Job summary
We have a number of exciting opportunities within our Intensive Care Units at Imperial Collage Healthcare NHS Trust for 'Critical Care Healthcare Support Workers' to join our nursing teams at the Hammersmith, Charing Cross and St Marys Hospital.
Critical Care Healthcare Support Workers (CCHCSW) are a key part of our vision for the future workforce of Intensive Care.
As a CCHCSW, you will assist the registered nursing team to support the delivery of high quality care to our patients. This includes assisting in the delivery of direct patient care and patient rehabilitation. The role also entails supporting key functions to enable our units to run safely and effectively. This includes stock, equipment and basic medicines management as well as general housekeeping.
We are looking for candidates who share our Trust values and importantly, enjoy working with patients and as part of a team.
This is a physically and mentally demanding role in a fast paced environment with scope for excellent learning opportunities, including the ability to access apprenticeship pathways into nursing. Experience in an acute healthcare / ICU environment is advantageous, though not essential as full training will be provided.
Please note that these positions require the successful applicants to work a variety of day and night shifts, including weekends. Full and part time working, as well as flexible working options are available.
Main duties of the job
At Imperial College Healthcare you can achieve extraordinary things with extraordinary people, working with leading clinicians pushing boundaries in patient care. Become part of a vibrant team living our values - expert, kind, collaborative and aspirational. You'll get an experience like no other and will fast forward your career.
Benefits include career development, flexible working and wellbeing, staff recognition scheme. Make use of optional benefits including Cycle to work, car lease schemes, season ticket loan or membership options for onsite leisure facilities. We encourage staff to have the Covid vaccination to protect themselves, patients, other colleagues as well as the wider community. Please note it is an operational requirement to comply with infection prevention and control procedures within the Trust such as lateral flow testing, handwashing and the wearing of masks, according to the procedures in place at any time or location. As part of our continued response to Covid19 we are still conducting the majority of our interviews virtually.
We are committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and will consider applications to work flexibly, part-time or job share.
About us
At Imperial College Healthcare you can achieve extraordinary things with extraordinary people, working with leading clinicians pushing boundaries in patient care. Become part of a vibrant team living our values - expert, kind, collaborative and aspirational. You'll get an experience like no other and will fast forward your career. Benefits include career development, flexible working and wellbeing, staff recognition scheme. Make use of optional benefits including Cycle to work, car lease schemes, season ticket loan or membership options for onsite leisure facilities.
The statutory requirement to be fully Covid-19 vaccinated as a condition of employment from April 2022 is subject to legislative review. At Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, we strongly encourage and support vaccination uptake as this remains the best line of defence against COVID19. The successful applicant may have contact with patients and service users and as part of our pre-employment checks and risk assessments, we will ask all candidates to confirm whether or not they have been fully vaccinated or have a medical exemption.
As part of our continued response to Covid19 we are still conducting the majority of our interviews virtually.
We are committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and will consider applications to work flexibly, part-time or job share. Please talk to us at interview.
Job description
Job responsibilities
General Responsibilities
Direct patient Care
- Under the instruction and supervision of the critical care nurse, to care for theneeds of the patient through washing, turning and feeding.
- To support the critical care nurse in the documentation of any observations asinstructed.
- To support the critical care nurse by providing additional care to the patientsuch as shaving, hair washing, etc.
- To support the critical care nurse in assembling bed side equipment.
- To stock up bedside trolley with consumables needed to look after the patientfor the shift.
- To care for patients on the unit, under the direction and supervision of thecritical care nurse.
- To ensure calm and compassionate communication with the patients, whetherthey are awake or unconscious, and their family.
- To support the patient rehabilitation under the instructions of therapist and atregular intervals as prescribed, this is a very important part of fundamentals ofcare delivery to the patient and aid their recovery.
- To support the critical care nurse in communicating and liaising with the family.
- To manage patient property in accordance with unit policy.
- To assist the critical care nurse in performing the last offices.
- Under the instruction and supervision of the critical care therapist and in discussionwith the bed side nurse support the following activities:
Physical
- Hoisting patients to chair.
- Standing patients using the Sara Steady.
- Walking patient with appropriate assistance and aides.
- Sitting patients on the side of the bed.
- Providing pressure relief to patients when in a chair.
- Assisting patients with bed mobility rehabilitation.
