Job summary
Ready to be part of something extraordinary? Where the smallest steps for our patients and their families can be their biggest moments. Where we celebrate our team, who provide unprecedented levels of care and compassion every single day.
Portsmouth Hospitals NICU team currently have positions available for an experienced, dynamic, and enthusiastic Registered Nursing Associates to join our supportive and friendly team. Working together to provide comprehensive, individualised care and support to babies and their families.
As one of the top level 3 neonatal units in the country, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Queen Alexandra Hospital has developed an excellent reputation for the delivery of high-quality nursing and medical care, education and research. We work tirelessly to deliver exceptional levels of care, which are realised in the outstanding outcomes we achieve for our babies. We are proud to be Platinum BLISS accredited, and to have achieved stage one of the Baby Friendly Initiative.
NICU is a busy tertiary neonatal unit with 14 intensive care cots, 4 high dependency cots and 13 special care. The work is challenging both professionally and personally, but the satisfaction of making a real and lasting difference to the lives of the babies and families in your care is significant. We undertake some of the most complex and pioneering medical are, including Total Body Cooling, HFOV, Nitric Oxide Therapy and Laser ROP Surgery.
Main duties of the job
- To work autonomously in support of registered staff and allied health care professionals in contributing to the assessment and planning of care and then implementing and evaluating of care without direct supervision of a registered practitioner.
- To ensure quality care and support service which enables patients to be supported throughout their care pathway whilst promoting independence and protecting choice, dignity, privacy and safety
- To work as an Assistant Practitioner in ensuring that holistic care is delivered and standards of care are enhanced.
- To regularly assess evaluate and report on actions and activities to registered practitioner and/or Multidisciplinary Care Team whilst recognising and working within the boundaries of the scope of the Assistant Practioner (Nursing) role.
- To communicate effectively at all times within the team, other health care professionals and with the patient family, carers/ visitors
- Ensure high standards are maintained in a safe environment, which promotes equality and sensitivity for all individuals.
- To supervise and delegate work to unregistered members of the team
About us
Here at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, we are proud to provide expert, compassionate care for our local population. We are ranked as the third in the country for research, embedding education and training across the organisation. Our main hub is the Queen Alexandra Hospital, which is one of the largest hospitals on the south coast employing over 8,700 staff.
Our patients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes our hospital stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for getting it right for patients, colleagues, and our community, you will find a home at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Person-centred care
- Under the indirect supervision of an working in partnership with a Registered Practitioner, provide and deliver a high standard of compassionate nursing care through the assessment, planning, goal setting and evaluating individual patients needs, based on evidence and working in partnership with the Multidisciplinary Team.
- To fully participate in the inter-professional evaluation of care, to ensure patients meet their on-going health & wellbeing needs.
- To demonstrate an understanding of the nursing care of a designated group of patients and their treatments programmes to enable you to instruct, advise & guide patients, family and carers.
- Make judgements which require assessment of facts and demonstrate appropriate adjustments to care in association with the registered practitioner. Communicate any changes to patients and prescribing staff effectively. This may include areas of work requiring physical effort or intense concentration, with regard to risk, health & safety.
- To promote comfort and wellbeing by ensuring that patients personal and social needs are met and be able to care for a patients nursing needs to include; vital signs, continence care, pressure area care, wound care, nutrition, hydration, foot care, skin integrity and mood identification. To identify & report changes in patient's condition, thus enabling appropriate action to be taken as directed by multidisciplinary team.
- Demonstrate safe and effective skills in helping patients to eat and drink; to ensure nutritional needs are met in the most suitable manner.
- Participate in and support clinical treatment and rehabilitation programmes, without direct Allied Health Professional supervision (e.g. Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy) but following professional assessment and guidance with an awareness of pain, and the physical limitations and specific risk areas requiring definite instructions for patients & carers relate to cautions associated with sensation, perception, orientation, memory and cognition.
- To be responsible for allocated patients, including coordinating the patient pathway from referral to discharge; contribute to goal planning; organising & team reviews or family meetings; and being responsible for delegated aspects of patient documentation. Act as an advocate for the patient where necessary and have the skills to deal with emotional or aggressive responses from patient and carers.
- Adhere to Trust and service guidelines regarding the moving, handling and positioning of patients as laid down in mandatory training sessions, to ensure the safety of self, patients, carers and colleagues. This will include the use of specialist equipment.
- Administration of prescribed medications including pharmakinetics and pharmacology assessments and observation and monitoring.
