Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust

Infection Prevention and Control Practice Development Nurse

This job is now closed

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity for an Infection Prevention and Control practice development nurse or a motivated nurse with a proven interest in infection control, to join our Infection Prevention and control team. The role of the team is to provide specialist support and expertise to staff across Kent and Medway mental health Trust.

This post holder will provide specialist Infection Prevention support and guidance for the Care groups, delivering the Trust's clinical and strategic infection prevention programme. You will support the training and development of staff to improve the quality of IPC management. The role will be closely linked with the Care Group physical health nurses to provide physical health promotion.

The successful candidate will contribute to the development of the IPC service and offer specialist expert advice, in the field of IPC. The successful candidate will work as part of the IPC team, striving to minimise risk from healthcare associated infection.

Main duties of the job

Work as a positive role model providing specialist advice in the area of infection prevention & control to all health care staff through provision of evidence based advice, guidance and policies to implement the delivery of quality of nursing care

Advise on the management of patients in conjunction with other members of the Infection control team, with communicable disease in accordance with best practice and statutory requirements including their physical health needs and care planning.

Participate in staff training programmes by means of providing specialist training via ad hoc ward based teaching and induction training as a part of the agreed Trust training programme for infection control

To empower clinical staff by the delivery of appropriate teaching/training and guidance on infection control and physical health, enabling individual practitioners to develop knowledge and competence, and assume responsibility for their own practice.

About us

Come and work with us in the Garden of England where we combine exceptional professional development opportunities with a tremendous quality of life.

We are Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT), providing mental health, learning disability and specialist services, serving 1.8 million people across the county.

The Trust (rated Good overall by the CQC and Outstanding for care) has 3,283 staff working in 66 buildings across 33 locations, covering an area of 1,450 square miles.

You will be joining friendly, passionate colleagues, rich in their diversity, who are committed to providing excellent care to our service users and their loved ones.

The nature of our work attracts kindness and compassion as standard and everyone from our cleaners and porters to the chief executive and chairman are recognised as playing a vital role in providing an exemplary service.

Date posted

05 January 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£35,392 to £42,618 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

380-SS0458

Job locations

St Martins Hospital, Canterbury

Littlebourne road

Canterbury

CT1 1AZ

Job description

Job responsibilities

Report to, and in conjunction with the Senior Infection prevention and control Nurse and Matron, the post holder will contribute in the co-ordination and development of a quality infection control service within the Organisation.

To provide a clear and visible presence in order to develop services that are patient focused, and address the concerns of service users, responding appropriately to suggestions for local quality improvements.

To ensure that the principles of clinical governance are implemented at local level, and to work as a specialised member of the Infection control Team and assist in containing and reducing the incidence of infection across the Trust, through risk assessment, monitoring, audit, intervention and education, and the development of specialised protocols, policies and guidance.

Post holder will be locality based (Canterbury) and a significant proportion of work time will be clinical.

The post holder will work closely with the Care group physical health nurses.

To Work as a positive role model providing specialist advice in the area of infection prevention & control to all health care staff through provision of evidence based advice, guidance and policies to implement the delivery of quality of nursing care.

Maintain contemporary patient records, updating patient records as required.

Contribute to the maintenance of ongoing organism and infection disease monitoring with appropriate evaluation, feedback and action to control and prevent such infection

Investigate outbreaks and incidents of infection with other members of the Infection Prevention & Control Team to determine cause, associated risk factors and required intervention.

Contribute in the implementation of a programme of risk assessment and audit of infection control policies, disseminating results according

Provide physical health promotion to service users and staff via education.

To support appropriate and effective use of antimicrobials across the Trust. Including contributing to prescribing audits.

To attend targeted appropriate ward rounds to provide antimicrobial advice and encourage adherence to Trust antimicrobial policy.

Take an active role in Serious incident investigations in conjunction with the InpHase team.

Be an integral part of PLACE audits in partnership with the facilities team.

Providing vaccinations, as required by the Trust.

Support the in the referral process for outside agencies such as Tissue viability nurse, diabetic nurse specialist and dietician

Supporting staff in the recognition of the deteriorating patient and completing a Sepsis screen when necessary.

Supporting the identification and management of confirmed and suspected infections.

RESPONSIBILITY:

Ensure that a Duty of Candour is maintained with services users/carers at all time.
Ensure services are able to be delivered safely and in accordance with the requirements of the Health and Social Care Act, including monitoring the quality and safety at each site of responsibility, identifying breaches, escalating them and acting on them as soon as possible.
Be responsible for ensuring a regular process of review is in place to detect incidents that indicate adverse quality of care, and triangulate

External & Internal

Liaising with external healthcare agencies
Frequently imparting information to patients, relatives and relevant others which may be seen to be of a highly emotive and stressful nature e.g. informing patients they have MRSA and of the consequences, requiring advanced listening and support skill
Contact with all staff providing training, education and clinical advice for all the above organisations.
Occasionally imparting unwelcome news to staff groups about changes in practice that may result in resistance to change or a differing professional opinion requiring advanced listening, debating and support skill

ENVIRONMENT:

The post holder will be expected to work predominantly day duty hours, Monday to Friday but will require flexibility to provide 7 day cover if necessary and is required to travel across the who geographical area of the Trust as the post involves significant time circulating around clinical areas throughout the Trust.

Exposure to highly unpleasant working conditions including daily contact with body fluids, smells, foul linen and infectious patients including exposure (rarely) to infectious patients during outbreaks of communicable disease.

The post involves considerable mental and emotional effort assisting with the resolution of difficult ethical and risk issues.

JOB SUMMARY:

The post holder will be required to cover the whole of Kent and Medway so the ability to move from site to site in a timely manner is essential

COMMUNICATIONS AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

All Trust staff at all levels

Commissioners

Public Health England

STANDARDS OF BUSINESS CONDUCT:

The post holder will be required to comply with the Trusts Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions and at all times, deal honestly with the Trust, with colleagues and all those who have dealings with the Trust including patients, relatives and suppliers.

HEALTH AND SAFETY:

The post holder will be required to observe local Health and Safety arrangements and take reasonable care of him/herself and persons that may be affected by his/her work.

SAFEGUARDING:

All staff have a duty to identify, report and record incidents of potential or actual abuse. This statement applies whether the victim is an adult or child. All queries will be addressed by the Trust Safeguarding Team.

PERFORMANCE REVIEW:

This job description will be used as a basis for individual performance review between the post holder and the Manager.

The job description covers only the key result areas, and as such does not intend to provide a comprehensive list of objectives. Specific objectives will be reviewed each April, and may develop to meet the changing needs of the service.

The post holder will need to take due account, in the way they achieve the key result areas of Trust policies and procedures.

The Trust aims to maintain the goodwill and confidence of its own staff service and users and the general public. To assist in achieving the objective it is essential that at all times, employees carry out their duties in a courteous and sympathetic manner.

The post holder will carry out their duties in accordance with the Trust Equal Opportunities Policy respecting the differing backgrounds of colleagues and clients.