Dementia Specialist Community Nurse

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post holder will be an autonomous practitioner who will carry continuing responsibility for our patients by undertaking the following duties.

1. Provide Assessment, Diagnosis Giving and Medication Reviews appropriate to patients treatment plan within service.

2. To assess, plan and implement care, and provide specialist nursing advice and carry out specialist nursing procedures.

3. To explain and discuss the benefits of a dementia diagnosis and the benefit of engaging with our service.

4. To undertake specialist assessments of individuals reported with cognitive impairment engaging family in a holistic assessment for people aged 60 years an over.

5. To provide interventions relevant to the care group and have knowledge of evidence based models of practice.

6. Assess and manage on going risks as identified during all patient contact and ensure that this is done in collaboration with our patients and their loved ones. To regularly review risk factors and make changes to the management of them as necessary.

7. To operate within the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations (IR(ME)R) in England

8. To ensure that clinical practice is evidence based and consistent with relevant NICE guidelines and Here and Service policies and procedures

9. Attend MDTs to contribute to diagnosis formulation.

10. To be clear about all treatment and support options available including potential medications available as appropriate including benefit vs risks, side effects they may experience and the role that the medication may have in their ongoing care.

11. To monitor, evaluate and modify treatment in line with BNF and Service protocols order to measure progress and ensure effectiveness of intervention to achieve therapeutic goals.

12. To hold an awareness of our patients and their Next Of Kin (NOK) / carers work/educational / vocational and housing needs/aspirations and ensure that the service supports refer where appropriate.

13. To work with carers and family members, to help them understand and recognise potential risks and any triggers within the boundaries of confidentiality.

14. To help our patients NOK / family members who may be providing carer functions that they too, have needs and the value of engaging with our Carer Link Worker and where appropriate the benefit of a referral to The Carers Hub (The Carers Centre).

15. To assess, monitor; risk and escalate where necessary.

16. Work in a collaborative way, ensuring that the right decisions are made to ensure the best care for our patients. To ensure that any transfer of care is seamless and integrated across system pathways.

17. To ensure that up to date written and electronic records and activity data are maintained in accordance with Professional and organisational /service standards.

18. To adhere to the Nursing & Midwifery Council Code of Conduct, professional standards and ethics and comply with local and national standards of practice.

19. To provide supervision of junior staff and trainees where appropriate.

20. To contribute to the maintenance and development of Here and Service strategy.

21. To participate in the operational planning, implementation of policy and service development within the team, leading on delegated projects.

22. To contribute to compliance in contractual performance targets and quality standards are met.

23. To contribute in the organisational governance arrangements and quality agenda, including the setting and monitoring of practice standards.

24. To promote awareness of the professional role within the team and across the service.

25. To develop professional networks and keep abreast of local resources; clinical service delivery across our healthcare systems (primary, secondary and tertiary care).

26. To broaden research and development skills through participation in local audit and research projects.

27. To participate in clinical and social care governance group forums as required.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Significant post qualifying experience in the relevant care group
• Experience of working alongside people with complex health problems in the designated care group
• Experience of supervising staff
• Experience of providing a range of clinical interventions to people in the designated care group with a variety of health problems
• Experience of working consultatively with professionals
• Experience with working with disturbed service users (i.e patients with trauma)
• Experience of conducting clinical assessments including risk assessments
• Experience of partnership working within and across various statutory and non-statutory teams and agencies
• Experience of working within the Care Programme Approach (CPA) process
• Previous experience of working in the community and primary care
• Contribute to the implementation of services.
• Lived experience of cognitive, impairment, dementia and mental health issues

Desirable

• Experience of managing a caseload
• Understanding of clinical governance

Communication/ Relationship

Essential

• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to communicate in a clear and unambiguous way
• Excellent negotiation and conflict resolution skills
• Ability to develop effective professional relationships with others
• Ability to develop good therapeutic relationships
• Establish and maintain communication with individuals, families, carers and groups about difficult or complex matters overcoming any differences in communication
• Develop own skills and knowledge and provide information to others to help their development
• Participate in Partnership working with individuals, groups, communities and agencies
• Promote peoples equality, diversity and human rights
• To demonstrate effective communication skills with people in an age appropriate way and those whose understanding may be impaired

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse with current registration [mental health/LD/Adult], Or Other healthcare professionals with transferrable skills appropriate to the job role such as Occupational Therapist
• Completion of Mentorship Course/ENB equivalent
• Evidence of continuous professional development

Skills

Essential

• Skills of assessing and interpreting service user conditions with appropriate actions
• Ability to work in partnership with key stakeholders
• Ability to work with resistance at times, to manage own reactions to difficult situations and to act with appropriate authority and diplomacy
• Plan and organise complex activities or programmes requiring formulation and review
• Assessment, planning and intervention skills.
• Provision of specialist nursing advice in relation to care
• IT literacy and willingness to take on new technology
• Able to use Word, PowerPoint, clinical systems, email
• Ability to use manual handling techniques
• Demonstrate support for the values and beliefs of the Care Group and those of the Trust
• Team working
• Ability to travel across sites
• Punctual and flexible across hours of work when required

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Care Unbound Ltd t/a Here

Address

5th Floor

177 Preston Road

Brighton

East Sussex

BN1 6AG

Employer's website

https://hereweare.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)