- Assisting patients with bed and chair-based activities.
- Assisting patients to undertake therapeutic activities pertaining to their interests to aid mental stimulation.
- Assisting patients to participate in personal care activities.
- Escorting patients off the unit for rehabilitation needs.
Cognitive
- Gaining information to understand patients likes and dislikes for a Who am I board or questionnaire.
- Completing entries in the patients diary.
- Assisting with cognitive engagement.
- To care for patients that may be agitated, again under the guidance of thecritical care therapist or registered nurse.
Communication and swallow
- Helping patients practice communication strategies and activities, advised by the speech and language therapist.
- Supporting with swallowing rehabilitation, under the guidance of the speech and language therapist.
- To support patients with mouth care.
- To ensure calm and compassionate communication with the patients, whether they are awake or unconscious, and their family.
- To support the critical care therapist in communicating and liaising with the family.
- Assisting with virtual visiting calls.
Nutrition
- Assist patients that require additional encouragement/ prompting with nutritional intake at mealtimes.
- Assist nursing staff with completion of the nutritional screening prior to step down to the ward (MUST tool).
- Support the nursing staff with weighing patients using the appropriate equipment- PAT slide/ hoist scales.
- To assist with any strategies/ initiatives that improves the nutritional intake of critical care patients.
- To support patients with feeding during mealtimes, using adaptive cutlery if required.
General
Helping with patient care needs to enable any of the above.
Maintenance of safe environment
- To contribute towards the provision of a safe environment for patients, staff andvisitors.
- Understand and adhere to all Trust polices, guidelines and procedures in particular, Health and Safety, Fire Safety, Waste
- Management and Resuscitation policies.
- Apply universal precautions at all times to minimise the risks of cross infection.
- Ensure that all equipment is stored correctly and that the unit and storage areas are kept clean and tidy.
- Report any breakages or malfunction of equipment to the unit technician or senior nurse.
Communication
- Ensure effective and appropriate communication with staff, patients, relatives and visitors, maintaining confidentiality at all times.
- Receive and contribute to reports on the progress of patients on the unit.
- Greet and orientate patients and visitors to the unit environment as appropriate.
- Attend staff meetings and contribute constructively towards the smooth running of the clinical area.
- Assist with clerical duties for the bedside nurse when required including arranging porters, transport, tests, etc.
- Answer the telephone, respond to queries, take messages and deal with enquires referring to the critical care nurse when appropriate.
- To assist with the care of distressed or bereaved relatives.
- To maintain confidentiality at all times, in and out of the hospital environment.
- To demonstrate an awareness of the different cultural, ethnic, gender and religious needs of the patients and their families.
Management:
- To manage an agreed workload with supervision and support from colleagues and senior staff.
- To work within and support the multidisciplinary team, contributing ideas towards future developments.
- To maintain effective communication and professional relationships with all areas within the units and associated clinical areas within the Trust.
- To participate in reflection and or clinical supervision sessions as provided.
- To observe personal and collective responsibility for resource management.
- To observe a general duty of care for the health, safety and wellbeing of self, work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital.
- To be responsible with others for any specific risk management associated with the post, reporting and taking appropriate actions as necessary.
Professional Development:
- To complete the care certificate.
- To complete the LTLC self-directed learning for non-registered support workers.
- To complete the CC3N critical care HCSW competency framework.
- To complete unit induction and training program and any additional complete competency assessments.
- To be able to identify, with support, your own development needs, completing a competency document and learning objectives within a specified time frame and as agreed by manager.
- To ensure own attendance at mandatory study days and training (BLS, manual handling etc.) as required by ward/departmental manager.
- To update skills and knowledge as required by the Trust.
- To actively participate in annual individual performance review.
Medicines Safety
- To make sure that the treatment/medicines rooms within the Critical Care units are clean and tidy.
- To put away pharmacy stock into its appropriate location.
- To help with the top-up of medicines via pharmacy.
- To do stock rotation, ensuring minimal medicine expiry or wastage.
- To assist the Registered Nurse with Controlled Drug count.
- To ensure surplus medicines are returned to pharmacy.
- To ensure that the units are appropriately stocked with medicines including intravenous fluids for the unit, especially at weekends and bank holidays.