- Demonstrate understanding and practice of optimum infection control practice, as laid down in Trust policy, to ensure safety of patients and colleagues. Know how to deal with split bodily fluids appropriately.
- Demonstrate an understanding of health inequalities, long term conditions and the determinants of health and contribute to preventative interventions and health promotion by providing advice, information and sign posting to appropriate agencies.
Communication
- Facilitate the building of therapeutic relationships with patients, carers and other health professionals to support patients and carers through the various phases of chronic illness, including the end of life stage.
- Adopt the most appropriate patient focused communication and recognise communication barriers (patients with communication impairment, deafness or other sensory impairment, or where English is not the first language). Using skills of tact, diplomacy and gentle persuasion to enhance patients compliance to enable active participation in their own care.
- Demonstrate empathy & skill in working with patients with communication impairment. Ensure method & manner of providing & receiving information is most appropriate to reduce communication barriers, hence supporting patients, carers and relatives where functional achievement may not meet expectations.
- Effective liaison with the registered nurse and the ability to communicate effectively within a multidisciplinary team, and with patients, family/carers in a calm, sensitive manner
- Attend ward/department and multidisciplinary meetings for training and participation in case presentations
- Communicate and respond to complex information to health care professionals and patients, family / carers
- Assist in the promotion of an open, welcoming, person-centred culture for patients, relatives/carers and colleagues. Support feedback from service users and undertake patient satisfaction surveys to aid service improvement.
- Respond and refer relatives and visitor enquiries to appropriate team members so that information given is up to date, timely and consistent and where appropriate sign post patients to Patient Advice and Liaison Services and charities as required.
Record keeping
- Maintain accurate and timely records of care using appropriate documentation according to local and Trust standards. To complete reports where necessary and ensure that they are circulated to all relevant parties.
- To report accidents, incidents or complaints following Trust Procedures and policies, and to comply with the most recent Health and Safety at Work Act.
- Ensure patient confidentiality at all times and comply with data protection obligations.
- To be able to use IT systems effectively to produce patient individualised documents, to include instruction or prompt sheets, checklists and programmes, in a professional & appropriate communication style.
Team working
- Work autonomously under the indirect supervision in accordance with the level of skill identified with the registered practitioner
- Always undertake duties acting as a role model contributing to effective team working, partnership and collaboration.
- Maintain strong working relationships with all members of the team and individuals that contribute to patient care, in order that the best quality of care can be delivered.
- Organise, prioritise and manage own caseload, ensuring effective communication with team members, as agreed, to meet the capacity of the team caseload at any time.
- Take part in team reflection and investigation of complaints and Adverse Risk Incidents as directed by the team leader to ensure that lessons are learned from mistakes and that team working is enhanced
- Supervise and support staff, students and other learners to undertake clinical activities as agreed with the ward manager
- Contribute to the effective induction of staff that are new to the clinical area and undertake the role of assessor for staff completing the Care Certificate.
- Undertake surveys, audits and policy development as identified and participate in R & D, clinical trials or equipment testing as requested.
Resources and property
- Respect property, equipment and other assets both of trust and report losses or damage immediately to ensure that appropriate action can be taken without delay. Recognise faulty equipment and undertake necessary actions in liaison with registered practitioner.
- Monitor supplies and respond to low levels to senior members of team to enable timely reordering.
- Ensure the safe use of equipment and under guidance of team members be involved in the supply, fitting, return & documentation relating to appropriate equipment.
Personal Development
- Complete the Trusts Generic Nurse Competency Framework as defined within the Scope of Practice for Assistant Practitioners (Nursing) and develop and maintain generic and specialist competencies relevant to the role
- Identify own education needs through regular supervision and reflective practice and demonstrate self-directed learning and maintenance of Learning Record Portfolio supported by annual appraisal.
- Maintain personal and professional development as identified in your performance review to meet the changing demands of the job and enhance emotional intelligence and resilience.
- Participate in appropriate teaching and training activities and encourage and support staff development and training to meet professional and organisational requirements.
- Once competency achieved, to work alongside Registered Practitioner to provide advice and mentorship to HCSWs or any students or visitors to ward/department.
- Make changes in own practice based on up to date evidence and research findings & offer suggestions for the improvement within ward/department
Other
Job Holders are required to:
- requirement to work in environment with unpleasant working conditions due to smell, bodily fluids and challenging behaviour
- Adhere to Trust policies and procedures, e.g. Health and Safety at Work, Equal Opportunities, No Smoking.
