NursingNetUK

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the  job description and person specification attached  for more detailed information about this post. 

Main duties and Responsibilities 
Ensure safe and effective practice 
 Adhere to NMC guidelines for practice requirements and standards, for example, 
safe handling, administration, storage and custody of medicines. 
 Adhere to Trust guidelines, policies and procedures. 
 Ensure that organisational goals are reflected in own and the nursing teams’ 
objectives and in department plans. 
 Contribute to the development of the Trust’s policies and strategies, where 
appropriate. 
 Maintain own professional and personal development in accordance with the NMC 
Code (2015), standards and professional guidelines. 
 Establish and maintain relationships based on mutual respect communicating on a 
regular basis with the patient/client, relatives and carers in the provision of care 
and services. 
 Ensure appropriate systems are developed and operational to facilitate 
dissemination of information within the ward/department team. 
 Adhere to the Data Protection Act (1998). 
 Maintain effective records management ensuring all documentation written or 
electronic is managed as per Trust and NMC (2010) guidelines. 
 Adhere to the Code of Conduct for Trust Managers, as per Human Resource 
policies and procedures. 
 Ensure risk management arrangements are in place within the department. 
Evidence-based practice 
 Promote a culture of research and evidence-based practice within the department 
to enhance person-centred care. 
 Ensure evidence-based care is provided to agreed standards within the 
department. 
 Act as a change agent, developing clinically effective practice through the effective 
utilisation and integration of evidence. 
 Participate in developing, implementing and monitoring policies, procedures and 
protocols. 
 Create an environment which supports a culture of life-long learning and reflective 
practice for all staff. 
 Ensure systems and processes are in place to support effective mentoring of 
relevant staff. 
Environment 
 Maintain a safe and clean environment for staff, patients/clients and visitors by 
ensuring compliance with legislation, policies and protocols including health and 
safety, healthcare associated infection, risk management and critical incident 
reporting. 
 Ensure staff awareness of environmental issues and take appropriate action as 
per Trust policy. 
 Participate in the analysis, assessment and management of actual and potential 
risks to health and well-being. 
 Ensure safe and effective use of equipment as per Trust policy. 
 Ensure near misses, incidents, accidents and faulty devices are recorded, 
reported, investigated and learning disseminated as per Trust policy. 
 Maintain a Risk Register incorporating generic clinical and non-clinical risks in the 
ward/department as per Trust policy. 
Multi-professional working 
 Establish systems and processes to ensure effective communication and 
continuity of patient/client care, liaising with multi-disciplinary/multi-agency teams 
and community services. 
 Attend multi-disciplinary team meeting for each speciality.
Person-centred care 
 Develop and maintain a culture of person-centred care within the 
ward/department. 
 Ensure that the care of all patients is assessed, planned, implemented, evaluated 
and appropriately documented. 
 Promote a caring environment where equality and diversity issues are respected 
and patients/clients and their carers are enabled to be partners in their care. 
 Develop strategies for communication between staff, patients/clients, relatives and 
their carers, showing awareness of barriers to understanding. 
 Facilitate communication between all members of the multidisciplinary/multiagency team, and across care settings. 
Coordination of the patient/client journey 
 Ensure the safety and quality of the patient’s/client’s journey by effective planning 
and co-ordination of the episode of care, including the smooth transition to other 
settings. 
Patient/client involvement 
 Identify opportunities for meaningful involvement of patients/clients and carers’ in 
relation to the development of care and services. 
 Ensure effective systems are in place to gain patient/client and carers’ feedback 
on their experience of care. 
 Ensure compliments and complaints are managed in line with Trust policy 
including the dissemination of shared learning. 
 To take overall responsibility for ensuring the accuracy of the Quality, Safety and 
Information boards and daily monitoring of planned vs actual staffing levels.
Provide effective leadership and management 
 Act as a visible leader within the department. 
 Provide leadership that enables professional decision making and effective team 
working. 
 Empower and enable staff to contribute to the delivery of high quality person 
centred care. 
 Support clinical expertise of nurses within the ward/department by role modelling 
evidence-based person-centred care. 
Develop team performance 
 Promote, develop and facilitate a learning culture within the department. 
 Promote equality of opportunity for all, in accordance with Trust Equality 
Opportunity Policy. 
 Lead and participate in annual staff appraisal/development review, ensuring 
effective implementation of the Knowledge and Skills Framework (DH, 2004). 
 Lead and participate in learning needs analysis and facilitate annual personal 
development plans for the nursing team. 
 Lead and participate in orientation and induction programmes for staff within the 
department. 
 Lead, support and develop nursing health care support workers within the 
department. 
 Promote a person-centred culture to facilitate good staff relationships and morale 
among staff. 
 Contribute to the education commissioning process for nursing staff. 
 Manage poor performance and practice of staff in line with Trust policies. 
 Work in partnership with Higher Education Institute staff. 
 Ensure supervision and mentorship is embedded for pre and post registration 
students, registered nurses and health care support workers, as appropriate. 
Manage the ward/department environment 
 Ensure appropriate delegation to Registered nurses and health care support 
workers and monitoring of outcomes for effective care/service delivery. 
 Challenge appropriately and confidently where standards of care fall below that 
which the Department Sister/Charge Nurse would expect. 
 Contribute to budget management within the ward/department, to ensure services 
are managed in accordance with yearly financial instructions. 
 Participate in multi-professional procurement processes to ensure appropriate 
selection of products which meet relevant quality and safety standards. 
 To participate and embed fundamental standards of care throughout the 
department.
Effective use of resources 
 Deliver a safe and effective service within allocated resources, ensuring the 
resources are used to maximum effect. 
 Monitor budgetary performance, develop and implement action plans, organise the 
necessary resources and monitor outcomes. 
 Adhere to financial policies and procedures, particularly Standing Financial 
Instructions, Authorisation Frameworks, Procurement Legislation and associated 
processes, and Prompt Payment Code. 
 Adhere to Trust financial controls and fraud awareness principles (e.g. verification 
of authenticity / accuracy of the Staff-in-Post records). 
 Adhere to Trust systems for effectively managing stock and safeguarding fixed 
assets. 
 Promote the principles of good governance and protects the ward/department 
from financial risk, particularly in respect of patient/client monies and property and 
charitable funds. 
 Display managerial and organisational skills to ensure that products required for 
patient/client care/treatment are procured in timely fashion and demonstrate value 
for money. 
 Show a commitment to effectively manage resources and achieve statutory 
financial targets.