Enteral Feed Nurse (XR07)

Job responsibilities

Provide advanced, highly specialist nursing care to enterally tube fed patients receiving secondary and tertiary care at LTHT as required, reducing the risks of enteral feeding in these patients. The post holder will be the Adult clinical nurse specialist (CNS) member of the multidisciplinary team responsible for the clinical care of patients requiring enteral feeding within Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust. Clinical input and guidance for complex enteral feeding patients within LTHT as required. Contribute to specialist enteral tube feeding education and training programmes for patients carers and health care professionals, for Leeds Health Economy. Specialist input into the development of LTHT enteral tube feeding guidelines (which apply in Leeds Community Healthcare i.e. city wide) and care plans. Input into research and audit within specialised clinical area and disseminate findings as applicable to delivering priorities and reducing risk of enteral feeding. Coordinate trust wide implementation of enteral feeding guidelines, care plans and directives.

3. JOB DIMENSIONS

The jobholder:

Provide a strong directional role for education of nurses in the administration of safe enteral nutrition.

Provide nursing lead in area of enteral tube feeding and role model to nursing teams, by delivering high quality care as an expert practitioner.

Further develop own specialist skills in the initial insertion and reinsertion of enteral feeding tubes (naso-gastric, naso-jejunal, gastrostomy tubes (all types) and jejunostomy tubes.

Assess and advise on the management and resolution of complications surrounding enteral feeding tubes e.g. percutaneous or radio logically inserted gastrostomy and jejunostomy tubes that have become infected or displaced.

Be a core member of the multidisciplinary care team, liaising with other members of the team to provide integrated nursing care to enterally fed patients.

Act as an expert autonomous resource for medical, nursing and other healthcare professionals caring for patients receiving enteral feeding.

Use research findings as the basis of practice.

Input to research activities and undertake audit projects within specialised area as applicable to delivering priorities.

Be an expert resource within LTHT and the Leeds Health Economy for advising on management of enteral tube feeding problems.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Qualifications

Professional nursing registration

Recognised teaching qualification/training.

Experience

Working knowledge as a specialist with enteral tube feeding.

Evidence of obtaining and maintaining enteral tubes placement competencies

CPD linked to management of complex nutritional support and artificial feeding

Skills

Able to work within a team, demonstrating leadership, initiative and confidence.

Good written, oral and interpersonal communication skills.

Able to demonstrate excellent time management and organisational skills.

Good presentation skills in delivering training to large multidisciplinary groups of staff or members of the public.

Knowledge

Highly developed specialist knowledge acquired through first level degree in Nursing or equivalent with significant post registration experience and at Band 6 or above of enteral feeding.

Personal Attributes

Excellent interpersonal skills

Innovator

Motivator

Assertiveness

Flexibility, adaptable, capable of lateral thinking

Willing to undergo any training as required enabling performance in the job.

Proactive in day to day clinical and non-clinical management.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Clinical and professional.

Be an autonomous practitioner, clinically, legally and professionally responsible for own caseload.

Responsible for undertaking nurse duties in specialised clinical area, managing and prioritising own clinical work load.

Collect, analyse and record relevant patient information from clinical and patient sources, to develop effective enteral tube feeding care plans.

Responsible for developing and maintaining own expertise by updating own specialised clinical knowledge and skills. This will include attending local, regional and national professional interest group meetings if appropriate.

Participate in the appraisal process as an appraisee, developing a strategy for personal and continuous professional development, encompassing a portfolio-based assessment in line with national legislation.

Responsible for implementing clinical governance and risk assessment in respective specialised clinical area as part of continuing quality improvement e.g. advise patients and staff on infection control issues around enteral feeding.

Use research findings to ensure clinical effectiveness and promote evidence based practice, input to research activities and undertake audit projects within specialised area as applicable to delivering priorities and reducing risk of LHO Enteral Feeding Contract and disseminate findings as appropriate.

Acts in accordance with the Nursing & Midwifery code of conduct.

Undertake any other duties appropriate to the grade as requested by line manager.

