Job summary
This is your opportunity to join the Worcestershire Acute NHS Trust Ophthalmic team.
We are a friendly county wide team, and our new innovative ways of working ensures a truly patient centred approach throughout our units.
Worcestershire Acute Ophthalmic units consist of outpatient consulting suites, day care units and operating theatres.
The post holder would have a base at Kidderminster General Hospital and be required to work in all areas of the Ophthalmology department to include theatre, clinic and day case.
As a countywide service delivering ophthalmic care you will be required to travel between sites on occasions.
Main duties of the job
To have an understanding of a range of work procedures and practices, which requires expertise within ophthalmology, underpinned by theoretical knowledge or relevant experience.
General assessment of visual acuity, instillation of drops and ointments, application of eye pads, dressings / bandages and irrigation of the eye to support the medical colleagues clinical commitments.
To deliver a wide range of ophthalmic skills and tests, including vision, colour vision, intra-ocular pressure, focimetry, visual fields, keratometry, fundus imaging and ophthalmic scanning.
To be responsible for pre-assessment for ophthalmic examination and surgical assessment, as well as planning nursing care to ensure that each patient receives care appropriate to their needs.
To prepare patients for the Laser treatment
Admit patients attending for surgery and discharge following certain procedures.
Escort Patients during their Theatre journey acting as Advocate throughout
Act as Circulation nurse to support Scrub team and surgeon
Scrub nurse for all ocular procedures
About us
Our purpose is simple - Putting Patients First. We are looking for exceptional colleagues who can help us achieve this.
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.
The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester
Our workforce is nearly 6,800 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.
We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us to achieve our Vision - working in partnership to provide the best healthcare for our communities, leading and supporting our teams to move 4ward. Our 4ward behaviours, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.
Our objectives are simple:
- Best services for local people
- Best experience of care and best outcomes for our patients
- Best use of resources
- Best people
Better never stops, and our Clinical Services Strategy provides a clear future vision for our Trust, our hospitals, our services and our role in the wider health and care system.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Purpose:
The post holder is a member of the direct care team and will provide advanced support to the registered nurse to meet patients needs. You will be responsible for providing care and therapy to patients as delegated by the registered nurse to ensure a seamless service to patients.
You will be allocated a caseload of patients by the registered nurse and will be expected to work independently, holistically assessing patients needs, planning and prioritising their workload and implementing evidence based care, evaluating the outcomes of care under the minimal supervision of the registered nurse
Service Delivery Responsibilities
To ensure own actions support equality, diversity and rights in the delivery of a high standard of patient care.
To contribute to the prevention and control of infection by monitoring and recording any issues
To comply with Trust Policies and Regulations and attend mandatory training.
To act as champion where appropriate and as requested for areas such as Manual Handling, Tissue Viability, Infection Prevention & Control and Nutrition, and falls prevention.
Clinical Responsibilities
To undertake a range of duties without direct supervision but will be required to report back on those delegated duties to a Registered nurse.
Perform and maintain area specific and generic competencies in line with core standards without direct support from a Registered Nurse.
At the delegation of the Registered Nurse transfer/escort a patient from one care area of the Trust to another.
Perform and record Blood Glucose levels utilising blood glucose monitoring equipment; perform and record urine testing as per Trust Procedure, reporting any concerns to the Registered Nurse on duty.
Perform patient assessment, implement and evaluate individual care plans, utilising nursing models, using practical and theoretical knowledge.
Demonstrate ability to plan and deliver high standards of care.
Provide concise handovers to other members of the Multi-Disciplinary Team. Documentation must be clear, concise and legible. Any documentation must also be signed, stamped and dated.
Measure, monitor and record vital signs as requested:
Take the appropriate action in response to the patients vital signs in accordance with the Trust National Early Warning Score system (NEWS).
Identify and report to a Registered Nurse clinical risk issues that impact on the patients /clients health or social care needs.
Ophthalmology Speciality additional competencies applicable to role:
Measurement of corneal thickness using a Pachymeter
Measurement of intraocular pressure using a Tonopen
Measurement of intraocular pressure using an I-care Tonometer
Pre op assessment of patients undergoing certain types of ophthalmic surgery.
Undertake imaging of the cornea using a Pentacam
Undertaking Corneal topography to assess corneal anatomical differences
Use of the Corneal Cell checker in the process of Cross Linking
Scrub nurse for eye procedures
Patient education to maintain and promote ocular health and compliance with treatments.
