Job responsibilities
Knowledge, Skills & Experience Required
- Registered Adult Nurse with current registration status with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and able to meet the revalidation requirements.
- Substantial years post registration experience in a relevant area
- Evidence of a degree or relevant post registration training
- A recognised Teaching and Assessing qualification
- The ability to act as a positive role model to junior staff members. Particular emphasis on adherence to our core Values and Behaviours and practicing as a compassionate leader; ensuring that all staff recognise their responsibility to deliver care in a, courteous, patient focused manner at all times.
- To prioritise colleague wellbeing and make a positive contribution to supporting the work life balance and engagement of both individuals and the team.
- To have the knowledge and understanding of discharge processes and wider evidence -based practice to be able to act as a role model and resource to support the nursing team to deliver high standards or individualised patient care.
- To be able to effectively co-ordinate and prioritise staff training to support professional development and ensure high professional standards of patient care.
- To work effectively as a lead member of a multidisciplinary team
- Knowledge of clinical governance, policy and procedure
- Effective IT skills and experience of utilising electronic patient records and training/ management systems
- Demonstrate an understanding of research and evidence -based practice, and ability to participate as required in audit.
- Demonstrate a clear understanding of Safeguarding policies and procedures.
- To participate in own and teams personal and professional development. Ensuring progression through Individual Performance Development review.
Communication, interpersonal skills and personal qualities
- The ability to communicate effectively with colleagues, patients and their relatives with sensitivity, respect and empathy
- The ability to lead the team, prioritise effectively and support the needs of others whist working in a pressured environment.
- Role model positive action regarding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and actively challenge any form of discrimination to patients or colleagues and resolve any identified inequalities in care.
- To ensure that information / decisions are cascaded appropriately to junior staff using tools forums and communication strategies as identified by the ward/ department manage
- Work in partnership with other health and social care professionals and agencies, service users, carers and families, the general public, as well as Community Support Services
- Able to resolve and de- escalate difficult situations/people.
- Conduct oneself in a professional manner at all times, acting as a credible, aspiring role model
- Act with professionalism and integrity, and work within agreed professional, ethical and legal frameworks and processes to maintain and improve standards;
- To actively monitor and support the health and wellbeing of team members: advising on resources available and escalating for line manager assistance as required and agreed by the individual staff member
Clinical Practice
As a Registered Nurse the expectation is that, with adequate training, supervision and assessment, you will be able to;
- Be competent in the use of all relevant Trust IT systems including the use of electronic patient record, email, and Trak-Care
- Adhere to the NMC code of practice at all times and operate within the NMC standards of proficiency for Registered Nurses
- To act as a resource and support nursing teams in the care delivery of patients across specialities
- Able to work alongside nursing staff, role modelling high standards of practice whilst assessing, delivering and evaluating patient care. Highlighting any areas of development for team members as required.
- Responsible for the administration of clinical procedures/treatments within the specialist area, acting as an expert resource for the nursing team.
- To effectively input and retrieve patient and staff information from computer based systems, specifically Sunrise, Safe Care and other specialist systems and be able to advise and support other team members in their use.
- To administer medication and treatment within Procedure for the Ordering, Prescribing and Administration of Medication Guidelines.
- To deliver safe care within a challenging and changing clinical environment, using equipment and resources safely and as appropriate.
- Participate in audits, and undertake local research relevant to area of practice.
- Keeping up to date with own skills and changes to clinical practices, both locally and nationally- Insight into own skills and knowledge and know when to signpost or ask for advice
- Confidence in addressing poor practice/ performance and la ack of engagement
- Awareness of fairness, equality and diversity
- Act to protect the public, and be responsible and accountable for safe, person-centred, evidence-based nursing practice;
- utilise nursing research and evidence-based practice to professionally develop staff members
Leadership and management
Comply with Trust and Departmental policies and procedures e.g. Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), Manual Handling, clinical equipment competency, risk management, Data Protection Acts
- and patient confidentiality at all times. This will include demonstrating compliance with the terms of all safeguarding policies and processes relevant to the safeguarding of adults and children in the care of GHNHSFT and to undergo regular mandatory training concerned with safeguarding matters.
- Report near misses and untoward incidents, complaints, clinical emergencies, injury or medicine administration errors as detailed in the departmental and Trust protocols. Assist staff in investigating incidents as required.
- Maintain and contribute to the development of standards of practice, conduct or decision making in conjunction with lead staff.
- Ensure a smart, professional image that enhances the public perception of the Trust and the professionalism of its staff is portrayed.
- Use compassionate leadership skills to supervise and manage others and contribute to planning, designing, delivering and improving future services;
- To support the senior members of staff in the supported supervision of staff members
- To lead and deliver safe person-centred care within a challenging and changing clinical environment, using equipment and resources safely and as appropriate. This will include the management of the Discharge Lounge on a regular basis and ensuring staff skill mix remains at an appropriate and safe level
- To support line manager in recruitment, retention and performance related issues, including being regularly responsible for the supervision and mentorship for unqualified/qualified staff and students;
- Support line manager for clinical area in the management of budgetary control and resource management including duty rotas and skill mix requirements;
- Understand the need to be financially aware: reduce waste and work with the team to support financial sustainability whilst maintain quality services for patients.
Education and training
- Be actively involved in, arrange and deliver departmental education programmes
- Mentor, support and educate registered/unregistered staff in the clinical practice setting
- To support the implementation of an effective appraisal system, ensuring that all staff has set objectives that identify and support individual development and training needs.
- Undertake all mandatory training and take every reasonable opportunity for maintaining, developing and acquiring competencies and skills for self-development.
- Demonstrate a commitment to research- based practice and clinical excellence and play an active part in the introduction of change to improve patient centred care
Improving quality and developing practice
- Comply with requirements to register with the NMC and identify own learning needs and ensuring own professional development is maintained by keeping up to date with practice development
- Contribute to the Clinical Governance and Quality agenda by active participation in service initiatives, health and safety and risk management
- To participate in developing systems for assessing the views of service users regarding the quality of services and for involving patients relatives/ representatives in the planning and development of services.
- Engage in clinical supervision in order to gain an appreciation of its value in clinical practice
- Identify own development needs aligning these to Trust and departmental priorities.
- Understand and contribute to the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies/ protocols and guidelines relevant to the specialist area.
- Openly question and challenge practice in a constructive, respectful way to maintain standards and encourage speaking out to ensure standards are continuously evaluated and improved
Physical, Mental & Emotional Effort & Working Conditions
- Will be required to utilise recognised manual handling techniques and guideline
- May be expected to frequently manoeuvre patients/objects over 15 kg using appropriate aids
- Will have frequent exposure to unpleasant working conditions and will be required to follow policies and procedures pertaining to bodily fluids, infection control, infestations and COSHH regulations
- Frequent exposure to distressing and emotionally demanding situations involving patients and relatives
- Some exposure to patients displaying verbal and physical abuse
- There is the on-going requirement to maintain excellent standards of care whilst working under pressure in an ever-changing and challenging environment
- May be required to work in confined space
- Ability to work where the work pattern may be unpredictable, but there is also a requirement for concentration e.g. drug rounds
