Job responsibilities
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Communication and relationships
Effective communicate with all members of the organisation. Communicate sensitive information with patients and relatives within a clinical context.
Effective use of pacing, appropriate language, summarising, reflecting back, clarifying and challenging;
Effective communication skills, particularly around the management of fear, anger, collusion, denial; Develop and sustain good working partnerships with other professionals both internally and externally to the organisation.
Produce concise, non-judgemental written skills in documentation and report writing
Participate and contribute to debates in the multi-disciplinary team to inform management care plans Analytical and judgement skills
Assess patient and family needs on admission;
Negotiate clinical options and decisions with the patient, family and multidisciplinary team;
Critically assess clinical situations; prioritise needs and plan appropriate care.
Identify hopes and goals of the patient and family and work with them towards their achievement;
Discover the extent to which carers wish to be involved, particularly with practical care;
Anticipate the changing needs of patients and emotionally prepare the patient and family, exploring the patient and family awareness of the situation; Planning and organisational skills
Facilitate family meetings and case conferences
Co-ordinate the ward environment
Prioritise and delegate work to junior members of staff to ensure and promote effective and efficient service delivery
Manage and prioritise their own work time to meet service needs
Contribute to effective discharge planning
Identify and contribute towards ongoing education opportunities for peers and colleagues as appropriate around their area of specialism.
Physical skills
Standard keyboard skills to input data onto patient database.
Ability to have physical skills required to manage complex patients with advanced progressive diseases ie use of appropriate hoists and other equipment to assist with manual handling.
Physical dexterity for clinical procedures such as intravenous infusions and venepuncture.
Patient/Client Care
Provide a seamless specialist palliative nursing service, ensuring a high standard of nursing care across all clinical areas.
Deliver patient centre care within a palliative care context, promoting patient autonomy, independence, inclusion, respect and dignity and choice by ensuring that the patient/carers are involved and are central to all aspects of decision making processes
Ability to recognise all aspects of holistic care including physical, emotional, spiritual and social aspects and to respond appropriately.
Recognise needs of families and carers and to support as appropriate, by identifying potential significant others, assessing for their level of risk with regards to anticipatory and post bereavement and referring to Family Support Teams for involvement and follow up.
Responsible for the nursing delivery of management care plans as appropriate to patient needs.
Policy and Service Development
Support the introduction and maintenance of systems and processes in own work area.
Understand and adhere to all Hospice Policies and procedures.
Contribute towards procedures in own work area in order to promote continuous service improvement Financial and Physical Resources
Report as necessary any faults re: equipment or office accommodation and ensure the safety and security of the building is met.
Contribute to the maintenance of clinical stocks and supplies
Contribute to the security of stock including controlled drugs and drug cupboards
Human Resources
Attend any appropriate training requirements both statutory and mandatory to comply with current Health and Safety legislation and in line with the Hospices responsibility to comply with Government Directives
Preserve confidentiality of any information regarding patients, staff, volunteers and the business of St Cuthberts Hospice
Identify own learning needs and seek support to ensure that individual learning needs are met.
Participate in St Cuthberts appraisal system
Teach the skills of practical nursing care to enable carers to manage and develop confidence;
Familiarise and act in accordance with all relevant clinical and non clinical Hospice Policies and Procedures.
Responsible for the supervision and on the job training for HCA and volunteers working within clinical areas Information Resources
The ability to document and store relevant information utilising computerised and paper based systems in friendly accessible formats
Maintain accurate and contemporaneous clinical records, using the current electronic patient recording system.
Research and Development
To actively engage in clinical audit as appropriate to promote ongoing service improvements to benefit care given to patients, families and carers
Continually look for ways to improve the quality of the service one provides to patients, families and carers.
Freedom to Act
Work within defined policies and procedures
Recognise limitations of knowledge, skills and competencies and to seek guidance from senior colleagues when appropriate
The Post Holder also has a responsibility to act in accordance with the NMC rules and regulations including code of Conduct
EFFORT & ENVIRONMENT
Physical
Physical skills required frequently to manage complex patients with advanced progressive diseases i.e. manoeuvring patients into position for personal care or using mechanical aids such as hoists Mental
Occasional required to concentrate whilst examining and assessing patients Emotional
Frequent exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances
Recognise difficulties in relation to dealing with situations within palliative care in self and other colleagues and to engage and encourage other colleagues to participate in clinical supervision for support Working Conditions
Frequent requirement to deal with body fluids when caring for patients
To be flexible in approach across all clinical areas in order to meet the changing needs and for the improvement of service delivery and care.
Data Protection and Confidentiality
All employees have a responsibility in line with information governance to maintain confidentiality and ensure the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 are applied to patients, clients, staff, volunteers and Hospice business information, including electronic information. Only information required to fulfil the duties of the role should be accessed by the post holder.
All employees have a responsibility to use electronic systems in a way that preserves the dignity and privacy of people, helps to ensure services of the highest quality, and is compliant with the law and Hospice policies and procedures
Health and Safety
The Hospice will take all reasonably practical steps to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its employees while at work. Employees will familiarise themselves with the Health and Safety Policy and procedure as well as the fire procedures and ensure a safe working environment for self and others in line with these.
Safeguarding
All employees within the Hospice have a responsibility for, and is committed to, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and ensure they are protected from harm.
All employees should make themselves aware of the policies and procedures of safeguarding, take personal responsibility as far as is reasonably practicable, to safeguard children and vulnerable adults, complete statutory and mandatory training and take appropriate action as set out in the Hospices policies and procedures.
Infection Control
All employees have a responsibility to ensure the risk of infection to themselves, colleagues, patients, relatives and visitors is minimised by:
Attending mandatory training and role specific infection prevention education and training
Challenging poor infection prevention and control practices
Ensuring their own compliance with Hospice Infection Prevention and Control policies and procedure.
Equal Opportunities
The Hospice welcomes all persons without regard to race, religion or belief, age, gender re-assignment, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, marriage or civil partnership, physical or mental disability. The Hospice aims to provide services in a manner that enables all members of the community to access them.
Employees must behave in a non-judgemental manner that respects the differing needs and cultures of others.
