Job responsibilities
The postholder will:-
Be easily identifiable,
visible and accessible to patients and visitors, and in control of the
resources necessary to ensure the delivery of the fundamentals of nursing care,
acting as a change agent to implement the NHS modernisation agenda and Trust nursing
strategies.
Provide clinical leadership
which inspires and motivates others, enabling them to empower all
Ward/Departmental Sisters/Charge Nurses/Midwives to have the authority and
autonomy they need to improve the patient experience, and to resolve clinical
issues such as discharge delays and environmental problems.
Promote and implement professionalism and traditional values
amongst nurses/midwives and will undertake clinical work to maintain their
professional competence, authority and credibility.
Have a key role in the initiatives being undertaken to reduce the
incidence of hospital acquired infections.
They will also be responsible for standards of environment
cleanliness in line with the NHS Clean Hospitals programme, again influencing
the reduction of hospital acquired infections.
Make a significant contribution to the work led by the Director of
Nursing/DIPC to ensure the Trusts enhances its compliance with the Hygiene
code, and ensures the provision of a safe, clean patient care environment.
Ensure that effective and robust communication systems are in
place for patients, visitors and staff, and will actively promote a culture of
health education and ill-health prevention
Ensure that all staff have a clear understanding of the care and
environmental standards they are expected to maintain and will take prompt
action to rectify poor performance.
Develop a culture that is flexible and positive to change, where
staff feel valued and where opportunities are actively created for individuals
to maximise their potential and excel.
Act as a clinical role model, assessing and delivering care needs
as a significant part of their role.
They will also ensure high standards of clinical care are
consistently achieved and monitored.
Key Duties:
Actively implement the
standards set in the Trusts Strategy for nurses and nursing acting as a role
model for others to emulate, working alongside colleagues and exhibiting high
standards of professional behaviour and dress including the wearing of uniform.
Advise General Managers and
Clinical Directors on professional nursing/midwifery matters and specific
speciality nursing issues.
Effectively manage the areas
resources, both pay and non-pay, and ensure that actual or potential cost
pressures are reported to your General Manager and Directorate accountant.
Visit wards and departments
within the area of responsibility daily to support Sisters and Charge
Nurses/midwives, and ensure that the resources available to Ward/ Departmental
Sisters/Charge Nurses/midwives are controlled and utilised effectively to ensure
that value for money is demonstrated and high quality patient care delivered.
This will include ensuring
that ward budgets are managed effectively and that costs relating to the use of
NHSP and secondary agency nurses are kept to a minimum.
Ensure that all Ward
Sisters/Charge Nurses/midwives complete and progress and participate in
nursing/midwifery initiatives such as the Essence of Care programme and HIAs
and that performance, benchmarking and action plans are implemented and
monitored
Identify opportunities to
develop innovative roles for all nursing staff in order to meet the evolving
needs of patients and new models of care within the Trust.
Ensure ward/dept. managers
take personal responsibility and accountability for Infection Prevention and
Control practice within their sphere of responsibility.
Ensure ward/dept. managers
take responsibility for standards of environmental cleanliness thereby
influencing the reduction of hospital acquired infections.
To be actively involved in
maintaining compliance with the NHSLA and CQC standards, ensuring all clinical
areas are aware of their responsibilities and are adhering to Trust Policies
and putting them into practice.
Ensure that patient care is
evidence based, monitored and evaluated, instituting appropriate improvement
when required, in order to provide high standards of care to all patients.
Support and encourage
multi-disciplinary working, which focuses upon patient pathways ensuring the
smooth transition of the patient through the care process including
facilitating the movement of patients through care locations, to ensure
patients are cared for within an optimum time frame.
Take an active role in
managing disciplinary issues as necessary, ensuring quality outcomes that can
be shared as a means of learning across the Trust.
Be responsible for and take
appropriate action to performance manage staff as necessary, (including Human
Resource and attendance management), and ensure that Ward/Departmental
Sisters/Charge Nurses/midwives are empowered to manage staff who are responsible
to them in the same way.
Ensure they and the staff
within their sphere of responsibility receive training in how to safeguard and
promote the welfare of children, are alert to potential indicators of abuse or
neglect in children and know how to act on their concerns in line with the
Worcestershire Safeguarding Childrens Board, and in accordance with Working
to Safeguard Children 2006.
Ensure they and staff within
their sphere of responsibility receive training in the protection of vulnerable
adults, are alert to potential indicators of abuse or neglect of vulnerable
adults and know how to act on their concerns in line with the Trust policy.
Education, Training and Development:
To act as an expert resource
and provide advice on nursing care in relation to clinical interventions,
policies, service development and delivery.
Develop own and others
knowledge and practice across professional and organisational boundaries.
Empower Ward/Departmental
Sisters/Charge Nurses supporting the development of their role through enabling
them to acquire and maintain appropriate management skills, which enable them
to discharge their responsibilities effectively.
Be acknowledged as an expert
professional leader, act as a role model and provide clinical supervision where
applicable to clinicians within the directorate and wider organisational
boundaries.
Create innovative training
and educational opportunities in partnership with professional development
department and higher education institutes.
Ensure that a training and
development plan, based on need, is produced and reviewed annually.
Participate in the PDR
process and undertake annual PDR for all staff for whom the post-holder has
line managerial responsibility, and ensure that PDR arrangements are in place
for all nursing staff within the sphere of responsibility, in order to address
training and development needs within your team.
Contribute to the experience
of learners and to ensure delivery of mentorship requirements meeting NMC
standards for nursing/midwifery students.
Facilitate the development
of other nurses/midwives within the area of responsibility ensuring appropriate
succession planning arrangements are in place.
Ensure that induction packs
and orientation programmes are in place for all new staff.
Patient / Carer Support
Maintain personal contact
with patients, relatives and carers being sensitive to their needs for respect,
safety, privacy and dignity and act as a senior point of contact.
Have visible daily contact
with staff, patients and their carers, and provide feedback about the Trust
services, ensuring that concerns that are raised are dealt with quickly and
efficiently, ensuring excellent and effective communication takes place.
Ensure that patients views
and feedback from patients is valued and acted upon and lessons disseminated,
to enable changes in practice if they are necessary.
Encourage all staff within
the sphere of responsibility to take a proactive approach to the resolution of
issues, which may give rise to dissatisfaction from patients, their relatives
and carers, ensuring effective and comparable resolutions to any concerns
expressed.
Ensure that complaints are
investigated in a timely fashion in accordance with Trust policy, promote a
culture of dealing with complaints with compassion and responsiveness to ensure
that lessons are learned and are disseminated appropriately.
Actively devise, implement
and support the development of health education/promotion strategies/patient
information in order to improve the patient experience.
Clinical Governance:
Develop a working
environment and culture that actively improves health, safety and security for
patients and staff.
Take appropriate steps to
ensure that a safe environment is maintained for patients, staff and visitors
within the area of responsibility, by producing risk assessments and action
plans for any hazards in the environment.
Ensure that all untoward
incidents and near misses are reported by staff within their area of
responsibility in accordance with the Trust policy, and that appropriate
mechanisms are put in place to investigate serious clinical incidents under the
direction and guidance of the Risk Management Department, following which
appropriate action plans are developed and monitored, and lessons are learned
and disseminated.
Endeavour to ensure that
staffing levels are maintained that ensure patient safety and any concerns are
brought to the attention of the Director of Nursing.
To be ultimately responsible
for the health and safety of staff, patients and visitors to the area,
reporting areas of concern to the Head of Nursing/Midwifery or General Manager.
Ensure that all Trust
policies and procedures are implemented within the area of responsibility and
followed by all staff and regularly audited.
