NursingNetUK

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Clinical
• Utilising a highly developed specific body of knowledge, work within the neonatal team to deliver a service based on principles that are research based and which enhance the quality of patient and family based care.
• Undertakes high level complex decision making, managing risk but may defer to others for overall plan.
• Be a visible point of contact for patients, visitors, relatives, and staff, acting as the patients advocate
• Ensure that the rights, dignity and confidentiality of the child and family are protected at all times in line with safeguarding policies and within the philosophy of family centred care.
• Ensure that patient’ records and documentation are maintained and current, with changes implemented, in accordance with NUH ‘Clinical record keeping policy’.
• Organise meetings to discuss patient management as required.
• Provide highly specialist support to clinical teams in dealing with the complex needs of dying patients and bereaved families.
• Undertake personalised care planning, parallel planning and high quality end of life are planning for babies and their families.
• To ensure families and multidisciplinary staff are able to access further support where requested such as SANDS, Petals and Bliss.
• Liaise closely with other health and social care professionals to ensure a coordinated approach and high quality care is provided for patients.
• To refer families for formal bereavement counselling,at the request of the parents, or where identified by healthcare professionals.
• Discuss alternative treatment options and facilitate clinical management decisions. To promote parallel planning during antenatal care planning and inpatient phases of care.
• Obtain informed consent for procedures as required, in accordance with the Trust consent policy.
• Participate in research studies in conjunction with the specialty team and lead studies as appropriate.
• Promote and support personalised care in line with the NHS long term plan including the components of the comprehensive model for personalised care.
• Provide clinical support to wards/departments in times of increased clinical pressure or staffing shortages as requested, ensuring that patient safety is the priority at all times. Be a clinical expert.
• Working with services e.g. police and child death team after unexpected deaths. Reporting and documenting concerns.
• Education, Learning & Development
• Provide a credible source of highly specialist clinical knowledge and advice, taking an active role in the development of self and others. Review the performance of self and others, identifying development needs and taking active measures to meet those needs.
• Carry out formal and informal teaching to a range of health care professionals and in a range of subjects. Develop and deliver educational and training programmes as requested and as appropriate
• Create a positive learning environment within clinical settings, to encourage and facilitate individual and shared learning and professional development.
• Participate, in the education of patients and the general public, developing resources as necessary.
• Maintain an awareness and understanding of relevant, up to date research studies within neonatal services and bereavement care.
• Leadership and Management
• Support the senior team as appropriate.
• Deputise and represent other sisters/charge nurses within the neonatal unit during absence.
• Develop pathways and guidelines related to palliative care in neonatal services
• Respond to and lead as necessary on clinical governance initiatives eg complaints, datix
• Initiate and implement change effectively in response to clinical or organisational demands. React positively to, lead and facilitate the process of effective change through a culture of Shared Governance and frontline leadership.
• Be a representative at a local level and participate as a member of the senior neonatal nursing team, making positive contributions to the strategic planning of the service.
• Ensure clinical supervision within the clinical area or department is actively supported and staff encouraged to avail themselves of it.
• Lead on the development of team objectives.
• Participate in interviewing and selection of new staff.
• Be aware of the impact of service changes across the organisation.
• Participate in the managerial duties at Specialty level as required in the absence of the Matron.
• Audit the service to aid in the improvement of continuous patient care.
• Work closely with the appropriate teams and individuals eg case manager/PALS to ensure any concerns raised by families are dealt with quickly and effectively and through the processes.
• Service Development and Use of Resources
• Identify and implement innovative ways of working within the family care team.
• Share and promote good practice through involvement with local groups, including presentations, publication and dissemination of role evaluation.
• In collaboration with the lead nurse and other members of the MDT, take a leading role in ensuring that the family has a satisfactory experience by assessing and evaluating family care processes and redesigning the pathway of care when appropriate.
• Contribute to the monitoring and control of expenditure and the use of resources.
• Participate in objective setting and business planning for the family care team.
• Implement change in response to clinical, organisational and national demands; in agreement with appropriate others in the neonatal unit. Support others to lead or participate in the management of change.
• Respond to change initiatives in a positive manner
• Lead and participate in audits, research and the development of evidence – based patient care guidelines, protocols, policies and procedures where appropriate and ensure they are implemented.
• Ensure that the neonatal unit and wider team is kept informed of the policies, direction and strategy of the family care team.
• Critically appraise and evaluate research findings and lead on the application of these to clinical practice.
• Lead practice developments, through specific research and audit projects.
• Provide statistics, service reviews and evaluations of care to the matrons for performance reports.
• Collect and analyse information related to patient and carer satisfaction and evaluation of the service initiating service development strategies as indicated.
• Develop mechanisms to measure outcomes and evaluate the service to assist with service development
• To represent NUH at a regional and national level relating to neonatal bereavement care.
• Communication and Professional Behaviour
• Be a role model to ensure that the dignity, rights and confidentiality of the patient and individual team members are protected and maintained in accordance with Trust and national policy on Information Governance.
• Convey and present complex and sensitive information, written or verbal, formally or informally, as appropriate. Report appropriate clinical information to senior staff. Ensure that written documentation is kept in respect of all investigations and incidents.
• Establish professional relationships and maintain effective communication
• Link with, and where required lead, professional networks across the Trust and wider health community, in order to develop and exchange ideas for improving clinical care
• Provide ongoing liaison and support for patients and families within care pathways.
• To establish and maintain an effective working relationship with the neonatal team, spiritual care team, mortuary staff, pathologist, wider bereavement team and other healthcare professionals and outside agencies where appropriate.