Continence Nurse Specialist

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. PATIENT CARE, CLINICAL EXPERTISE AND CASE MANAGEMENT

1.1 Provide clinical expertise, specialist advice and support across the whole spectrum of the service.

1.2 Demonstrate specialist knowledge, skills and innovative practice in the specialist area, ensuring the delivery of appropriate evidence based care.

1.3 Support and assist the multi-disciplinary team in resolving complex patient bladder and bowel problems, as part of discharge planning and reducing the risks of re-admissions.

1.4 Demonstrate expert practice and specialist advice in the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of patients bladder and bowel care.

1.5 Deliver the specialist nursing contribution to the service in the provision of high standards of patient care.

1.6 Act as a role model advocating for patients and delivery of safe, effective continence care across the Trust.

1. PATIENT AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND EXPERIENCE

2.1 Promote the philosophy of patient centred care and establish and maintain a supportive relationship with the patient and their family at all times.

2.2 Promote patient and public involvement and enhancing their experience by supporting and implementing new initiatives relating to patient centred care.

2.3 Raise the profile of continence care, challenging societal taboos and myths surrounding incontinence in older age.

1. PROMOTE AND ESTABLISH EFFECTIVE TEAM WORKING AND COMMUNICATION

3.1 Take responsibility for ensuring effective communication between all service providers within the speciality.

3.2 Establish and maintain good positive working relationships with the Matrons, Ward Leaders and their teams, Geriatricians, Practice Development Team, relevant Clinicians, Service Managers and General Mangers within NGH.

3.3 Actively participate in local and national networking to maintain and develop expert level of knowledge in the speciality.

3.4 Ensure that the importance and implications of education, research, and ideas are raised in appropriate forums.

1. EDUCATION, TRAINING AND PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT

4.1 Provide continence education to all new members of nursing staff in collaboration with the Practice Development Team.

4.2 Actively participate in lifelong learning and personal development through appraisal and Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) development plans.

4.3 Promote and implement patient focused education and the information giving strategy within the speciality.

4.4 Work with the Practice Development Team to ensure that specialist education and training meets the needs of the service, multi-professional clinical teams, patients and carers.

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

4.6 To maintain an awareness of national and local policy that impacts upon the health and well-being of patients with bladder and bowel problems.

4.7 Use Education forums and Networks proactively sharing good practice and innovation with others.

4.8 Liaise with other groups and assist with the delivery of multi-professional and inter-professional learning.

4.9 Provide specialist education teaching, learning and mentoring for pre and post registration students when required and actively contribute to the delivery of the Universities curriculum.

1. CLINICAL GOVERNANCE, AUDIT AND RESEARCH

5.1 Contribute to policy making and clinical guidelines internally and externally, necessary to support the specialist nursing service.

5.2 Actively participate in audit and research and benchmarking activities to ensure effective safe and evidence based practice.

5.3 Promote and encourage a culture of continuous quality improvement in all relevant clinical areas.

5.4 Promote the speciality by publishing and presenting innovations and research findings locally and nationally.

5.5 Actively promote the specialist service throughout the Trust by establishing robust networks and links with Clinical Governance and Audit teams.

5.6 Act on audit and research findings to inform and change practice as appropriate.

5.7 Act as a role model and clinical resource demonstrating high standards of care and providing clinical leadership in the specialist area, Trust and wider Healthcare community.

1. RISK MANAGEMENT AND PATIENT SAFETY

6.1 Use specialist knowledge, skills and innovative practice in order to provide a high standard of patient care and maintain patient safety.

6.2 Use programmes of effective and relevant education to promote staff compliance with policies, practices and patient safety.

6.3 Deliver new ways of working practice that benefits patient safety and the patient user experience.

6.4 As a clinical expert provide advice and support to assist with the management of complaints relating to the speciality and implement action plans or change of practices.

6.5 Risk assess clinical areas to ensure patient & staff safety

1. PROMOTE EFFECTIVE CLINICAL LEADERSHIP

7.1 Provide a high level of professional leadership in the development and promotion of the service.

7.2 A visible, accessible and assertive clinical expert to which staff and users can turn to for assistance, expert advice and support.

7.3 Actively contribute to operational developments relating to the speciality / nursing service, so that high quality patient focused services are promoted

8. SPECIALITY SPECIFIC

8.1 8.2 Triage & manage referrals received for inpatients on adult wards and arrange visits to patients on the ward to provide specialist bladder & bowel assessment and liaise with nursing and medical staff regarding treatments.

8.3 Refer patients to appropriate services if follow-up post discharge is required.

8.4 Liaise with hospital ward staff to offer advice and support enabling them to deliver a high standard of bladder and bowel care to all patients admitted into secondary care with the aim of a timely discharge and reducing risks of re-admissions for a bladder or bowel problem.

8.4 Develop and implement programmes of care for individual inpatients adult wards where their bladder and bowel problems are causing admission to hospital.

8.5 Advise and work with ward staff to ensure that any incontinence is managed appropriately without compromising patient dignity as per good practice.

8.6 Empower patients/family/carers to self-manage patient bladder & bowel care at all appropriate stages within the overarching care plan.

8.7 Demonstrate the ability to use validated assessment tools and diagnostic equipment to assess patients bladder and bowel symptoms.

8.8 Work with other nursing specialities as appropriate for both patient care and service development

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Over 2 years clinical experience at band 5 or above with knowledge and interest in continence care
• Evidence of management/leadership skills and autonomous practice

Desirable

• Knowledge and experience of audit and quality improvement methods
• Experience of multi-disciplinary working practices

Educations, Training and Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse with current NMC registration
• Evidence of professional development in related speciality

Desirable

• Evidence of specialist training related bladder & bowel care

Skills

Essential

• Can demonstrate effective written, verbal and nonverbal communication
• Good organisational skills, having the ability to organise self and others to meet deadlines
• Able to work autonomously and manage own workload
• Bladder scanning

Desirable

• Bladder and bowel assessment skills
• Experience of challenging poor practice

Key Competencies/Personal Qualities and Attributes

Essential

• Computer literate
• Ability to work on own and within a team
• Demonstrates enthusiasm & passion
• Must be able to demonstrate behaviours consistent with the Trust vision and values

Desirable

• Potential to lead

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

Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust

Cliftonville

Northampton

NN1 5BD

Employer's website

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