Deputy Ward Manager

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

1. Support the Ward Manager and Director of Clinical Services provide clinical nurse management, leadership, and expertise in all aspects of service delivery within sphere of responsibility.
2. Delegated operational responsibility for the management of the Unit in the absence of the Ward Manager.
3. Take the lead on the shift, taking responsibility of staff, patient care and other unit matters as required.
4. Deputise and represent the Ward Manager and Director of Clinical Services at key meetings if required, ensuring that comprehensive verbal and written feedback provided.
5. Take on the leadership of specific projects as agreed by the Ward Manager/Director of Clinical Services.
6. Be familiar with ward budget and support the Ward Manager and Director of Clinical Services with budget setting, ensuring the efficient and effective utilisation of resources, both human and financial.
7. Support the Ward Manager and other senior staff in the performance review process, which includes regular review and annual appraisal, individual personal development plans to monitor staff performance against agreed objectives, role competencies and behaviours.
8. Manage sickness and absence on a shift basis and in the absence of the Ward Manager manage in line with policy, in partnership with HR and the principles of safe staffing.
9. Support the Ward Manager in investigating and responding to accidents, concerns and untoward incidents and other significant events.
10. Participate in the recruitment and selection of staff, including interview panels and formal induction programme.
11. With the Ward Manager participate and where appropriate lead audits, ensuring recommendations and implications to practice clearly communicated and actions undertaken.
12. With the support of the Ward Manager, ensure that effective and appropriate educational support provided to staff at all levels, including the maintaining of training records
13. Continually develop clinical expertise and act as a positive role model promoting a high standard of care to fulfil the Nightingale House Mission statement and aims.
14. Deliver evidence-based care to patients and their carers in line with their physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs.
15. Demonstrate effective leadership skills, promote and maintain continuity of high standards of nursing care deputising for the person with continuing responsibility.
16. Lead on the planning and organisation of staff delegation and activity for patients, and in discussion with staff make short-term adjustments to duty rosters.
17. Responsible for ensuring the ongoing assessment of care needs, the planning, delivery and evaluation of care; and to offer supervision and support to staff in the clinical area.
18. Provide supervision and guidance to staff as appropriate and required within role and responsibility.
19. Work at all times in line with the NMC code of conduct and duty of candour requirements.
20. Able to plan own workload and that of others, prioritising in accordance with the complexity of patients and their families.
21. Take responsibility for own and others standard of care and ensure care provided holistically, to a high standard and on time.

Clinical

1. Work as a member of the multi-disciplinary team to provide holistic care, integrating nursing care with psychosocial and spiritual needs.
2. Assist with initial and on-going assessment of patient and family needs and develop skills as a named nurse.
3. Act as a senior nurse to plan, initiate, supervise and participate in patient and family care, discussing issues with other senior team members as appropriate.
4. Evaluate and up-date nursing care plans in response to the changing problems/needs of patients and families, ensuring those completed by other staff are reviewed for accuracy and quality.
5. Monitor nursing practice, encouraging development of colleagues through discussion of current and proposed care plans.
6. At all times maintain appropriate and adequate records of your work, and ensure other members of the team maintain same standard.
7. Maintain effective communication with patients and families throughout their contact with the hospice; providing when necessary: -
8. Telephone support and advice, ensuring this is both structured, recorded and provides evidenced based advice
9. Access to nursing/medical staff for conditional information or future planning.
10. Information and access to allied professionals.
11. Bereavement support and access to follow-up support.
12. In discussion with the Director of Clinical Services and Ward Manager identify an area of special clinical interest in which to develop additional knowledge and skills to act as a link nurse for the rest of the team. Support other staff to do the same.
13. As necessary or required develop awareness and experience working on the unit during all shifts and also within other services across the hospice i.e. family support, days services and rehabilitation, to extend knowledge and skills in this specialist setting.
14. Lead patient case reviews, discharge planning and team meetings.
15. Actively participate in all aspects of the patient experience of hospice care from initial assessment and admission through to discharge planning and placement.
16. Work at all times within the policies and guidelines appropriate to your role.

Management:

1. Regularly take the lead on shift, being responsible for other staff, patient and family care and other unit matters as appropriate.
2. Monitor and respond to incident, accidents and concerns ensuring corrective action undertaken.
3. Liaise with multi-professional agencies within the hospice, community, primary care, and hospital to provide continuity of patient care.

1. Responsible for maintaining high standards of nursing care, when in charge of the team and unit, and help to create and maintain positive relationships between all groups involved in the welfare of patients.
2. Responsible for the co-ordinating of all activities when in charge of the team supported by the Ward Manager and Head of Clinical and Patient Services.
3. Ensure the promotion of safety, well-being and the interests of the patients, staff and visitors to the in-patient area as directed in the hospice guidelines, policies and procedures.
4. At all times follow the Code of Professional conduct and to ensure that all staff within their sphere of responsibility also follow professional requirements.

Education and Development

1. Assist with working groups and projects through active participation and skills input.
2. Identify own and others learning objectives and attend relevant study/shadowing opportunities following discussion with line manager/nurse management team.
3. Maintain records of supported study and provide evaluation of study attended, (for inclusion in own and others personal files).
4. Adhere to NMC revalidation requirements at all times.
5. Participate in feedback (verbal and written) to colleagues throughout the hospice regarding study days attended.
6. Actively participate in personal review and objective setting at initial 6 month review meeting and subsequent PDR meetings with line manager/senior nurse.
7. Develop and maintain up to date knowledge of relevant hospice policies and the impact they have on individual practitioners including: -

• Fire policy
• Moving and handling policy
• Health and Safety Policy
• Confidentiality Policy
• Complaints Policy

Audit and Research

1. Be aware of and disseminate to colleagues current best practice knowledge as appropriate to role.
2. Work in partnership with the Ward Manager to develop appropriate tools to monitor effectiveness of services /area of special interest in care provision at Nightingale House Hospice.
3. Participate or if appropriate lead in the completion of service audits in an appropriate and timely manner and feedback to colleagues, making recommendations regarding implications (if any)

Clinical Governance

1. The post holder will cooperate with other team members to maintain compliance with relevant elements of the clinical governance framework.

Risk management

Service User participation

Staff and Staff Management

Continuing Professional Development

Information Governance and Management:

Clinical Effectiveness and Audit:

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Minimum of 3 years post registration experience relevant to this care setting
• Experience of working with people with life limiting conditions and the impact this has on the individual as well as their family
• Experience of undertaking holistic needs assessments and developing care plans
• Experience of undertaking audit and implementing research into clinical practice
• Minimum of 1 year taking charge of the Unit

Desirable

• Implementing evidenced based practice

Qualifications

Essential

• NMC registration
• Evidence of post registration study and training relevant to role

Desirable

• Awareness of wider issues relevant to speciality
• Leadership or Management Course

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Nightingale House Hospice

Address

Chester Road

Wrexham

Clwyd

LL11 2SJ

Employer's website

https://www.nightingalehouse.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)