- Respect the confidentiality of all matters that they may learn relating to their employment and other members of staff. All staff are expected to respect the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998.
- Comply with corporate governance structure in keeping with the principles and standards set out by the Trust.
This job description does not purport to cover all aspects of the job holders duties but is intended to be indicative of the main areas of responsibility
Job description
Job responsibilities
Person-centred care
- Under the indirect supervision of an working in partnership with a Registered Practitioner, provide and deliver a high standard of compassionate nursing care through the assessment, planning, goal setting and evaluating individual patients needs, based on evidence and working in partnership with the Multidisciplinary Team.
- To fully participate in the inter-professional evaluation of care, to ensure patients meet their on-going health & wellbeing needs.
- To demonstrate an understanding of the nursing care of a designated group of patients and their treatments programmes to enable you to instruct, advise & guide patients, family and carers.
- Make judgements which require assessment of facts and demonstrate appropriate adjustments to care in association with the registered practitioner. Communicate any changes to patients and prescribing staff effectively. This may include areas of work requiring physical effort or intense concentration, with regard to risk, health & safety.
- To promote comfort and wellbeing by ensuring that patients personal and social needs are met and be able to care for a patients nursing needs to include; vital signs, continence care, pressure area care, wound care, nutrition, hydration, foot care, skin integrity and mood identification. To identify & report changes in patient's condition, thus enabling appropriate action to be taken as directed by multidisciplinary team.
- Demonstrate safe and effective skills in helping patients to eat and drink; to ensure nutritional needs are met in the most suitable manner.
- Participate in and support clinical treatment and rehabilitation programmes, without direct Allied Health Professional supervision (e.g. Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy) but following professional assessment and guidance with an awareness of pain, and the physical limitations and specific risk areas requiring definite instructions for patients & carers relate to cautions associated with sensation, perception, orientation, memory and cognition.
- To be responsible for allocated patients, including coordinating the patient pathway from referral to discharge; contribute to goal planning; organising & team reviews or family meetings; and being responsible for delegated aspects of patient documentation. Act as an advocate for the patient where necessary and have the skills to deal with emotional or aggressive responses from patient and carers.
- Adhere to Trust and service guidelines regarding the moving, handling and positioning of patients as laid down in mandatory training sessions, to ensure the safety of self, patients, carers and colleagues. This will include the use of specialist equipment.
- Administration of prescribed medications including pharmakinetics and pharmacology assessments and observation and monitoring.
- Demonstrate understanding and practice of optimum infection control practice, as laid down in Trust policy, to ensure safety of patients and colleagues. Know how to deal with split bodily fluids appropriately.
- Demonstrate an understanding of health inequalities, long term conditions and the determinants of health and contribute to preventative interventions and health promotion by providing advice, information and sign posting to appropriate agencies.
Communication
- Facilitate the building of therapeutic relationships with patients, carers and other health professionals to support patients and carers through the various phases of chronic illness, including the end of life stage.
- Adopt the most appropriate patient focused communication and recognise communication barriers (patients with communication impairment, deafness or other sensory impairment, or where English is not the first language). Using skills of tact, diplomacy and gentle persuasion to enhance patients compliance to enable active participation in their own care.
- Demonstrate empathy & skill in working with patients with communication impairment. Ensure method & manner of providing & receiving information is most appropriate to reduce communication barriers, hence supporting patients, carers and relatives where functional achievement may not meet expectations.
- Effective liaison with the registered nurse and the ability to communicate effectively within a multidisciplinary team, and with patients, family/carers in a calm, sensitive manner
- Attend ward/department and multidisciplinary meetings for training and participation in case presentations
- Communicate and respond to complex information to health care professionals and patients, family / carers
- Assist in the promotion of an open, welcoming, person-centred culture for patients, relatives/carers and colleagues. Support feedback from service users and undertake patient satisfaction surveys to aid service improvement.
- Respond and refer relatives and visitor enquiries to appropriate team members so that information given is up to date, timely and consistent and where appropriate sign post patients to Patient Advice and Liaison Services and charities as required.
Record keeping
- Maintain accurate and timely records of care using appropriate documentation according to local and Trust standards. To complete reports where necessary and ensure that they are circulated to all relevant parties.
- To report accidents, incidents or complaints following Trust Procedures and policies, and to comply with the most recent Health and Safety at Work Act.
