Occupational Health Nurse Advisor

Job description

Job responsibilities

Post Title: Occupational Health Nurse

Pay Band: Agenda for Change Band 6

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Contract: Permanent

Location / Department: Working Well Centre Newtown Road Worcester

Accountable to: Head of OH and Wellbeing Services

Reports to: Deputy Occupational Health Nurse Manager

Key Working Relationships:

All stakeholders Other NHS Occupational Health and Wellbeing Services, Other non NHS Organisations, Clinical Commissioning Groups.

Risk Assessment: Working with VDUs, some manual handling/repetitive tasks. Potential exposure to distressed and or verbally aggressive individuals. The role can be emotionally challenging at times.

Job Purpose:

To support and contribute to the effective provision of a high quality Occupational Health and Wellbeing Service to the Trust and other public sector and private organisations.

To promote and maintain a systematic, holistic approach to occupational health and wellbeing provision, its implementation and evaluation.

Provide clear impartial advice to both managers and employees to optimise health and wellbeing at work, supporting the reduction in sickness absence and prevent work related ill health and injury.

To participate in identifying and maintaining a safe working environment and preventing ill health that may be associated with work.

To promote and implement workplace health and wellbeing initiatives.

To work with private organisations and deliver high quality Occupational Health and Wellbeing Service within agreed service level specifications.

To contribute to an atmosphere conducive to learning, audit and the use of nursing based research / evidence based rationale for clinical practice.

Key Duties:

To work autonomously and independently and where appropriate to seek support and guidance in relation to more complex issues.

Undertake assessments and provide health at work advice to managers and staff following a referral during their employment. To inform managers of the findings within the defined department timescales and in line with confidentiality and consent requirements.

Provide effective case management by assessing employees fitness for work following long term sickness absence, frequent short term sickness absence, or where the employee is experiencing health or disability issues impacting upon them at work.

Offer advice on fitness for work, return to work plans, workplace adjustments and ill health retirement.

Deliver immunisations and vaccination clinics. This will include venepuncture and administering vaccinations.

Using the agreed Occupational Health procedures and guidance to undertake a risk assessment for staff who have sustained a blood or body fluid exposure incident and to advise on any appropriate course of treatment including the need for Post Exposure Prophylaxis. To inform staff of the source/recipient blood results and any implications to working practice.

Give Infection Prevention and Control Advise to staff and line managers, including contact tracing following staff exposure to infectious conditions.

To work in partnership with clients to identify health hazards through the risk assessment process and to support with the implement of health surveillance programmes where appropriate in line with government legislation and Working Well policy.

To regularly undertake the role of the Duty Nurse Adviser providing telephone advice to all contracted clients on any Occupational Health concern, which may include pre-placement health issues, health capability to work, infection control and blood and body fluid exposure incidents. To advise on more complex issues as required.

Participate in Health and Wellbeing initiatives.

Participate in the induction and training of new employees.

To record accurate and confidential occupational health information into staff records following all appointments and communication with the department.

Communication and relationship skills:

To work as part of a multidisciplinary team where everyone has an essential professional contribution to make to the delivery of the occupational health service.

You will develop good working relationships with our key stakeholders.

Planning and Organisational skills:

You will be expected to manage your time effectively when managing cases and clinics.

Analytical and judgement skills.

Client Care:

Prompt production of reports to support clients and managers.

Responsibilities for People or Training:

Ongoing training within the department and externally.

Supporting colleagues to develop their skills.

Mutual learning.

Person Specification

Skills and knowledge

Essential

• Up to date knowledge of current clinical and professional issues including NHS /DH /HSE legislation
• Ability to assess clients presenting to Occupational Health, plan and provide specialist advice dependent upon their particular health care need and work related issues
• Experience of undertaking audit or nursing research
• Supervisory experience of junior members of a team
• Knowledge of the health and Wellbeing agenda
• Ability to be able to decide how best to achieve expected results, whilst acting within clearly defined policies/ procedures and codes of conduct.
• Willingness to travel and work across site as required.
• Ability to carry out CPR
• Excellent IT skills: Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint

Desirable

• Presentation skills
• Venepuncture skills
• Immunisation skills
• Spirometry skills

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse on the NMC register
• Evidence of relevant professional development
• Post basic qualification at either diploma or degree level in Occupational Health or relevant subject, or working towards

Desirable

• Relevant teaching qualification
• Relevant health promotion qualification

Experience

Essential

• Substantial post registration experience in general nursing
• Substantial Occupational Health experience
• Supervision of junior staff
• Experience of coordinating clinics and service requirements

Desirable

• NHS Occupational Health experience

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Ability to energise and engage self and others
• Evidence of practicing the WAHT Values and Behaviours

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

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Address

Charles Hastings Way

Worcester

Worcestershire

WR5 1DD

Employer's website

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