Junior Sister AMU, WRH - Worcester, United Kingdom - Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Description

Job summary

The Acute Medical Unit (AMU) is a 28 bedded admissions unit withapproximately 50 members of staff who are responsible for admitting, assessingand implementing care for patients in the inpatient setting. Staff strive todeliver a high standard of patient care and embed the Trusts values and 4wardbehaviour's in their daily practice

We take admissions from ED and direct GP referrals via our Same DayEmergency Care service. Following assessment, patients are transferred to wardswithin the Trust for ongoing care or discharged home. We are looking for anexperienced nurse to join our dynamic and supportive team as a Junior Sister tohelp us develop our services and provide the highest standards of patient care.

As a Junior Sister you will be involved in supporting and leading staffto ensure high quality care is delivered to all our patients. You willundertake the Nurse in Charge role; coordinating, delegating and supervisingthe management and planning of nursing care whilst maintaining patient safety.The successful candidate will act as a role model of expert clinical practiceand will be confident to challenge practice so that the best and mostappropriate treatment is given to every patient.

As committed as you will be to doing the best for your patients, we arejust as committed to helping you to get the most out of your role. We willoffer you the support, guidance and training to develop your career so you canmake the best contribution you can to the Trust.

Main duties of the job

Thesuccessful applicant will be required to work and manage all areas within thedepartment and demonstrate a professional manner, clinical expertise and goodcommunication skills in all aspects of their work. They must be comfortableworking in a busy environment, juggling the different demands typical of anursing role, managing flow from AMU to the rest of the hospital and mustpossess the courage to do what is right for our patients. They will be requiredto support the ward manager with staff development, appraisals and sicknessmanagement. Ideally, the successful candidate will have a mentorshipqualification or be happy to undertake this to support student nurses on the unit.

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:

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.

We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

Job responsibilities

Job Summary

Toact as team leader forclinical staff

Tobe responsible for clinicaland non-clinical management of a ward area in the absence of the Senior Sister/ Charge Nurse

KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS

OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibilities forestablishing and maintaining communication and relationship both

internally and externally.

Establish and maintain effective communication and foster good workingrelationships with allmultidisciplinary teams, both internal and external.

Provide and receive complex and / or sensitive information from patientsand staff. For example, breaking bad news to patients, giving complexinformation about procedures and their outcomes, dealing with performanceissues, holding staff meetings. Able to support and talk to distressedpatients, visitors, and staff members.

Responsible for cascading information to ward staff and chairing staff meetingsfrom which minutes are provided.

Make use of electronic internal / external mail andInternet systems as appropriate and

necessary.

Deal effectively with comments, complaints, or incidents that affect staff andusers of the ward in accordance withcomplaints, risk management, or human resources procedures.

Bring to the attention of the Senior Sister/Charge any factors which mayadversely affect patient care or service provision.

Report all serious incidents to the appropriate Manager/Director within 24hours; these include Never Events,serious falls, and grade 3 or 4 pressure ulcers.

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & EXPERIENCE (also see person specification)

Be knowledgeable about the specific care requirements of patients who may beadmitted to the area.

Be knowledgeable about current infection control procedures and policies andensure all staff and visitors adhere to these at all times.

Be knowledgeable about the risks of infection and take responsibility forminimising cross infection within the clinical environment, assist in givinginformation and placing patients appropriately.

Be knowledgeable about all aspects of Acute Medical care.

Ensure that patient care is evidence based and that the patients journey isstreamlined.

Use a wide range of knowledge in determining at the time of assessment oradmission, the most appropriate and safe patient pathway.

Identify, assess, and act accordingly at any point on the pathway includingdischarge when patients are no longer meeting the agreed appropriate and safepatient pathway.

Assess and act upon potential problems or issues to ensure a safe, effectiveenvironment for staff, patients, and visitors.

Identify, analyse, and act upon staff situations when there is conflict and /or deviation from Trust or local policies and procedures.

Identify, analyse, action and discuss with Senior Sister/Charge Nurse asappropriate any change management issues that arise.

Planningand organisational skills

Assist in planning of duty rotas oralter planned rotas to ensure maximum service delivery, standards of patientcare and human, and resource management. Use e-rostering as it becomes available.

Assist Senior Sister/Charge Nurse by utilising available resources to ensuresafe and effective patient care periods of unplanned staff absence and /or equipment failure.

Be aware of Trust financial position and target objectives and ensure that wardarea is as effective as possible in meeting these objectives.

Work with the multi disciplinary team to streamline care and shorten patientlength of stay.

Work with the multi disciplinary team towards protocol led discharge forsuitable patients.