- Ensure patient confidentiality at all times and comply with data protection obligations.
- To be able to use IT systems effectively to produce patient individualised documents, to include instruction or prompt sheets, checklists and programmes, in a professional & appropriate communication style.
Team working
- Work autonomously under the indirect supervision in accordance with the level of skill identified with the registered practitioner
- Always undertake duties acting as a role model contributing to effective team working, partnership and collaboration.
- Maintain strong working relationships with all members of the team and individuals that contribute to patient care, in order that the best quality of care can be delivered.
- Organise, prioritise and manage own caseload, ensuring effective communication with team members, as agreed, to meet the capacity of the team caseload at any time.
- Take part in team reflection and investigation of complaints and Adverse Risk Incidents as directed by the team leader to ensure that lessons are learned from mistakes and that team working is enhanced
- Supervise and support staff, students and other learners to undertake clinical activities as agreed with the ward manager
- Contribute to the effective induction of staff that are new to the clinical area and undertake the role of assessor for staff completing the Care Certificate.
- Undertake surveys, audits and policy development as identified and participate in R & D, clinical trials or equipment testing as requested.
Resources and property
- Respect property, equipment and other assets both of trust and report losses or damage immediately to ensure that appropriate action can be taken without delay. Recognise faulty equipment and undertake necessary actions in liaison with registered practitioner.
- Monitor supplies and respond to low levels to senior members of team to enable timely reordering.
- Ensure the safe use of equipment and under guidance of team members be involved in the supply, fitting, return & documentation relating to appropriate equipment.
Personal Development
- Complete the Trusts Generic Nurse Competency Framework as defined within the Scope of Practice for Assistant Practitioners (Nursing) and develop and maintain generic and specialist competencies relevant to the role
- Identify own education needs through regular supervision and reflective practice and demonstrate self-directed learning and maintenance of Learning Record Portfolio supported by annual appraisal.
- Maintain personal and professional development as identified in your performance review to meet the changing demands of the job and enhance emotional intelligence and resilience.
- Participate in appropriate teaching and training activities and encourage and support staff development and training to meet professional and organisational requirements.
- Once competency achieved, to work alongside Registered Practitioner to provide advice and mentorship to HCSWs or any students or visitors to ward/department.
- Make changes in own practice based on up to date evidence and research findings & offer suggestions for the improvement within ward/department
Other
Job Holders are required to:
- requirement to work in environment with unpleasant working conditions due to smell, bodily fluids and challenging behaviour
- Adhere to Trust policies and procedures, e.g. Health and Safety at Work, Equal Opportunities, No Smoking.
- Respect the confidentiality of all matters that they may learn relating to their employment and other members of staff. All staff are expected to respect the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998.
- Comply with corporate governance structure in keeping with the principles and standards set out by the Trust.
This job description does not purport to cover all aspects of the job holders duties but is intended to be indicative of the main areas of responsibility
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Foundation degree in Health and Social Care
- OR
- NVQ Level 5 in Health and Social Care
- OR
- UK Registered Nursing Associate with the NMC
- PLUS
- Level 2 English and Maths (or equivalent) Or IELTS 6.0/OET C (overseas staff only)
- Previous relevant health care experience.
Desirable
- Level 3 BTEC Award in Education and Training (formerly Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector)
Experience
Essential
- Current experience in an acute healthcare setting (or within 1 year)
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to deliver and manage in-patient care delivery, including medication administration
- Excellent Communication skills (verbal and non-verbal)
- Evidence of core competence relevant to the Trust Scope of Practice for Assistant Practitioners (Nursing)
Desirable
- Experience in supporting learning in practice
- IT skills
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Foundation degree in Health and Social Care
- OR
- NVQ Level 5 in Health and Social Care
- OR
- UK Registered Nursing Associate with the NMC
- PLUS
- Level 2 English and Maths (or equivalent) Or IELTS 6.0/OET C (overseas staff only)
- Previous relevant health care experience.
Desirable
- Level 3 BTEC Award in Education and Training (formerly Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector)
Experience
Essential
- Current experience in an acute healthcare setting (or within 1 year)
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to deliver and manage in-patient care delivery, including medication administration
- Excellent Communication skills (verbal and non-verbal)
- Evidence of core competence relevant to the Trust Scope of Practice for Assistant Practitioners (Nursing)
Desirable
- Experience in supporting learning in practice
- IT skills
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).
Additional information
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).
