NursingNetUK

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical

• Assess patients with straightforward requirements based on predetermined department protocols.
• Prepare for, carry out and monitor assessments and treatments in specified clinical areas, and discharge in line with predetermined department protocols.
• Apply competency-based treatment techniques/care to patients with specific conditions under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.
• Modify and progress intervention / treatment using own clinical reasoning, notifying a qualified practitioner accordingly.
• Prepare for and develop individual/group activities to meet defined intervention needs.
• Monitor patients and promptly alert a qualified practitioner when there are unexpected changes.
• Demonstrate problem solving, and contribute to the solution, working with colleagues.
• Make basic judgements on patients’ response to prescribed treatment, and report findings to a qualified practitioner.
• Plan and prioritise own visits to delegated patients and ensure these are documented in electronic ledgers.
• Ensure patient held records are completed for each visit, and that SystmOne inputting is completed on a daily basis.
• Where there are barriers to understanding, such as hearing impairment, mental capacity impairment and other difficulties in comprehension, explanations require adjustments in order to gain understanding, consent and concordance.
• Be required to use tact and persuasive skills in order to gain the patient’s co-operation in their treatment/care/management plan.
• Liaise with GPs, Social Services, inpatient teams, other allied health care professionals and the voluntary sector to ensure identified needs are met and care co-ordinated appropriately.
• To participate in multi-disciplinary/multi-agency meetings as appropriate, e.g. Gold Standard Framework.
• Communicate with patients/carers by exchanging factual information, reassurance, tact and empathy.
• Establish and maintain appropriate working relationships with colleagues, patients, carers and other health care professionals.
• Demonstrate dexterity and coordination when undertaking treatment of patients where accuracy is important, e.g. taking blood sugars, venepuncture, supervising transfers and passive exercises.
• Be responsible for ensuring equipment is used safely, following appropriate training, and that it is maintained appropriately.
• Contribute to the requisitioning of supplies and equipment through electronic ordering systems.
• Work predominantly independently on specified tasks, with regular clinical support and supervision by a qualified practitioner.
• Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of consent and gain consent as appropriate following department policy.
• Share responsibility for maintaining store cupboards, pool cars, cleaning specialist equipment and general housekeeping tasks.
• Share responsibility for indirect patient contact tasks, such as, answering telephones, arranging appointments, processing referrals and inputting activity data.
• Will be exposed to bodily fluids, infected material, blood products on a daily basis, therefore must utilise universal precautions and adhere to infection control policies.
• Demonstrate basic IT and standard keyboard skills.

Triage

• Work rotationally and when required as part of the clinical triage team within the single point of contact.
• Contribute to clinical triage to ensure referrals are prioritised according to the service and the patient need.
• Work in accordance with the local processes and standard operating procedures as set out by the unit.
• Triage on non-complex referrals within your scope of practice and your limitations with the clinical triage staff, (under indirect supervision from registered nurse if not on NMC register).
• Engage with mobile working; be aware of the demand and capacity model which will reflect workload needs at any given time.
• Be able to work in a flexible manner for the service need.
• Assess the information given within the referral, and document using S1 triage notes, appropriately ensuring comprehensive detail, using good grammar and punctuation and adhering to NCHC record keeping policy.
• Ensure that if the referral is assessed as an Admission Avoidance i.e. a 4-hour response, immediate contact is made with the relevant clinician the details passed on.
• Perform telephone contact with patients and carers to assess, deliver and plan care and problem solve over the phone ensuring that this is recorded in the clinical tirage notes.
• This role includes liaising with the referrer e.g. GP practice, hospital or patient to obtain the relevant information, if required.

 Clinical Nursing Competencies

• Develop and maintain key competencies in order to support planned and unplanned care teams within own scope of practice.
• Achieve competency in key skills including but not limited to, wound care, medication administration, continence management, palliative care skills and holistic assessments.

Professional

• To be an active member of the in-service training programme by attendance at and participation in staff meetings, training sessions, courses and reflective practice.
• To participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraisee, maintaining a dynamic personal development plan.
• To demonstrate an awareness of clinical governance and risk management and apply to work situations.
• To provide peer support to other carers.
• To develop competencies to enhance practice and ability to meet needs of patients and the service.