Clinical care delivery

- Provide a clinical lead and role model to nursing staff by delivering high quality care.

- Undertake clinical procedures where dexterity and accuracy are required

- Maintain a safe working environment

Responsibilities for patient and client care

- Assess, plan, implement and evaluate care and treatments using specialist clinical knowledge and clinical skills

- Organises own clinical workload.

- Receives supervision of clinical care and outcomes from nurse specialist team leader.

Freedom to act

- Refer patients as appropriate to other members of the multi-disciplinary team

- Make clinical assessments and treatment decisions within clearly defined policies and protocols

Communication

- Maintains accurate clinical and other records using the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trusts documentation.

- Support patients and their families, communicating sensitive condition related information, ensuring they receive required information to enable them to participate in their care delivery

- Liaise with Community Services (as appropriate) to ensure seamless provision of care deliver.

Education and Training

Lead the development of resources used in the education and training of patients, health professionals and the public at local and regional level.

Provide postgraduate training on a range of subjects within specialist area to multidisciplinary groups and audiences at local and regional level. This will involve medical, dietetic, nursing staff and other healthcare professionals.

Be an active member of the in-service training programme through delivery of training sessions and tutorials at staff meetings and by attending external courses and demonstrating reflective practice.

Develop, implement and audit, innovative methods of delivering education sessions for staff.

Provide regular training updates, to ensure continued safety of enteral feeding management within the Trust.

Leadership and management

- Investigate and respond to accidents, complaints, untoward incidents and other significant events

- Maintains record of workload and performance monitoring information and reviews this on a regular basis with team manager.

- Work with Team Leader and/or Matron to promote the development of nurses undertaking the CNO Ten Key Roles as considered appropriate

- Under the direction of the Team Manager participates in or lead the development of specific elements of nursing practice, reflecting the CMT and Nursing Directorate business plans

- Participates in the setting, monitoring and improvement of standards and quality of patient care, including those standards defined in the National Benchmarks for Essential Care

- Promote evidence based practice, wherever possible

- Engage users and carers views on service delivery and development.

- Implement policy and practice guidelines specific to the clinical specialty, proposing changes where appropriate

- Contribute to policy and protocol development for speciality area.

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- Responsible for the day to day supervision of junior clinical staff and students within the specialist team.

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- Exercises a personal duty of care in relation to equipment, resource and stock control utilising equipment and supplies appropriately.

Research and Audit

- Contribute to the research agenda

- Undertake audit programmes specific to client group, treatments and developments.

- Participate in clinical trials as appropriate.

Experience

Essential

• Experience of leading a team and supervising staff
• Working knowledge as a specialist with enteral tube feeding (e.g. enteral feeding tubes, associated complications and management)
• Experience of coordinating and delivering presentations, education and training
• Understanding of quality assurance processes
• Interest in nutrition and enteral feeding
• Post registration experience of enteral feeding at band 6 level or above
• Evidence of continual professional development linked to the management of complex nutritional support and artificial feeding
• Experience of responding to complaints and untoward incidents
• Development of policies/procedures/care plans
• Evidence of audit/research
• Experience of presenting/teaching at Trust/national/regional events

Skills and Behaviours

Essential

• Willing to undergo training as necessary
• Ability to be a safe and autonomous practitioner
• Demonstrate effective team working skills
• Demonstrate effective leadership skills
• Demonstrate effective time management and organisation skills
• Demonstration of supervisory skills
• Ability to prioritise own and others workload safely
• Ability to effectively communicate (verbal & written)
• Awareness of current issues relating to healthcare and enteral feeding
• Evidence of obtaining and maintaining enteral tube placement
• competencies
• Proactive in management of a clinical and non-clinical work

Desirable

• Good IT skills

Qualifications

Essential

• NMC registered Nurse (provide PIN number)
• Specialist Knowledge enteral experience at band 6 or above
• Recognised teaching/assessing qualification

Desirable

• Extended supplementary prescribing qualification
• Masters level qualification

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).