Job responsibilities
Purpose
To ensure the
delivery of high quality, safe and clinical effective care for the Community
Nursing teams across a defined neighbourhood specialising in care
coordination. Achieves national and
local policy and guidelines, meets regulations (CQC/Monitor) and professional
body (NMC) requirements.
Principal duties to include:
Communication
Effective communication with Primary Care (GPs,
practice nurses), social services, acute / community hospital staff, borough
council and local voluntary sector
Utilises a range of effective communication
skills, tools and techniques that meet the needs of the patients and carers and
is able to effectively overcome any barriers to communication and understanding.
Takes appropriate action on potential complex and
/ or conflicting perspectives of choice of care options between staff,
patients, carers and other disciplines or agencies
Actively participates in relevant professional
and organisational networks and contributes to meetings and working groups
Ensures daily team hand-over is effective within
across a defined locality so that changes in patient condition are discussed
and junior staff / students are supported
Communicates effectively with other professionals
across agencies / disciplines where information sharing agreements are in place
and as agreed by the patient
Chairs and facilitates team meetings to ensure
effective cascade of information
Ensures contemporary and accurate record keeping
within the locality whilst adhering to confidentiality and information
governance
Utilises technology to support communication
channels whilst adhering to confidentiality and information governance
Patient Care
Responsible for gathering, interpreting and
acting upon complex information
Able to triage appropriately within referral
centres and during handover / MDTs to
ensure that nursing care is delivered in line with identified clinical need
Acts as a patient advocate and works to achieve
the best outcomes for patients at all times.
Undertakes and documents holistic nursing
assessments of patients, including those with multiple pathology and complex
health and social needs with a plan of care agreed with the patient
Recognises own limitations in the provision of
clinical care and refers on to others accordingly
Provides skilled and effective nursing care in a
compassionate, caring and professional manner,
Required to undertake physical examination of the
circulatory systems, undertaking Doppler assessments, venepuncture,
catheterisation, rectal examination etc., and to use concentration when
undertaking calculations e.g. for administration of medication / supervising
administration of medication
Personal and people development
Oversees induction programmes and orientation for
new staff and students aligned to the local District Nursing standards and
service principles
Maintains an overall view of competencies for
nursing staff across defined DN teams and takes an active role in peer review,
observing and signing off competencies for nurses
Responsible for ensuring clinical supervision,
peer reviews and appraisals have been accessed across a defined locality
Provides clinical training and education and
participates in the development of work based learning across the District
Nursing service
Maintains effective learning environment in line
with University guidelines and NMC requirements
Acts as a role model demonstrating a level of
knowledge, competence and the highest professional and personal standard in
which the District Nurse is required to emulate.
Specialist resource for palliative care across
the locality
Service Development
Manages change and implements strategy and new
developments across defined DN teams especially regarding palliative care
To be responsible and accountable for all aspects
of performance within the community nursing teams in regard to delivery to
service users
Works collaboratively with community nurse
colleagues to ensure equity of service provision, promotion of good practice
and the sharing of resources
Supports the development and implementation of
technology and new ways of working within teams
Contributes to the future development of District
Nursing by participating in working groups, committees and planning groups as
required.
Actively participates, advocates and help design
local improvement initiatives that drive forward leadership and change
strategies within the service e.g. Service Improvement Facilitator Projects,
Community Nursing Innovation Programme, local leadership initiatives.
Line manage specifically identified projects within
a locality.
Quality
To work alongside Clinical Leads, Team Leaders
and District Nurses to monitor the quality of nursing service delivered.
Participates in setting standards of care and
implementing other quality initiatives
Participates in the local implementation of
organisational, professional and national policy and guidelines
Responsible for monitoring and promoting
effective and efficient use of resources such as equipment from the community
equipment store, dressings and nurse prescribed medication.
Monitors the safety of equipment /environment etc
and ensure that all areas of clinical risk are identified and reported in
accordance with organisational policies and procedures
Human resources
Supports staff on any work related issues and
feedback to Clinical Leads
First line management and clinical leader to
District Nurse teams within a defined neighbourhood
Effectively manages sickness / absence and HR
issues within a defined locality
Participates in disciplinary matters /
investigations as required
Research / Clinical Audit
Responsible for auditing own practice and for
undertaking audits in line with annual clinical audit plan, and national
requirements including environmental audits (infection control), NICE etc
Promotes personal, professional and clinical
expertise through regular evaluation and updating practice, research and audit
findings.
Disseminates research findings and the
application / relevance to clinical practice
Ensures findings and recommendations from
clinical audits are shared and supports strategies for implementing required
actions are in place and monitored.