Participate in Directorate/Departmental Sistersmeetings

Be involved in practice development and patientexperience issues.

RESPONSIBILITIES FOR PATIENT CARETHERAPY & TREATMENT

Oversee set patient care programmes in accordance with agreed policies, usingexpert nursing experience and skills.

3.2 Ensure that safe and effective nursing care is delivered, this to be inaccordance with Trust policies and best practice guidelines, also Nursing &Midwifery Council (NMC) Codes of Practice and guidelines.

Act as a role model when carrying out and demonstrating demonstrating nursingcare and procedures.

Ensure all staff carry out all appropriate general risk assessments within 24hours of admission document and plan care accordingly manual handling,pressure risks, slips trips and falls, nutrition.

Ensure clinical staff assess the conditions of patients within the clinicalarea, ensuring that signs and symptoms are acted upon accordingly and in atimely fashion.

Ensure clinical area staff effectively manage theadmission, transfer, and discharge of patients while incorporating otherrelevant Trust policies, for example Patients Property.

Ensure clinical area staff carry out appropriate nutritional risk assessmentsand follow current policies as indicated red tray policy, protectedmealtimes.

Ensure clinical area staff participate in delivery of meals to patients andtake responsibility for monitoring and recording dietary and fluid intake forgroup of patients.

Undertake nurse led services which will include autonomous nurse led dischargewithin defined protocols where appropriate.

Supervision of, and participationin the discharge planning system and process and deal with speciality orcomplex plans of care by liaison with community nursing services and otheragencies.

Work with patients, carers/relatives, nursing and other healthcareprofessionals in secondary care to promote timely discharge, throughappropriate discharge planning.

Provide telephone advice to patients and / or theircarers as appropriate

Provide expert advice and support to colleagues in the care and management of patientswithin speciality.

Actively contribute to the health and well being of patients by promotinghealth through a number of methods healthy eating, exercise and smokingcessation.

Ensure accurate, comprehensive contemporaneous and clear documentation ofpatients care.

Ensure that own and others written reports are in accordance with Trust policyand NMC guidelines

Be familiar with the policy for safeadministration of prescribed therapies, including Medicines Management,Intravenous Therapy, Patient Group Directives, clinical guidelines for exampleDiabetes, Warfarin.

Demonstrate the ability to safelymonitor and provide care for the patient once therapies have been administered.

RESPONSIBILITIESFOR DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICY AND/OR SERVICES

At all times act in accordance with Trust policies, procedures and guidelinesand NMC Codes of Practice standards and guidelines.

4.2 Be aware of and support policies and procedures existing and being introducedthroughout the Trust

Assist Senior Sister/Charge Nurse by cascading information and new policies andguidelines to staff in the clinical area

Represent clinical area at forums and meetings as requested by Senior Sister/ChargeNurse.

Assist Senior Sister/Charge Nurse in staff appraisal and the progress of staffwhile completing goals and development plans.

4.6 Assist Senior Sister/Charge Nurse in the formulation of induction andtraining programmes and assist in the delivery of these to staff and learnernurses.

Undertake agreed mandatory training and to seek out opportunities to enhanceknowledge, skills and develop practice.

Participate in the teaching and development of staff and ensure records kept ofall training activities within the department. Ensure these records are sent tothe Training department to maintain the ESR (electronic staff record).

Ensure risk assessment of working environment and conditions, equipment,chemicals and activities is routinely carried out within the department.

RESPONSIBILITIES FOR FINANCIAL ANDPHYSICAL RESOURCES.

Assist Senior Sister/Charge Nurse by ensuring supplies are managed inaccordance with budgetary limits and constraints, including regular stock reviews,to ensure best value from supplies and to set stock limits.

Work within Productive Ward principles to ensurestorage is Well Organised (WOW).

Assist Senior Sister/Charge Nurse with staff training to ensure they arecompetent in the use and care of special equipment, maintain details on theMedical Devices register within the ward.

Ensure that all equipment within the department is serviced and maintained on aregular basis and that records are kept.

Report and assist Senior Sister/Charge Nurse in management of health &safety issues within the ward area.

Assist Senior Sister in ensuring an adequate nursing skill mix to cover the 24hour period.

Authorised signatory for timesheets on a shift by shiftbasis.

Contribute to the drawing up of department budgets,capital bids and new services.

5.9 Inform the Senior Sister/Charge Nurse of any changes, which affect thestandards of care, the service delivery, or have an impact on the budget.

Ensure the ordering, safe custody, usage, and recording of drugs within agreedTrust policy.

Qualifications

Essential

Desirable

Experience

Essential

Desirable

Skills and Knowledge/Personal Qualities

Essential