Critical Care Outreach Practitioner

Job responsibilities

Knowledge skills and experience required:

Experience within the ICU setting and post-registration qualification in Critical Care.

Be able to participate fully in the Critical Care Outreach referral system, ie NEWS, allowing healthcare staff to seek advice on the case of the acutely ill, deteriorating patient.

Follow up patients who have been discharged from HDU to ward areas.

Participate in the provision of NIV to appropriate patients in the appropriate environment.

Assess, plan, implement and evaluate individualised patient care, providing support and advice to medical, nursing staff and to initiate treatment changes as necessary

Undertake practical skills as necessary to ensure optimum patient management including advanced patient monitoring, equipment management.

Utilise IT systems to secure accurate and timely patient information.

Manage expected and unexpected clinical events requiring unpredictable levels of physical effort according to patient dependency/clinical need.

Support patients, carers and staff during difficult situations arising in the clinical area, ie delivering bad news.

Be able to deliver high standards of patient care in order to comply with clinical governance.

Participate in the development and implementation of guidelines for staff to assist in the identification and care of patients who may be at risk of deterioration during their admission.

Assist in co-ordination of services to satisfy patient needs, ie liaise with physiotherapy, ENT CNS.

Support the Acute Pain Service by reviewing patients with epidurals in the CNS absence. Supporting wards with the use of PCAs.

Effectively communicate with all members of the MDT.

Promote positive learning environments and formal teaching where necessary.

Highly developed communication skills enabling maintenance of high quality service and ensuring timely management of events and situations.

Knowledgeable leader, supporting staff and users.

Be able to manage and reconcile conflict during emotional situations.

Maintain patient confidentiality at all times.

Measurable Result areas:

Undertake at least once daily team review of Outreach patients, providing support and advice to medical, nursing staff and to initiate treatment changes as necessary.

Input data onto Medicus IPAQ system to record Outreach activity and to enable audit of information.

Maintain accurate record keeping as per Trust Policy.

Act as a positive role model at all times and promote a professional atmosphere by personal example.

Be responsible for own professional registration and ensure that you have valid NMC registration. Be fully conversant with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct and associated guidelines and abide by their guidance.

Actively partake in annual IPR and develop and assist team to enhance performance.

Promote evidence-based practice and maintain the highest clinical standards in providing care for deteriorating patients.

Participate in the internal rotation into the intensive care unit to help maintain core skills and contribute to a flexible workforce.

To support the implementation and evaluation of the quality initiatives and to lead and participate in the change process.

Have an awareness of the financial implications involved in caring for critically ill patients and help ensure that equipment and consumables are used appropriately and effectively.

Communications and Working Relationships:

Maximise learning opportunities for self and other team-members.

Adhere to Trust guidelines and ensure adequate service delivery.

Facilitate learning within the team.

Participate in Clinical Supervision, team meetings and Critical Care Outreach study days.

To provide short-term cover for colleagues during periods of leave.

To ensure that all Trust standards are maintained and monitored to improve the quality of care to all whom come into contact with services provided by South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust.

Every employee has a duty to take reasonable care of the health and safety of him/herself and of other persons who may be affected by his/her acts or omissions at work, and to co-operate with the South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust to ensure that statutory and Trust regulations are complied with.

To participate in appraisals and personal reviews and work to achieve agreed set objectives.

To participate in appropriate training and development activities

To participate in team, professional and personal development activities and promote commitment to continuous development and improvement.

Ensure that all staff consciously review mistakes, complaints and incidents/near misses as well as successes to improve performance and the level of customer care.

Allemployees will havean organisational and individual responsibility towards safeguarding vulnerable adults, young people and children. Where employees are working with children, young people and families they have a responsibility to cooperate in national safeguarding policy around early intervention activities appropriate to improving health outcomes.

As a major provider of health care, South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust operate a Smoke Free Policy by providing a totally smoke free environment to help aid patients recovery, promote health and wellbeing and minimize the risks of complications attributed to smoking tobacco and second hand smoke.

To abide by Infection Prevention and Control policies relevant to their area of work, and undertake the necessary level of training. This will be appraised through the KSF review process or other relevant professional review process.

To accept responsibility for the provision of effective infection prevention and control within the Trust in liaison with the Trust's Infection Control Team.

To act as a role model in applying good infection control practice and ensures compliance with all Infection Control policies.

To promote and demonstrate implementation of the Trust's Carbon Management strategy and policy, ensuring team members are fully aware of the policy and are contributing to this.

This job description is subject to review at any time in consultation with the post holder.

Qualifications

Essential

• First level nurse
• Degree in Professional Nursing/Health Studies
• Current Professional Registration with NMC
• Post Registration qualification in Critical Care
• Teaching and Assessing qualification

Desirable

• Health Assessment qualification or willingness to undertake

Experience

Essential

• Relevant clinical experience, ie minimum of two years at Band 6 in an Intensive Care setting.
• Developed clinical assessment and communication skills

Desirable

• Experience of Critical Care Outreach

Skills

Essential

• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Effective IT skills and database awareness
• Knowledge of evidence-based practice.
• Knowledge of audit process.
• Knowledge of clinical governance

Desirable

• ALS or willing to attend
• Clinical skills - phlebotomy, cannulation, catheterisation, peripheral ABG (or willing to undertake training)

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Demonstrate good time management skills
• Supportive team member but also able to work independently whilst acknowledging limitations.
• Positive role model to team members and to other members of the MDT.
• Problem solving
• Awareness of professional limitations
• Ability to deal with complex and difficult situations.

Desirable

• Awareness of change management.

Other Job Requirements

Essential

• Passes Occupational Health Clearance.
• Flexible and adaptable in meeting changing service demand.
• Able to work unsocial hours.

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).