Critical Care Staff Nurse

Job description

Job responsibilities

COMMUNICATION

Maintains effective communication with people about routine and daily activities overcoming any differences in communication between the people involved.

Attends Unit meetings / Team Away days in order to communicate needs and discuss problems with senior staff.

Identifies needs and provides support for patients, relatives and friends with support from the shift coordinator

Behaves in consistent manner with visitors, patients and the MDT.

Articulates current status of patients in their care to shift coordinator.

Informs shift coordinator when assistance is required / support needed

Maintains communication with people about routine and daily activities constructively overcoming any differences in communication between the people involved, and modifying communication accordingly e.g. using tact, diplomacy, discretion, empathy.

Participate in ensuring effective multidisciplinary communication links both upwards and downwards within Critical Care and the rest of the Trust. This involves all staff members, relatives and patients.

Adhere to NMC guidelines on documentation; accountability and responsibility for accurate, professional record keeping either on paper and/ or the electronic system.

Display competent use of; Trust e-mail, CIS message centre (where applicable), visitors intercom system, and telephone.

Responsible for effective shift handovers ensuring relevant detail is communicated and identifies and challenges any unprofessional or subjective comments made about patients.

Participate in medical ward rounds showing a thorough knowledge of the patients medical history, current condition and recent clinical events. Ability to present this concisely, at the appropriate time, and in the appropriate manner.

Involvement in complex patient case conferences when discussing future treatments for patients which could involve withdrawal of treatment in situations of poor prognosis.

Participate in mortality and morbidity meetings (where appropriate).

Support families on a 1:1 basis using knowledge, experience and skill to explain complicated medical conditions. Provide adequate and appropriate information and education, whilst ensuring this information is understood.

Provide and receive highly complex information on clinical conditions, which could be sensitive and occasionally contentious. Information given to patients and relatives could involve breaking bad news and may result in conflict with relatives understanding of the critically ill patient. E.g. communicating withdrawal of treatment, deterioration in condition, or sudden death. This must be done with great tact and skill.

Ability to guide relatives through withdrawal of treatment, tissue / organ donation in conjunction with relevant personnel e.g. Trust Donation Nurse Specialist, Transplant Co-ordinator, Trust personnel available for distressed / bereaved relatives.

Recognition of poor standards of care among MDT. Ability to highlight these to appropriate personnel, at an appropriate time, and in an appropriate manner.

PERSONAL AND PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT

At no time should the post holder work outside their defined level of competence. If the post holder has concerns regarding this they should immediately discuss this with their Team Leader. The post holder has the responsibility to inform those supervising their duties if they are not competent to perform a duty

To practice in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct and Professional Practice.

To complete Trust orientation objectives including IV drug administration

To attend statutory/mandatory training/updates as required by Unit/Trust.

To complete Network Critical Care Foundation Programme

To provide effective, safe evidenced based care to a standard prescribed by the Unit/Trust Policies and Procedures under the supervision of the shift coordinator

To assess, plan, implement and evaluate individual patient care in consultation with the shift coordinator and Primary Nurse.

To perform and record observations appropriate to the patients condition, where possible interpreting their significance, and where not informing the shift coordinator of any relevant change.

To manage and prioritise your patients workload after a period of training under the supervision of Practice Educator/shift coordinator.

To undergo further training that enables the use of specialised critical care equipment.

After agreement with your Team Leader, to take on the role of associate nurse to support primary nurses.

To have a working knowledge of KSF / eKSF and take part in Development Reviews as required by Team Leader, producing a Personal Development Plan which shows responsibility for own development in line with KSF/PREP and supported with portfolio evidence.

To make use of educational facilities offered by the Unit/Trust in maintaining personal and junior colleagues development.

Develop own knowledge and skills and contribute to development of others.

To complete and maintain Band 5 competencies.

To have successfully completed adult care of the critically ill course (level 2 or 3)

To be responsible for own personal, clinical and professional development in line with NMC/PREP/ KSF supported with portfolio evidence.

To have applied for or completed Mentorship course at level 2 or 3 with annual updates as applicable.

To demonstrate the ability to work without supervision and to accept additional responsibility as agreed with Team Leader.

To practice in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct and scope of Professional Practice. At no time should the post holder work outside their defined level of competence. If the post holder has concerns regarding this they should immediately discuss this with the Shift Co-ordinator / Team Leader. The post holder has the responsibility to inform those supervising their duties if they are not competent to perform a duty.

To assist with orientation and supervision of new members of staff, Critical Care course students, Pre Registration Nursing Students and provide mentorship for this group of staff in conjunction with the Practice Educator whilst acting as a role model.

To undertake the Primary Nurse role

Participate in teaching in the clinical area providing records of same. Provide written / verbal feedback from study days / courses to team members.

To participate in competency based assessments and ongoing reviews of scope of professional practice within Critical Care.

To promote evidence based practice within Critical Care with portfolio evidence.

To partake in annual Development Reviews in line with KSF by producing a Personal Development Plan in conjunction with your Team Leader.

Please see Job Description and Person Specification for full details.

Person Specification

Post registration NHS experience

Essential

• Active NHS pin with NHS experience
• 12 months acute ward experience

Desirable

• Previous Critical care experience

Registration

Essential

• NMC Registration
• ALS/ILS/ALERT

Desirable

• Mentorship

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Essential

• Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
• Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role)

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.

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

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)

Address

Royal Sussex County Hospital

Royal Sussex County Hospital. Brighton.

Brighton

BN2 5BE

Employer's website

https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)