Stoma Care Nurse

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical Skills:

The post holder will provide specialist stoma care support to patients undergoing or have undergone stoma formation surgery or ileoanal pouch surgery within the hospital and community setting.

The post holder will review current literature and evidence pertaining to stoma nursing care, ensuring that interventions reflect the current research evidence available, and is appropriate to needs, context and culture.

The post holder will utilise counselling skills to provide empathetic support for patients and their families/carers who are experiencing a potentially life threatening and life changing illness and who may be distressed by the changes in their body image; utilising excellent communication skills when breaking bad news and explaining treatment options.

The post holder will have the confidence to act as an advocate for their patients, assisting them to make informed choices concerning treatment.

The post holder will use evidence-based practice and their professional expertise to mark the patients abdomen pre-operatively to enable the surgeon to place the stoma in the best possible position thereby enhancing the patients quality of life.

The post holder will utilise assessment and diagnostic skills to develop planned programs of care, ensuring physical, social, psychological, and spiritual needs are met.

The post holder will be responsible for implementing the program of care and evaluating the treatment given, including health promotion, required by patients and in conjunction with other nursing and specialist staff and with the co-operation of the patient and their relatives/carers.

The post holder will monitor patients compliance against treatment plans through patient feedback, interpretation of information from clinical findings and test results.

The post holder will manage high output stomas and fistulas acting as a resource to other healthcare professionals on such management.

The post holder will contribute to the management of complex wounds when requested and if appropriate.

The post holder will participate in nurse led clinics and community reviews for stoma patients under the direction of the patients consultant and the Stoma Care Nurse Specialist.

The post holder will be responsible for recommending the prescription of ostomy products, ensuring that the patient has adequate supplies of equipment and understands how to use the products enabling their independence.

The post holder will work alongside the Colorectal Cancer Multidisciplinary Team, the Gynaecology Multidisciplinary team, the Gastroenterology Multidisciplinary Team, and the Integrated Care System ensuring a seamless service for patients and their families/carers.

The post holder will receive and make direct referrals to and from General Practitioners, Consultants and other specialists and members of the multidisciplinary team.

The post holder will clearly and accurately document the outcomes of consultations either electronically or handwritten in the paper clinical notes; with letters, communicating the outcomes of outpatient and community consultations, to other appropriate healthcare professionals; and maintain an accurate record of all interactions with individual patients on the Stoma Care Team database.

Education and Professional Development:

The post holder will participate in the annual appraisal process and plan future personal development and competencies to be achieved.

The post holder will take responsibility for meeting the necessary requirements for revalidation and maintaining their nursing registration.

The post holder will actively participate in the theoretical and practical teaching of stoma care to all health care professionals within the acute and community setting.

In conjunction with the Lead Stoma Care Nurse Specialist the post holder will cascade information to front line nurses through formal means, for example in service training and lectures.

The post holder will adhere to the NMC Code, (NMC 2015) and future Codes as published and always work within their own scope of professional practice following Northampton General Hospital NHS Trusts own policies, procedures, and guidelines.

General Responsibilities:

The post holder will promote and maintain good working relationships with ward, clinic, and community staff, establishing effective communication pathways enhancing the patients healthcare experience.

The post holder will support and understand the need to monitor clinically effective and cost-efficient use of stoma care resources and equipment.

The post holder will participate in auditing standards of care, identifying best practice and areas for improvement as required

The post holder will work collaboratively with the other members of the stoma care team to plan their workload, defining day-to-day work priorities within the hospital and community settings.

The post holder may be required to use their own autonomous judgement when prioritising their workload against the needs of the patients and service requirements.

The post holder is required to adhere to the Lone Worker Policy in the Primary setting.

The post holder will comply with all Health and Safety regulations, particularly COSHH, and report, act upon any accidents, incidents, or hazards in accordance with agreed protocols.

The post holder will have a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and harassment of all kinds, promoting equality and diversity in the workplace.

Person Specification

Educations, Training and Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse Level 1
• Educated to Degree level or equivalent level of education, training or experience

Desirable

• Willingness to undertake relevant specialist courses to a Degree/Masters level

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• A minimum of 3 years' experience post registration, including nursing colorectal patients
• Experience as a band 6 registered nurse
• A minimum of 1 years' experience working within a stoma care team

Skills

Essential

• Excellent communication skills
• Experience of providing support, advice and information to patients and their carers
• Good interpersonal/negotiation skills including the ability to work as part of the MDT
• Experience in teaching knowledge and skills to patients and their carers
• Ability to work under pressure whilst recognising own stressors and act accordingly

Key Competencies/Personal Qualities and Attributes

Essential

• Passionate and committed to bring our Dedicated to Excellence values to life, improving the way we work with each other, particularly focusing on empowerment, equality diversity and inclusion of our staff, patients, and service users
• Motivated/Team worker

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

Northampton General Hospital

Address

NGH

Northampton General Hospital

Northampton

NN1 5BD

Employer's website

https://www.northamptongeneral.nhs.uk/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)