Whittington Hospital NHS Trust

TB Nurse Specialist

This job is now closed

Job summary

TB Nurse Specialist - Band 6

Contract: Permanent - Full-Time 37.50 hours per week

North Central London TB Service is a networked service providing world class care to patients and their carers across the five north central London boroughs.

We are a nationally recognised, innovative team of nurse specialists, outreach staff and administrators who work closely with the respiratory and infectious diseases medical teams at the Whittington, North Middlesex, Royal Free and University College London, hospitals. We work in the outpatient and community setting.

We are seeking an enthusiastic, full time, TB Nurse Specialist to join our TB network. You will be employed by Whittington Health and will have the opportunity to work across sites to support colleagues and as part of your personal development.

You will be a forward thinking, highly motivated individual who enjoys working with medically and socially complex patients.

You will manage your own caseload of patients and will be well supported by the multi -disciplinary team. You will possess excellent communication skills and be able to support and advocate for patients who often have difficulty accessing healthcare.

You will receive a comprehensive induction into the role and your training and development needs will be discussed and supported where appropriate.

"Previous applicants within the last 6 months need not apply"

Main duties of the job

You will work as part of the Tuberculosis (TB) Nursing Team to provide an accessible and responsive high quality TB nursing service across the North Central London TB Network.

Facilitate high quality, individualised care to patients (adults and children), their contacts and the wider community in collaboration with the multi-professional team and with other agencies, in accordance with national guidelines and locally agreed protocols.

Deliver expert patient centred nursing care and advice as a TB case manager with responsibility for your own caseload of patients being treated for TB and latent TB .

Undertake nurse led clinics offering follow up of active cases, LTBI treatment and screening. Delivery of rapid access services and advice in a variety of settings including clinic, community and prisons, providing support and referring patients to appropriate services.

To have an active role in developing the strategic direction of the TB service in line with national and local targets.

About us

Medical services have been delivered on the Whittington Hospital site for over 500 years. On 1st April 2011, Whittington Health was launched as a new Integrated Care Organisation (ICO) comprising The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust, NHS Islington and NHS Haringey. The Whittington and the community health services in Islington and Haringey are award winning organisations, delivering acute and community based health services to a population of 443,000 people.

The organisation is the biggest employer in the area, with over 4,500 staff; delivering healthcare not only on the acute hospital site which has 420 beds, but also from a variety of other community based health centres and through visits to patients homes across the boroughs to address the health needs of the local population. Whittington Health also works with other health, social care and voluntary sector partners to support patients and service users from their initial appointment whether it be with a community health team or at the hospital, all the way through to treatment and tailored after care.

We are one of the three main teaching campuses for the Royal Free and University College Medical School.

Our ICARE (Innovation, Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence) Values not only help us shape what we do, but also how we do it and why. They are fundamental to the way we do business and care for our patients.

For more information, please access the following link: https://www.whittington.nhs.uk/

Date posted

02 August 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£42,471 to £50,364 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

220-WHT-1058-C

Job locations

Whittington Health

Magdala Avenue

London

N19 5NF

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical Responsibilities:

Responsibility for the assessment and progress of active TB cases and individuals receiving treatment for LTBI. This includes adults and children including those infected with HIV and MDRTB.

Manage a caseload of patients including complex cases requiring enhanced case management, with support from the wider TB team, to ensure high treatment completion rates.

Develop specialised programmes of care in collaboration with the wider TB team in order to provide individualised care, education and support to meet the needs of patients with TB/LTBI diagnosis.

Demonstrate role model excellence in nursing practice to other staff and act as an expert TB resource within the acute and community setting.

Assess the likelihood of adherence before/during treatment and if necessary to provide/coordinate directly observed therapy/virtual observed therapy

Manage and undertake nurse led clinics offering migrant screening, contact tracing, rapid access, LTBI treatment and support, advice and referral of patients to appropriate services as necessary.

Ensure, at all times, that the needs of the patient are placed at the centre of care delivery.

Trace and make community visits to non-attendees, where there are concerns regarding treatment adherence/contact screening.

Offer contact screening to close contacts in the community setting in line with local protocol.

Undertake community visits to all patients being treated for pulmonary TB or those assessed as requiring enhanced support.

Provide nurse-led clinics and walk-in clinic within agreed protocols, but also to assess and determine need for unplanned medical review.

Select, carry out and interpret the results of specific tests; e.g. Mantoux test (diagnostic tool), IGRA, induced sputum, routine blood tests, visual acuity and BCG vaccination (by intradermal injection) under patient group direction, within agreed local protocols and in accordance with national guidance.