Medicines Assurance
- Work with the Pharmacy Governance Team and Critical Care Pharmacy team members to assure safe, secure and appropriate management of medicines on Critical Care
- To check for expired medicines, including open liquids and then to dispose of these according to the protocol.
- To check room and fridge temperature every shift and record it in appropriate place and act on out-of-range temperatures as per policy.
- To ensure all medicines cupboards are locked.
- To check the hypo box every shift and document.
- To check all bedside patient medication storage, ensuring the right medicines for the right patient.
- To perform medicines management and handling audits under the direction of the unit matron and Critical Care pharmacy team.
Medicines Administration support
- To liaise with each critical care bedside nurse to ascertain their list of medicines requirements.
- To support the bedside nurse by supplying any medicines and associated equipment needed for medicines administration.
- To proactively check prescriptions, including EPMA where available, to support the bedside nurse in provision of medicines at the bed spaces.
- To liaise with the Critical Care pharmacy team with any specific unit requirements and any support needed.
- To be the pharmacy link for the unit in communicating any medicine supply or format changes to the units.
Job description
Job responsibilities
General Responsibilities
Direct patient Care
- Under the instruction and supervision of the critical care nurse, to care for theneeds of the patient through washing, turning and feeding.
- To support the critical care nurse in the documentation of any observations asinstructed.
- To support the critical care nurse by providing additional care to the patientsuch as shaving, hair washing, etc.
- To support the critical care nurse in assembling bed side equipment.
- To stock up bedside trolley with consumables needed to look after the patientfor the shift.
- To care for patients on the unit, under the direction and supervision of thecritical care nurse.
- To ensure calm and compassionate communication with the patients, whetherthey are awake or unconscious, and their family.
- To support the patient rehabilitation under the instructions of therapist and atregular intervals as prescribed, this is a very important part of fundamentals ofcare delivery to the patient and aid their recovery.
- To support the critical care nurse in communicating and liaising with the family.
- To manage patient property in accordance with unit policy.
- To assist the critical care nurse in performing the last offices.
- Under the instruction and supervision of the critical care therapist and in discussionwith the bed side nurse support the following activities:
Physical
- Hoisting patients to chair.
- Standing patients using the Sara Steady.
- Walking patient with appropriate assistance and aides.
- Sitting patients on the side of the bed.
- Providing pressure relief to patients when in a chair.
- Assisting patients with bed mobility rehabilitation.
- Assisting patients with bed and chair-based activities.
- Assisting patients to undertake therapeutic activities pertaining to their interests to aid mental stimulation.
- Assisting patients to participate in personal care activities.
- Escorting patients off the unit for rehabilitation needs.
Cognitive
- Gaining information to understand patients likes and dislikes for a Who am I board or questionnaire.
- Completing entries in the patients diary.
- Assisting with cognitive engagement.
- To care for patients that may be agitated, again under the guidance of thecritical care therapist or registered nurse.
Communication and swallow
- Helping patients practice communication strategies and activities, advised by the speech and language therapist.
- Supporting with swallowing rehabilitation, under the guidance of the speech and language therapist.
- To support patients with mouth care.
- To ensure calm and compassionate communication with the patients, whether they are awake or unconscious, and their family.
- To support the critical care therapist in communicating and liaising with the family.
- Assisting with virtual visiting calls.
Nutrition
- Assist patients that require additional encouragement/ prompting with nutritional intake at mealtimes.
- Assist nursing staff with completion of the nutritional screening prior to step down to the ward (MUST tool).
- Support the nursing staff with weighing patients using the appropriate equipment- PAT slide/ hoist scales.
- To assist with any strategies/ initiatives that improves the nutritional intake of critical care patients.
- To support patients with feeding during mealtimes, using adaptive cutlery if required.
General
Helping with patient care needs to enable any of the above.
Maintenance of safe environment
- To contribute towards the provision of a safe environment for patients, staff andvisitors.
- Understand and adhere to all Trust polices, guidelines and procedures in particular, Health and Safety, Fire Safety, Waste
- Management and Resuscitation policies.
- Apply universal precautions at all times to minimise the risks of cross infection.
- Ensure that all equipment is stored correctly and that the unit and storage areas are kept clean and tidy.
- Report any breakages or malfunction of equipment to the unit technician or senior nurse.
