledge of safety issues through clinical governance and risk management
• oProven leadership and deputising skills in clinical area
• oExcellent communication skills with patients, relatives, staff and external contacts, including in challenging situations, demonstrating respect and kindness.
• oKnowledge of current challenging and issues in nursing
• oCommitment to teaching and learning for self and others
• oComputer literacy skills
• oCommitment to quality initiatives and research
• oClinical decision making skills and ability to prioritise workload

Desirable

• oClinical decision making skills and ability to prioritise workload
• oCommitment to quality initiatives and research

Personal qualities

Essential

• oEffective role model, demonstrating values of safety, respect kindness and excellence
• oEnthusiastic and motivated
• oSelf-starter and able to work on own initiative
• oAble to remain calm under pressure
• oAble to act as a patient's advocate
• oApproachable, respectful, supportive adaptable, and assertive

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).