Prepare and dispense TB medication (oral, IM and IV) in accordance with local protocols and where appropriately trained, prescribe TB medication.

Investigate microbiology results, abnormal radiology referrals, assess urgency and need for medical review.

Discuss patient prognosis with the patients and their relatives, dealing with this sensitively.

Address the stigma associated with TB, TB/HIV, including dealing with distressing and emotional circumstances.

Act as the patient advocate when required to ensure that their needs are met and refer patients to specialist services and professionals within other agencies if necessary.

Assist and investigate cases/outbreak of MTB and carry out risk assessment, contact identification & tracing and co-ordinate mass community screening in conjunction with Public Health England.

Liaise with infection control/occupational health in the management of inpatient ward exposure incidents.

Record clinical activities and outcomes accurately.

Communicate effectively with patients/clients, relatives/carers, colleagues both verbally and in writing.

Assist in the development of a non-tuberculosis mycobacterium nursing service.

Maintain accurate and timely patient records, worthy of medico-legal scrutiny.

Undertake any activity requested by the clinical team and deemed within the expectations of the role.

Provide agreed incentives to patients as per care plan.

Management Responsibilities:

Coordinate and lead the TB service in own base in the absence of Senior TB Nurse.

Ability to work independently under the guidance of the Senior TB Nurse.

Supervise and monitor students and junior members of staff as required.

Seek support from Senior TB nurse on clinical issues as appropriate to ensure clinical governance.

Carry out delegated duties from senior team members.

Participate in the induction and training of new members of staff.

Work closely with the Senior TB nurse specialist in implementing health and safety policy and action plans derived from risk assessments carried out for patients and places where services are being delivered.

Ensure that adult safeguarding and child protection procedures and NHS policies are followed for this vulnerable client group.

Work closely with the Senior TB nurse to participate in the update and continued assessment as necessary of clinical protocols and policies for the diagnosis, treatment and management of patients/clients with TB and those vulnerable to TB.

Promote and maintain a safe clinical environment for patients/clients and staff.

Identify clinical risk and ensure that appropriate action is taken, in accordance with the Trusts Risk Management/Infection Control Policy, in order to prevent the transmission of TB.

Maintain accurate databases, collect and interpret data on caseloads, add and edit records onto NTBS providing information for UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)

Partnership Working:

Report through the cohort review process.

Be an active member of the London TB workforce group.

Maintain and develop existing links with prison healthcare staff to develop the TB service for the prison community, ensuring a high standard of nursing practice that is responsive to the needs of the patient using national guidelines and evidence base.

Actively participates and contributes to MDT meetings, case review, team meetings.

Maintain proactive and effective communication channels with key professionals across the NHS. (Eg, colleagues, primary healthcare staff and GPs, specialist team staff) public health, stakeholders and voluntary organisations.

Ensure patient experience feedback is collected and incorporated into service development.

Promoting Health and preventing ill Health

Participate in the training, education and ongoing support of health professionals about the needs of TB patients, their families and close contacts.

Assist in the development and implementation of sustainable programmes to raise awareness and reduce stigma amongst high risk groups and those people who work with them, teachers and the public.

Participate in trust wide and national study days.

Actively seek out opportunities to participate in formal and informal teaching and training of all members of the multidisciplinary team.

Provide Mantoux/BCG training and support for appropriate health care professionals.

Professional Practice

Keep up to date with a working knowledge of relevant NMC guidelines and demonstrate this in clinical practice.

Takes an active role in monitoring and ensuring standards of care at own base and developing awareness of clinical governance issues

Pursue a programme of continuous education to achieve and maintain expertise for the post.

Maintain and develop a lifelong learning portfolio.

Demonstrate good knowledge regarding BCG vaccination and children affected by TB.

Demonstrate a good understanding of the public health strategies and issues relating to this patient group.

Participate in own 1:1 meetings. Identify own clinical competency, strengths and deficits/educational development needs through participation in the Trusts appraisal process.

Complete all statutory training requirements relevant to the post.

Participate in clinical supervision and act as a clinical supervisor.

Keep up to date with a working knowledge of NMC and demonstrate this in clinic practice.

Audit:

Ensure that clinical audit and clinical governance are integral to the TB Nursing Service.

Share and disseminate knowledge and expertise through formal and informal teaching.

Develop, maintain and update relevant information and health promotion materials on all aspects of TB.

Participate and contribute to network research studies as required.

Management of resources

Be aware of contracting issues and budgetary constraints in order to manage resources effectively.

Be responsible for the safekeeping and use of equipment.

Assist with the distribution of patient information

Uses Trust resources effectively and encourages others to do the same