Nursing Associate

Job responsibilities

Delivery of high quality, compassionate care whilst undertaking specific clinical and care tasks under the direction of a registered nurse and other registered care professionals with a focus on promoting good health and independence

To provide high-quality holistic and person-centred care to individuals

To provide routine care to patients as required in accordance with clinical based evidence, NICE and the NSF

To provide wound care, dressings and other clinical tasks as required

To work as part of the organisations MDT to provide and monitor care, under direct or indirect supervision

To improve safety and quality of care at every opportunity

To contribute to the delivery of integrated care

To work with the organisations MDT to ensure delivery of nursing associate duties to complement existing workforce

To work with a supervisor to take responsibility for developing own clinical competence, leadership and reflective practice skills within the workplace

To provide support and supervision to training nursing associates, healthcare assistants, apprentices and those on learning assignments/placements as required

To support registered nurses to enable them to be able to focus on the more complex clinical care.

To develop relationships across the MDT to support integration of the role across health and social care including primary care, secondary care and mental health

To perform and record clinical observations such as blood pressure, temperature, respirations and pulse

After undertaking additional training, to provide flu vaccinations, ECGs and venepuncture and other relevant clinical tasks as required by the organisation in line with the competencies of the role

To promote health and wellbeing to all patients, for example undertaking the NHS health check

To care for individuals with dementia, mental health conditions and learning disabilities

To provide wound care (ulcer/Doppler etc.) to patients

To provide support during minor operations as required

To advise patients on general healthcare and promote self-management where appropriate, including signposting patients to personalised care colleagues and local community and voluntary sector services

To communicate proactively and effectively with all MDT colleagues attending and contributing to meetings as required

To maintain accurate and contemporaneous patient health records ensuring that clinical data is appropriately recorded with SNOMED codes

To process pathology results as required

To enhance own performance through continuous professional development, imparting own knowledge and behaviours to meet the needs of the service

To work with your line manager to access regular clinical supervision to enable you to deal effectively with the difficult issues that people present

To contribute to and embrace the spectrum of clinical governance

To attend a formal appraisal with your manager at least every 12 months. Once a performance/training objective has been set, progress will be reviewed on a regular basis so that new objectives can be agreed

To contribute to public health campaigns (e.g., COVID-19 or flu clinics) through advice or direct care

To support and deliver health promotion and wellbeing programmes including any opportunistic delivery

Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area

Skills

Essential

• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
• Ability to communicate effectively (written, verbal and non-verbal communication) with patients/relatives and carers and all members of the multi -disciplinary team
• Ability to develop effective and appropriate relationships with people, their families, carers and colleagues

Desirable

• Ability to take part in reflective practice and clinical supervision activities
• Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities
• Ability to organise and prioritise own delegated workload
• Knowledge of IT systems including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports
• SystmOne user
• Understanding of the importance of the promotion of health and wellbeing
• Ability to support, supervise, assess and act as a role model to nursing associate students, other learners and healthcare support workers as required within the clinical setting

Experience

Essential

• Evidence of time management skills and ability to prioritise
• Ability to communicate with members of the public and health and care providers
• Understand the importance of following procedures and treatment plans
• Ability to record accurate clinical notes

Desirable

• Experience of working in a primary care environment
• Ability to work effectively as a team player under appropriate supervision and as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Understanding of the scope of the role of the nursing associate in the context of the nursing and interdisciplinary team and the organisation and how the role may contribute to service development
• Intermediate IT skills
• Experience of providing and receiving complex, sensitive information
• Experience of working in teams under appropriate supervision as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Insight into how to evaluate own strengths and development needs, seeking advice where appropriate
• Chaperone procedure

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered nursing associate and on the NMC register
• Meets the specific qualification and training requirements as specified in the Nursing Midwifery Standards of proficiency by having undertaken and completed the two-year Foundation Degree delivered by a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) approved provider
• Is registered with the NMC and revalidation is undertaken in line with NMC requirements

Personal qualities

Essential

• Ability to listen, empathise with people and provide person centred support in a non-judgemental way
• Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity
• Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from all communities
• Ability to use own initiative, discretion and sensitivity
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals
• High levels of integrity and loyalty
• Knowledge of when to seek advice and refer to a registered care professional
• Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure
• Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative, including when under pressure and meeting deadlines
• Knowledge of and ability to work to policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance and health and safety

Desirable

• Able to support people in a way that inspires trust and confidence, motivating others to reach their potential
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals

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).