Job summary
The discharge lounges at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells are undergoing changes and expansion to the current service provided to the trust and moving to providing a 7-day service - with no night shifts. Whether your newly qualified or have years of experience this maybe just what you're looking for.
Are you able to navigate around IT systems, work well under pressure or like the feeling of not knowing what the working day has in store? This is an exciting time to be joining our MTW family as we move forwards and transition into a fully digitally led organisation.
The lounges can offer you challenging and changing demands to support the flow of the hospital through the both the emergency and elective pathways, while trying to keep the flow moving through the lounge.
The lounge continues all patient care from the wards including drug rounds via out IT systems and support creating capacity by giving last doses of IV medications such as antibiotics prior to discharge. The lounge staff also support ward team in completing simple district nurse referrals for patient, providing patient education around discharge medications and teaching injection techniques if required. With the expansion of the virtual wards the lounge staff will support patients with hospital in a box and use of the app and uploading data prior to discharge.
Main duties of the job
Building relationships with our inpatient area teams, medical and surgical teams and external providers help ensure patients leave safely from the discharge lounges. Therefore, engagement and effective communication is a key skill for promoting positive patient outcomes.
Communication under pressure will be vital, ensuring that other allied healthcare professional are supporting their part in the patients discharge to minimise delays and extended waits in the lounge. Preventing delays for those patients who require an acute admission. Quick thinking and the ability to think outside of the box will also be a vital skill to have and or develop due to the pace and demand on the discharge lounge
The lounges work alongside our Care Coordination Centre (CCC), Site Directors and Site Practitioners to ensure a safe and effective flow. Our in-patients are monitored via our Teletracking system in the CCC to see identified confirmed discharges or pending discharge for later on in the day. This system runs live time so is able to monitor the current and predicted bed base and census at any one time.
The discharge lounge helps support patients get to the right area first time while also ensuring that we are embedding a positive patient experience within MTW.
About us
MTW is a large acute hospital trust in the south-east of England.
We provide a full range of general hospital services and some aspects of specialist and complex care to around 600,000 people living in west Kent and East Sussex. We have a team of over 8,000 full and part-time staff. We also provide specialist cancer services to around 2 million people across Kent and East Sussex via the Kent Oncology Centre.
In the 2024 NHS staff survey, our employees ranked MTW among the top 10 NHS Trusts nationwide and the second-best Trust to work for in the South East.
Would you like to work flexibly? In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Once your pre-employment checks have been completed you will be contacted by Recruitment to arrange your start date which will be in line with one of our Corporate Inductions.
Following your Corporate Induction you will be expected to attend the Trusts 2-week Induction Programme for RNs, NAs, RMs, ODPs and Paramedics. The programme is full-time (please emailmtw-tr.professionalstandards@nhs.netif this is problematic) and will involve travel to both Trust sites. The programme includes supernumerary shifts in the clinical area, classroom-based sessions and e-learning.
Please note that appointment to this post will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure & Barring Service Check atEnhanced Level. (Enhanced level now includes regulated checks against vulnerable adults and children)
At MTW, we seek to develop a culture where everyone can reach their full potential with opportunities to grow and develop their career. We recognise and value the unique contributions that each of our staff bring, delivering the best quality care and service to our patients. We are committed to being a diverse employer and strive to reflect everyone in our local communities. We welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences and celebrate the diversity of thought, viewpoints and ideas that will make our Trust the best place to work.
We support our staff with disabilities to ensure they have the adjustments they need to be the best they can be in the workplace. Collaborating with Access to Work means that our staff are assessed by experts in the workplace and we ensure that their recommendations are implemented as quickly as possible. You can find out more here: Access to Work: get support if you have a disability or health condition: What Access to Work is - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Please note that this role may often attract a high level of applications. Please note this role may close earlier than the original closing date so please ensure you submit your application as soon as possible
Job description
Job responsibilities
Once your pre-employment checks have been completed you will be contacted by Recruitment to arrange your start date which will be in line with one of our Corporate Inductions.
Following your Corporate Induction you will be expected to attend the Trusts 2-week Induction Programme for RNs, NAs, RMs, ODPs and Paramedics. The programme is full-time (please emailmtw-tr.professionalstandards@nhs.netif this is problematic) and will involve travel to both Trust sites. The programme includes supernumerary shifts in the clinical area, classroom-based sessions and e-learning.
Please note that appointment to this post will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure & Barring Service Check atEnhanced Level. (Enhanced level now includes regulated checks against vulnerable adults and children)
At MTW, we seek to develop a culture where everyone can reach their full potential with opportunities to grow and develop their career. We recognise and value the unique contributions that each of our staff bring, delivering the best quality care and service to our patients. We are committed to being a diverse employer and strive to reflect everyone in our local communities. We welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences and celebrate the diversity of thought, viewpoints and ideas that will make our Trust the best place to work.
We support our staff with disabilities to ensure they have the adjustments they need to be the best they can be in the workplace. Collaborating with Access to Work means that our staff are assessed by experts in the workplace and we ensure that their recommendations are implemented as quickly as possible. You can find out more here: Access to Work: get support if you have a disability or health condition: What Access to Work is - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Please note that this role may often attract a high level of applications. Please note this role may close earlier than the original closing date so please ensure you submit your application as soon as possible
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Nursing Diploma / Degree
- NMC Registration
Experience/Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of the discharge process and importance of hospital flow.
Desirable
- Good range of surgical and medical knowledge to provide effective communication with patients on discharge.
Skills
Essential
- Report writing / effective documentation
- Negotiation of challenging situations
- Mentoring / Supervision
- Able to use IT software.
Desirable
- Good knowledge of effective documentation
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Nursing Diploma / Degree
- NMC Registration
Experience/Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of the discharge process and importance of hospital flow.
Desirable
- Good range of surgical and medical knowledge to provide effective communication with patients on discharge.
Skills
Essential
- Report writing / effective documentation
- Negotiation of challenging situations
- Mentoring / Supervision
- Able to use IT software.
Desirable
- Good knowledge of effective documentation
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
Address
Tunbridge Wells Hospital & Maidstone Hospital
Tonbridge Road
Tunbridge Wells
TN2 4QJ
Employer's website
https://www.mtw.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
