Job responsibilities
KEY RESULT AREAS
Safety
1. Deliver the outcomes and measures for patient safety as identified in the Trusts for the Emergency Department, ensuring that day to day delivery is timely and safe, supporting the organisation to meet the corporate agenda; for example, Care Quality Commission and legislation.
2. To facilitate complex care, discharge or patient care issues or complaints using analytical skills to problem solve and find solutions to ensure best practice and best patient care outcomes are achieved.
3. Be responsible for ensuring compliance with all NMC professional codes both personally and for the nursing team.
4. Act as a role model for nurses within the department, promoting and demonstrating the standards of care expected. Contribute to nursing teams utilising shared governance to continuously improve standards.
5. Provide an integral role to ensure the management and prevention of hospital-acquired infection in liaison with Infection Control Team and governmental standards.
6. Ensure clinical governance agenda encompasses continual quality improvement that focuses on reducing risk and developing efficiency and quality in care.
7. Protect and enhance the Trust high standard of reputation. This will involve reporting to the Matron any investigations and resolutions of patient complaints
Quality/Patient Experience
To support the organisation in meeting the quality agenda and embedding it into practice including:
1. Public, patient involvement
2. Recruitment and Retention
3. Infection prevention and control
4. Hospital Cleanliness
5. Care Bundles
6. Care of Learning disabilities patients in the area of specialty
7. Tissue Viability
8. Medicines Management
9. Safe environment for patients, staff and visitors
10. Patient Dependency
11. Nutritional Screening . Slips, Trips and Falls
12. Safeguarding Agenda for Vulnerable Adults and Children
13. Safety Thermometers
14. Undertake inspections/audits of clinical areas in order to maintain standards.
15. Utilise complaints as a resource from which to improve.
16. Improve the patient experience.
17. Provide support to patients relatives, carers and staff in the delivery of nursing care.
18. Lead, inspire and co-ordinate by motivation, the development and implementation of nursing and midwifery care standards, encompassing the Essence of Care philosophy, against recognised best practice, facilitating continuous review, benchmarking and improvement.
Effectiveness
1. Assist the Senior Sister Team by leading on and participating in projects, promoting evidence based clinical practice, utilising audit to highlight continuous performance improvement across the department.
2. Utilise DATIX, nursing metrics and observational monitoring to enhance and monitor care in the Emergency Department and ensuring appropriate investigation of clinical incidents a robust response to concerns raised and dissemination of lessons learnt, specifically around Emergency Care.
3. Utilise communication skills in all aspects of practice
4. Liaise with the Learning and Development Team to ensure appropriate provision of training and education programmes to meet the needs of staff and students.
5. Participate in the Trust appraisal process as an appraiser and appraisee, promoting a systematic approach to annual appraisal; ensuring all ward staff objectives meet professional requirements
Leadership
1. Set and maintain professional standards, ensuring staff across the Emergency Department and maintain their professional standards in accordance with the Nursing & Midwifery Code: Standards, Performance and Ethics (2008).
2. Provide clear vision and motivation, by utilising communication skills, ensuring that nursing teams and individuals have clear objectives for developing nursing care provision in line with national and local objectives.
3. Support the departmental nursing teams through any service development to promote enhanced care and service delivery.
4. Promote effective links between nursing and other professions both internally and externally to support effective multi professional working.
5. Provide nursing staff with the opportunity to build on good work, strengthen areas of weakness and take up new challenges, identifying role and career development opportunities. Promote and represent nursing at a local and corporate level if required.
Management
1. Comply with practice related regulatory measures eg. Hygiene Code, NHSLA Standards, Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act and NICE Guidance.
2. Ensuring delivery of cost effective and quality service. This will include the equipment services as well as achieving financial savings as agreed with the Matron.
3. Ensuring compliance with the principles of Improving Working Lives. In conjunction with the matron, develop and implement national and local strategies using appropriate and innovative approaches to maximise retention and recruitment.
4. Champion a culture for the work area which encompasses the Trust values for staff in which they can expect to work in an environment where they are valued, open and accountable for their actions and supported to maximise their potential at all times.
5. Develop a cohesive and motivated nursing and midwifery team, ensuring effective management of all clinical and nonclinical functions. Manage the day-to-day operational issues relating to the department in conjunction with the Senior Leadership Team, Matron, general manager and speciality director.
6. Perform monthly audits on quality standards and action plans there in.
7. Ensure that the conduct, attendance and performance of all staff within the direct area of responsibility is maximised and that staff are managed in line with Trust HR policies.
8. Participate in the duty staffing rota as per the medical division roster.
9. Manage operational issues relating to length of hospital stay, reducing bed days and facilitating timely discharge and pathways of care
10. Instigate, promote and influence effective links between nursing and other professions both internally and externally to support effective multi-professional working.
11. Demonstrate up to date knowledge and understanding of National, Trust and Divisional work streams and priorities to facilitate clear management leadership and direction for an area of responsibility.
Physical and working conditions
1. The post holder will work in a variety of settings and across site/Trust with unpredictable work patterns responding to the changing and challenging situations, which may expect prolonged periods of concentration
2. There may be occasional exposure to distressing or challenging behaviour (verbal/physical aggression), and safeguarding cases which maybe distressing.
Collaborative working and clinical awareness
1. The role will require considerable mental effort to engage with both patients, relatives and staff to understand situations, explore options for improvements and achieve positive outcomes
2. Will frequently be expected to manoeuvre patients/objects, in concurrence with the Trust Manual Handling Policies.
3. Will have frequent exposure to unpleasant working conditions and will be required to follow Policies and Procedures pertaining to bodily fluids, infection control and COSHH regulations.
Please see the attached job description for more information.