Admit patients attending for surgery and discharge following certain procedures.
Venepuncture
Removal of Peripheral Venous Cannula
Assist in the production of patient information and ensure patients have access to information.
Escalate any safeguarding concerns identified to the Registered Nurse and follow Trust policies and guidelines in terms of on-going management, escalation and care.
Uphold and implement good practice in the workplace, always ensuring the highest standards of care and attitudes.
This is not an exhaustive list and additional competency based skills relevant to clinical area/speciality can be attained.
Please refer to the full Job description
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Purpose:
The post holder is a member of the direct care team and will provide advanced support to the registered nurse to meet patients needs. You will be responsible for providing care and therapy to patients as delegated by the registered nurse to ensure a seamless service to patients.
You will be allocated a caseload of patients by the registered nurse and will be expected to work independently, holistically assessing patients needs, planning and prioritising their workload and implementing evidence based care, evaluating the outcomes of care under the minimal supervision of the registered nurse
Service Delivery Responsibilities
To ensure own actions support equality, diversity and rights in the delivery of a high standard of patient care.
To contribute to the prevention and control of infection by monitoring and recording any issues
To comply with Trust Policies and Regulations and attend mandatory training.
To act as champion where appropriate and as requested for areas such as Manual Handling, Tissue Viability, Infection Prevention & Control and Nutrition, and falls prevention.
Clinical Responsibilities
To undertake a range of duties without direct supervision but will be required to report back on those delegated duties to a Registered nurse.
Perform and maintain area specific and generic competencies in line with core standards without direct support from a Registered Nurse.
At the delegation of the Registered Nurse transfer/escort a patient from one care area of the Trust to another.
Perform and record Blood Glucose levels utilising blood glucose monitoring equipment; perform and record urine testing as per Trust Procedure, reporting any concerns to the Registered Nurse on duty.
Perform patient assessment, implement and evaluate individual care plans, utilising nursing models, using practical and theoretical knowledge.
Demonstrate ability to plan and deliver high standards of care.
Provide concise handovers to other members of the Multi-Disciplinary Team. Documentation must be clear, concise and legible. Any documentation must also be signed, stamped and dated.
Measure, monitor and record vital signs as requested:
Take the appropriate action in response to the patients vital signs in accordance with the Trust National Early Warning Score system (NEWS).
Identify and report to a Registered Nurse clinical risk issues that impact on the patients /clients health or social care needs.
Ophthalmology Speciality additional competencies applicable to role:
Measurement of corneal thickness using a Pachymeter
Measurement of intraocular pressure using a Tonopen
Measurement of intraocular pressure using an I-care Tonometer
Pre op assessment of patients undergoing certain types of ophthalmic surgery.
Undertake imaging of the cornea using a Pentacam
Undertaking Corneal topography to assess corneal anatomical differences
Use of the Corneal Cell checker in the process of Cross Linking
Scrub nurse for eye procedures
Patient education to maintain and promote ocular health and compliance with treatments.
Admit patients attending for surgery and discharge following certain procedures.
Venepuncture
Removal of Peripheral Venous Cannula
Assist in the production of patient information and ensure patients have access to information.
Escalate any safeguarding concerns identified to the Registered Nurse and follow Trust policies and guidelines in terms of on-going management, escalation and care.
Uphold and implement good practice in the workplace, always ensuring the highest standards of care and attitudes.
This is not an exhaustive list and additional competency based skills relevant to clinical area/speciality can be attained.
Please refer to the full Job description
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience within an acute hospital setting
- Intermediate Computer skills
Desirable
- Experience within an Ophthalmic setting
- Experience within an Out patient setting
- Experience within an Operating Theatre setting
Qualifications
Essential
- Foundation Degree Nursing Associate
Desirable
- Experience within an Ophthalmic setting
- Phlebotomy
- Qualified to NVQ level 3
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience within an acute hospital setting
- Intermediate Computer skills
Desirable
- Experience within an Ophthalmic setting
- Experience within an Out patient setting
- Experience within an Operating Theatre setting
Qualifications
Essential
- Foundation Degree Nursing Associate
Desirable
- Experience within an Ophthalmic setting
- Phlebotomy
- Qualified to NVQ level 3
Additional information
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
