Deputy Chief Nurse

Job responsibilities

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

CLINICAL AND PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP

• Ensure visibility as a leader, acting at all times as a professional role model, representing the Trust internally and externally
• Foster and develop a culture within nursing/AHPs that values continuing professional development and strives for excellence in the delivery of patient care
• Lead the development and implementation on a range of corporate projects as identified by the Chief Nurse
• Provide assurance for the setting, monitoring and implementation of standards of professionalism across the Trust
• Provide expert professional advice on all matters relating to clinical governance, compliance and nursing
• Work collaboratively with others to develop partnerships and move beyond traditional boundaries of practice
• Oversee the delivery and progression of service improvement, national initiatives and trust/regional/national campaigns across areas of responsibility
• Prepare reports for the Board of Directors and sub committees, ensuring accuracy and attention to detail
• Lead the monitoring, evaluation and improvement of patient care through the development of quality collaboratives, evidence-based practice and a compassionate culture.
• Provide professional leadership and management for the Associate Chief Nurses
• Ensure implementation of national, regional and local practice guidelines and policy as appropriate.
• Initiate policy development in response to identified need or interpretation of national guidelines.
• Provide expert knowledge and advice regarding professional nursing and provide interpretation of national policy at Trust level.
• Ensure there are appropriate governance arrangements and infrastructure for the initiation, development, implementation and review of relevant policies and procedures across the organisation
• Set quality standards/ key performance indicators for patient care and the achievement of local and national standards and targets identified with the Chief Nurse.
• Lead, facilitate and support the continued development and implementation of continuous improvements in patient care with national standards and benchmarks
• Establish a culture of continuous improvement and professional excellence
• Working with the appropriate Clinical Lead/ Lead Nurse (Matron) /Head of Profession, respond to reports and concerns raised by clinical staff / patients and take the necessary supportive and corrective actions, providing relevant feedback as appropriate.
• Lead on the implementation of a robust recruitment and retention strategy, working with external partners from education and health and social care providers, as appropriate, to ensure effective pathways into the healthcare profession.
• Ensure that requirements relating to the scope of professional practice are recognised in relation to the expansion/ advancement of nursing/AHP roles.
• Work collaboratively with a range of multi-professional colleagues, including medical staff on service improvement initiatives, internally within the Trust and externally on behalf of the Trust, as required
• Undertake continuing professional development activities in line with NMC Code of Conduct/other relevant professional codes and in order to meet the requirements of re- validation.
• Manage the departmental budget within agreed delegated limits, ensuring effective and efficient use of resources
• Participate in the executive director on call rota and duty manager as required.

QUALITY, SAFETY AND EXPEREINCE

• Act as a source of independent advice and arbitration in matters of quality
• Be responsible for Trust wide preparedness for external reviews and regulatory visits; providing assurance as to the successful implementation of resultant action plans.
• To lead the development and implementation of monitoring and reporting systems to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and NHS best practice, including but not limited to: CQC, NICE, CAS.
• Lead improvement in the patient experience at all levels of service provision and provide reporting to the Trust Board of Direcors.
• Lead and facilitate a culture of improvement through shared learning, support, and appreciative enquiry. Champion and develop the related forums e.g., Friday Focus (Focus on care understanding safety).
• Oversee the ongoing development of the CODE Quality Accreditation scheme.
• Oversee the development and use of key performance indicators in order to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and outcomes of patient care from Ward to Board.
• Working in partnership with the clinical teams, implement an effective approach to Harm Free Care and other safety initiatives
• Oversee the on-going development and application of Nursing Quality indicators to monitor the quality of the care being provided across wards and departments.
• Ensure there are mechanisms in place to support clinical team to apply and utilise the data from the quality metrics to assist with improvements in the quality or care and patient experience
• Support the clinical workforce to implement systems to monitor the quality of patient care through audit and measurement of clinical practice, benchmarking and review of complaints, and ensure changes to practice are introduced and monitored where appropriate.
• Ensure there are robust mechanisms in place for hearing and responding to patient concern, via formal (complaints) and informal (PALS) routes, ensuring that investigations are completed in a timely manner and written responses are of a high standard in line with PHSO guidance
• Ensure that appropriate remedial actions are identified as a result of any complaints and that robust mechanisms are in place to affect learning.
• Promote, monitor, and improve patient experience.
• Advise and participate in the investigation of serious incidents and complaints, producing reports, identifying appropriate remedial actions and lessons to be learned.
• Ensure the delivery and implementation of national patient safety initiatives with robust internal mechanisms to support
• As required, lead the investigation of complaints and incidents relating to nursing/ clinical care, including participation in root cause analysis (RCA) and ensure responses and remedial action are taken
• Ensure that robust mechanisms are in place to undertake RCA for all category 3 and 4 hospital acquired pressure ulcers and falls that result in moderate harm or worse.
• Undertake delegated responsibility for the oversight and leadership of the Trust Safeguarding service in collaboration with the Chief Nurse

FINANCE AND MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Financial responsibility for Quality and Standards Divisional budget and associated budgets including patient amenities, staff amenities, TYA and leadership support.
• Line management of the corporate senior leadership team with professional leadership responsibility for the Associate Chief Nurses, and Divisional Nurse Leads including R&I, CNS, CSSS and digital
• Support and contribute to the professional accountability of senior nursing/AHPs.
• Contribute to investigations and panel hearings.

Qualifications

Essential

• oCurrent professional NMC/relevant professional registration
• oFirst Degree in Health Related Subject
• oMaster's Degree in Leadership/ Management or other relevant subject/experience
• oEvidence of extensive expert professional/clinical knowledge in area supplemented by specialist clinical training and CPD

Desirable

• oRelevant qualification in leadership
• oDoctoral qualification in relevant subject

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience at a senior level in an Acute Hospital Setting
• Track record of managing change successfully in complex environments.
• Evidence of leading trust wide regulatory compliance data collection and inspection preparedness
• Evidence of effective networking, including partnership working across health and social care
• Recent and relevant experience of effectively leading and managing teams of multi-disciplinary staff and achieving high levels of staff satisfaction.
• Evidence of strong, professional leadership and management skills
• Evidence of involvement in the development of policies, protocols and audit
• Evidence of service development
• Evidence of implementing innovative practice
• Ability to make operational judgments involving complex facts/situations.
• Ability to manage conflicting views and reconciles inter and intra professional differences of opinion
• Ability to lead, manage & motivate all staff within sphere of responsibility/influence.

Desirable

• Experience or knowledge of Training and Education
• In-depth knowledge of change and quality management

Knowledge

Essential

• oUp to date knowledge of health professional theory and best practice, particularly within speciality areas and the application of this in practice.
• oUnderstanding and experience of Care Quality Commission regulation and compliance
• oFinancial Management Health & health & social care policy

Skills

Essential

• oHighly effective communication skills - able to clearly articulate and communicate potential complex or emotive information both verbally and in writing to individuals or groups of staff, patients or relatives including in situations of conflict and distress, ensuring that communication is tailored to the person being addressed
• oCan demonstrate assertiveness, tact and diplomacy appropriately
• oStrong organisational skills - able to organise own workload, meet deadlines and take responsibility for clinical actions and systems / standards across area of responsibility.

Other

Essential

• A corporate player, able to successfully link strategy and operations
• Assertive, confident and able to work under own initiative, emotionally resilient.
• Ability to function under pressure and meet deadlines whilst maintaining a high quality of work
• Ability to work management on-call
• Car owner/driver or supported driver
• Highly computer literate
• Satisfactory health screening

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).