Communication
- Ensure effective and appropriate communication with staff, patients, relatives and visitors, maintaining confidentiality at all times.
- Receive and contribute to reports on the progress of patients on the unit.
- Greet and orientate patients and visitors to the unit environment as appropriate.
- Attend staff meetings and contribute constructively towards the smooth running of the clinical area.
- Assist with clerical duties for the bedside nurse when required including arranging porters, transport, tests, etc.
- Answer the telephone, respond to queries, take messages and deal with enquires referring to the critical care nurse when appropriate.
- To assist with the care of distressed or bereaved relatives.
- To maintain confidentiality at all times, in and out of the hospital environment.
- To demonstrate an awareness of the different cultural, ethnic, gender and religious needs of the patients and their families.
Management:
- To manage an agreed workload with supervision and support from colleagues and senior staff.
- To work within and support the multidisciplinary team, contributing ideas towards future developments.
- To maintain effective communication and professional relationships with all areas within the units and associated clinical areas within the Trust.
- To participate in reflection and or clinical supervision sessions as provided.
- To observe personal and collective responsibility for resource management.
- To observe a general duty of care for the health, safety and wellbeing of self, work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital.
- To be responsible with others for any specific risk management associated with the post, reporting and taking appropriate actions as necessary.
Professional Development:
- To complete the care certificate.
- To complete the LTLC self-directed learning for non-registered support workers.
- To complete the CC3N critical care HCSW competency framework.
- To complete unit induction and training program and any additional complete competency assessments.
- To be able to identify, with support, your own development needs, completing a competency document and learning objectives within a specified time frame and as agreed by manager.
- To ensure own attendance at mandatory study days and training (BLS, manual handling etc.) as required by ward/departmental manager.
- To update skills and knowledge as required by the Trust.
- To actively participate in annual individual performance review.
Medicines Safety
- To make sure that the treatment/medicines rooms within the Critical Care units are clean and tidy.
- To put away pharmacy stock into its appropriate location.
- To help with the top-up of medicines via pharmacy.
- To do stock rotation, ensuring minimal medicine expiry or wastage.
- To assist the Registered Nurse with Controlled Drug count.
- To ensure surplus medicines are returned to pharmacy.
- To ensure that the units are appropriately stocked with medicines including intravenous fluids for the unit, especially at weekends and bank holidays.
Medicines Assurance
- Work with the Pharmacy Governance Team and Critical Care Pharmacy team members to assure safe, secure and appropriate management of medicines on Critical Care
- To check for expired medicines, including open liquids and then to dispose of these according to the protocol.
- To check room and fridge temperature every shift and record it in appropriate place and act on out-of-range temperatures as per policy.
- To ensure all medicines cupboards are locked.
- To check the hypo box every shift and document.
- To check all bedside patient medication storage, ensuring the right medicines for the right patient.
- To perform medicines management and handling audits under the direction of the unit matron and Critical Care pharmacy team.
Medicines Administration support
- To liaise with each critical care bedside nurse to ascertain their list of medicines requirements.
- To support the bedside nurse by supplying any medicines and associated equipment needed for medicines administration.
- To proactively check prescriptions, including EPMA where available, to support the bedside nurse in provision of medicines at the bed spaces.
- To liaise with the Critical Care pharmacy team with any specific unit requirements and any support needed.
- To be the pharmacy link for the unit in communicating any medicine supply or format changes to the units.
Person Specification
Education
Essential
- Literacy and Numeracy
- Diploma (NVQ) level 2 in Health and Social Care
- Spoken and written English, to an appropriate standard to fulfil the job requirements (Adult Basic Skills Literacy L2, Numeracy L1)
Experience
Essential
- Experience of stock management
- Experience of cleaning and care taking
- Demonstrate a clear insight into the role
- Customer care and customer service experience
Skills
Essential
- Good communication skills - written
Person Specification
Education
Essential
- Literacy and Numeracy
- Diploma (NVQ) level 2 in Health and Social Care
- Spoken and written English, to an appropriate standard to fulfil the job requirements (Adult Basic Skills Literacy L2, Numeracy L1)
Experience
Essential
- Experience of stock management
- Experience of cleaning and care taking
- Demonstrate a clear insight into the role
- Customer care and customer service experience
Skills
Essential
- Good communication skills - written
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).
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).
