Leg Ulcer Specialist Nurse

Job responsibilities

Knowledge skills and experience required:

Provides clinical expertise, specialist advice, support and information across the leg ulcer management spectrum to other healthcare workers, patients and families

Assists with development and facilitation of the leg ulcer prevention and wound management pathways for SWFT ensuring they reflect current best practice guidelines

Evaluate research findings and facilitate evidence based practice

Support the lead nurse in updating Leg Ulcer practice

Undertakes advanced holistic wound and leg ulcer assessment, including planning, implementation, evaluation and reassessment. This will necessitate high levels of autonomy and advocacy.

Disseminate research findings and knowledge by pursuing opportunities to present work at national conferences or via publications

Establishes priorities of care in accordance with caseload/workload priority

Promote and implement evidence based practice

Measurable Result areas:

Ensure effective use of resources

Actively contribute to audit and research programmes within the realm of the specialty

To undertake investigations working with multi- professional team

Contributes to decision making process in relation to leg ulcer management

Reviews and investigates clinical incidents in relation to leg ulcers using clinical judgement to ensure accuracy and consistency using the incident reporting system

Attend regional and national conferences and disseminate information to the team

Demonstrates responsibility for own and others professional development via Performance Review Framework

Undertakes policy review and assists in development of new policies and procedures in line with current best practice and Trust requirement

Demonstrate continuous evaluation of practice and make changes where appropriate, within the defined speciality.

Communications and Working Relationships:

Develop and maintain effective communication with all levels of healthcare professionals across numerous SWFT departments, statutory and voluntary organisations.

Will participate in the development and deliver informal training and formal training programmes to patients, multi-professional team and external delegates.

Develops educational and promotional materials as part of shared learning

To be actively involved in supporting students learning

Refer and liaise with other specialist services to enhance patient care, for example, vascular, diabetologist

Provide clinical support and education for advanced wound care therapies

Be an accessible role model for students and multi-professional who is enthusiastic to share knowledge/skills and best practice

Attend multi-disciplinary team meetings

Support the development of the Leg Ulcer Link Nurse System

Undertake clinical supervision of nursing colleagues on an individual and group basis

To promote and maintain accurate record keeping conforming to NMC standards and Data Protection.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse (1st Level)
• First level degree in related subject
• Tissue Viability / Leg Ulcer Specialist or equivalent post graduate qualification
• Evidence of successful completion of a leadership course, eg. Mary Seacole, LEO
• Practice Educator and Assessor Preparation (PEAP) or equivalent qualification
• V150 Community Nurse Prescriber or equivalent

Experience

Essential

• Significant Post registration community experience
• Extensive knowledge/experience in Leg Ulcer and/or wound management
• Evidence of Continued Professional Development relevant to the field of practice
• Evidence of teaching skills

Desirable

• Evidence of Personalised Care planning and complex patient management
• Experience in managing complaints
• Experience in service improvement
• Ability to take appropriate action to assess and manage risk
• Experience of empowering a positive learning culture for interdisciplinary and interagency teams

Skills

Essential

• Ability to critically understand and apply relevant legal, regulatory and governance requirements, policies, and professional and ethical frameworks
• Advanced clinical decision making skills to support patient centred care
• Extensive knowledge in wound management
• Confident at undertaking and interpreting a vascular assessment including a doppler
• Compression bandaging skills and associated underpinning knowledge
• Ability to present relevant research, quality and audit findings and proposals for care improvement to a range of audiences.
• Willingness to learn new skills
• Must have excellent prioritisation and time keeping skills
• IT Literate
• Teaching, presentation, and facilitation skills to support education.
• Ability to work collaboratively across professional and organisational boundaries.
• Autonomous decision maker in challenging situations
• Understanding of personal and professional accountability and NMC Code of Conduct

Personal

Essential

• Excellent communication, interpersonal and negotiating skills
• Understanding of research-based practice
• Excellent role model
• Demonstrate an ability to meet trust values at all times
• Self-motivated and able to motivate others
• Flexible and reliable
• Organised and able to prioritise
• Able to demonstrate excellent time management skills

Other

Essential

• Must have means of own transport and able to drive in variable weather conditions
• Must be a non-smoker during working hours
• Willingness to travel and attend training and conferences including overnight stay
• Ability to cover leg ulcer service in the absence of other team members
• Must be willing to undertake Criminal records Bureau Disclosure to Enhanced / Standard level
• Must be legally entitled to work in this country

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).