Job responsibilities
To co-ordinate the assessment of service users and take responsibility for planning, implementing and evaluating of care under the guidelines of the care programme approach. To supervise junior members of staff that are assisting with this.
To ensure that the service users care plan is developed to meet the assessed need of the individual and that junior staff are delivering care as laid down in the care plan.
To liaise appropriately with family members, carers and significant others when completing the assessment and developing a care plan.
To develop a risk management plan for service users under your care, taking note of the contributions from other members of the team. Ensure that all members are aware of the risk management plan and are actioning it appropriately.
To direct junior staff in order to ensure delivery of a high standard of care to service users.
To participate or take the lead, as directed, in setting standards for care based on evidence based practice.
To co-ordinate the systematic monitoring and evaluation of service users that you have responsibility for.
To use verbal and non-verbal communication skills gained through training and experience to impart sensitive information e.g. diagnosis or symptoms to service users and their families.
To check understanding of information where there are often barriers to effective communications due to distress, brain injury/psychiatric symptoms or where English is not the first language.
To use skills gained through training and experience to give and receive information to other individuals with regards to a service users care in reviews and multi-disciplinary meetings. These individuals may be external to the Trust To have an in-depth knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983, responsibilities of the nurse and the rights of service users. Ensure that service users rights under the Act are effectively communicated to them and outcomes documented.
To provide and co-ordinate the provision of a range of therapeutic activities for service users and monitor their effectiveness.
To ensure that all relevant information with regards to a service users care and treatment is documented accurately and legibly into the health record. Supervise and monitor the entries made by junior staff.
To actively participate in ward meetings in order to positively influence team working and the development of evidence based practice.
To provide nursing reports both in written and verbal formats as requested.
To take responsibility for the safe administration of medication to service users ensuring that the Nursing/Midwifery Councils regulations are followed.
To act as a mentor to junior staff and nursing students.
To lead and devise teaching sessions in order to pass on knowledge and skills.
To assist the senior ward staff in the implementation of change or new systems within the area.
To use highly developed skills to assess and monitor the physical/mental health of service users, seeking an opinion from other professionals where appropriate.
To use highly developed skills to de-escalate situations where service users become physically or verbally aggressive.
To direct the team in order to ensure that medical or psychiatric emergencies are acted on promptly and appropriately.
To ensure that junior staff members get appropriate support following untoward incidents.
To ensure that all incidents or near misses are documented as per trust policy and that any follow-up action is taken.
To lead service user reviews ensuring that service users needs are met and that the team has all the relevant information on which to base their clinical decisions.
To participate in the induction of new staff.
PROFESSIONAL
To be responsible for maintaining your own Nursing, Midwifery Council registration and revalidation requirements.
To participate as a supervisor and supervisee on the unit using a supervision framework. Work towards and help others work towards goals and objectives as agreed in personal development plans.
Take responsibility for maintaining and developing your knowledge and skills within your area of work.
To attend, as appropriate, courses and conferences which will provide information for new developments within the field of brain injury and to feedback and share knowledge gained from attendance.
To be professionally accountable for your actions as a registered nurse.
To act, at all times, in accordance with Trust policies and procedures, ensuring that junior staff adhere to policy and procedure.
To undertake mandatory training as stipulated by the Trust and ensure that all actions are in line with training.
To keep up to date with developments in nursing practice and make recommendations for change to the senior ward staff as appropriate.
To undertake small projects as requested by the senior ward staff to look at specific nursing practices.
To actively participate in ward meetings and handovers to ensure the passage of high quality information that will contribute to good service user care and effective team working. In the absence of senior ward staff to lead ward meetings and handovers.
To take an active role in the reporting of adverse incidents as per trust policy. Ensure that junior staff follow the policy and appropriately report all incidents.
To seek advice and further training, if appropriate, before carrying out any duty you are unsure of.
ORGANISATIONAL
To adhere to the Trusts rights based approach taking into account service user choice.
To take reasonable care for the health and safety of yourself and any others that may be affected by your acts and omissions at work.
To ensure that you are familiar with the terms and conditions of your post.
To take responsibility for identifying reporting and managing environmental risk as necessary e.g. liaison with Facilities Dept.
To participate in service development activities as required.
OTHER
To maintain the dignity of service users at all times whilst dealing with aspects of personal care.
To maintain service user confidentiality at all times both on and off duty.
To deal sensitively with service users who and ensure that junior staff do the same.
To maintain appropriate professional boundaries with service users at all times both on and off duty.
To ensure that work is conducted in accordance with the Trust's Equality and Diversity Strategy and to contribute to its development.
In exceptional circumstances to co-operate with reasonable requests from more senior staff to vary your area of work to meet unplanned clinical need.
N.B. This job description is an outline and account of the main duties. Any changes will be discussed with the post holder in advance but will also be reviewed regularly to take into account changes and developments in service requirements. The post holder has the right to request a review should they feel there have been significant changes to their role.
