Registered Nurse - Band 5 - Maternity Services

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the full job description for more detail and information regarding parking in supporting information

JOB PURPOSE:

To provide effective patient care whilst working as a member of the Maternity team across West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. To ensure the maintenance of high standards of patient care in response to service needs. The role will involve being part of the Midwifery and Nursing Team on the postnatal maternity ward and the labour suite, if required and providing postnatal or post operative care.

Support the nurses / midwives to ensure the delivery of high standards of nursing and surgical care to, mothers and their babies.

Ensure that all medical and emergency equipment is checked and kept in a safe condition and is ready for use when required.

Encourage evidence based, innovative practice in the delivery of nursing care and support the implementation of changes identified to improve care.

Support the application of local standards, policies and philosophies which further patient centred, individual and evidence-based care for all patients.

Take any appropriate action to ensure patient safety is a priority.

Act in accordance with local child protection procedures (Safeguarding Children and Domestic Abuse.

Communicate effectively with patients and their relatives, ensuring accurate and seamless information is conveyed and documented.

Ensure that accurate and legible patient records are kept in line with professional and legal requirements.

Adhere to the NMC code of professional conduct.

Promote and maintain effective working relationships and communications with consultants, medical staff, midwifery colleagues and other multi-agency professionals

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Provides direct patient care in the maternity service including post operative care in recovery areas commensurate with their post

Undertake nursing assessments competently.

Ensure care is contemporary, evidence based and equitable encompassing spiritual and cultural beliefs reflecting the needs of a diverse society.

To maintain a safe working environment in accordance with risk management and statutory guidelines reporting and acting on all accidents and incidents whilst maintaining accurate records.

Act as the identified nurse for a group of mothers and babies by assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating their care.

Supervise more junior members of staff in giving and maintaining high standards of care.

Act as the patients advocate.

Liaise with all members of the multidisciplinary team

Participate in taking an active role in planning effective, timely, and safe discharges.

Be clinically competent in all areas of advanced practice relevant to the post.

Work to eliminate all avoidable infection by acting as a role model in infection prevention and control prevention to all staff, visitors and patients.

Work in accordance with the Health Act (2006) and comply with national and local infection control policies and procedures and any other related infection prevention policies or procedures.

MATERNAL:

To support the mother in their daily personal hygiene and in care of their babies.

To assist in the provision of education with regard to infant feeding and to promote and support breastfeeding in accordance with the Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) standards. To include initiation of feeding and hand expression; responsive feeding; sterilization; safe storage and preparation of formula feeds; usage of breast pumps and safe storage of expressed breast milk.

To perform and record all observations; to recognize deviation from baseline and to escalate appropriately.

To give care for indwelling catheters and intravenous infusions including removal and maintenance of fluid balance charts.

To remove cannulas.

To perform venepuncture on mothers.

To support and advise on parenting skills.

To undertake and participate in appropriate medicines management guidelines.

To provide post-operative recovery care to women following a caesarean section or instrumental delivery.

NEONATAL:

To perform and record daily baby checks and observations as required and document all findings with an awareness of deviation from accepted range and escalate appropriately.

To perform infant hygiene or assist parents to complete these tasks.

To care for babies receiving phototherapy with knowledge of how the equipment works, the required safety guidelines and how to educate parents regarding phototherapy treatment

COMMUNICATION:

To communicate with all in a courteous and helpful way.

To ensure patient confidentiality and privacy is maintained at all times.

To communicate and collaborate with neonatal and maternity staff to ensure effective plans of care are established.

To provide and receive routine information to assist women in the care of themselves and their babies.

To demonstrate an approachable and helpful style of care.

To deal with internal and external telephone enquiries in a clear and polite manner.

To cope with emotional and sensitive circumstances and ensure that complaints or concerns from women are dealt with appropriately or escalated accordingly

To access results through pathology.

To chaperone patients when required.

To use IT systems as appropriate.

To communicate with all members of the multi-disciplinary teams including social services etc. and escalate any concerns with mothers and babies to the appropriate persons in good time.

Assist in developing a research and evidence based approach to all nursing practice linking with Trust-wide colleagues.

Seek opportunities to create changes, which will enhance standards of care and practice.

Help to facilitate the development of reflective practice.

Participate in research projects within the unit

Participate in the development and delivery of appropriate training materials / programmes to promote professional development.

Provide training and support to new and junior staff in accordance with Trust policies and procedures.

Contribute to monitoring of quality improvement metrics to measure quality of care

Identify and minimise clinical and non clinical risk to minimise risk of harm to patients, staff and visitors.

Assist in the investigation and resolution of complaints in relation to patient care, reporting to the ward/unit manager

Monitor all aspects of clinical governance locally including clinical incident reporting.

Regularly assess and act on the views of patients, relatives and staff about the standards of care experienced by recipients of the service.

Involve patients in their care and ensure their understanding of treatment plan and care options before gaining informed consent for care delivery and interventions.

Ensure that Privacy and Dignity of patients is maintained at all times

Remain cost aware and utilise equipment and resources in a cost effective way.

Make recommendations where it is evident that appropriate changes may improve efficiency.

Be aware of the sickness / absence control procedures and participate in any initiatives to reduce sickness absence.

Participate in department meetings when required and join the exchange of information necessary to be involved in decision making processes at the relevant level.

Keep abreast of relevant information which may affect your area of responsibility and act as a resource for other members of the team, acting as a link nurse where appropriate

Act as an innovator for the department to facilitate the provision of a flexible and responsive nursing service.

To keep abreast of current professional issues and maintain the knowledge and skills necessary to perform your role effectively.

To be competent in ILS and NLS; attending the training and updates as required

Develop and maintain a professional portfolio

Ensure compliance with professional expectations as outlined in the NMC Code of Professional Conduct.

To participate in an annual appraisal with relevant reviews and to follow your personal development plan as agreed with your line manager.

Person Specification

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Ability to work effectively in a team and lead as required.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to delegate.
• Ability to manage own workload.
• Ability to communicate at appropriate level both written and verbal.

Desirable

• Ability to influence wider MDT
• Ability to prioritise work load of clinical area

Qualifications

Essential

• NMC registered nurse
• Completed a nursing preceptorship programme
• Evidence of continuing professional development

Desirable

• Mentor qualification
• Coaching qualification.
• Willingness to undertake further education
• BFI trained

Experience

Essential

• Recent clinical experience in an acute Trust
• Delivery of evidence-based practice
• Demonstrates patient focused approach

Desirable

• Previous experience at Band 5 within specialty
• Evidence of facilitating learning in practice
• Evidence of on-going personal + professional development

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• The ability to converse at ease with patient and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.
• Patient focused approach.
• Basic IT skills well developed verbal & written communication skills.
• Ability to develop working relationships with others.
• Time management and personal organisation 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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

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

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Address

West Suffolk Hospitals Nhs Trust

Hardwick Lane

Bury St. Edmunds

Suffolk

IP332QZ

Employer's website

https://www.wsh.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)