Advanced Clinical Practitioner for PICU

Job description

Job responsibilities

PICU

The 24 bed Paediatric Intensive Care Unit is a busy mixed general and cardiac ward with 1000 admissions per year, 40% of which are post op cardiac patients. We are a designated ECMO, Major Trauma Centre, and High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) Centre. There is a separate staffed 15 bed High Dependency Unit.

This post offers a unique opportunity to work in a high performing and internationally recognised childrens hospital. Successful candidates will gain broad experience in paediatric intensive care including cardiac surgery/cardiology, ECMO, and acute illness management. The clinical shifts are staffed by a hybrid of middle grade resident Drs, Clinical Fellows and ACPs. Clinical shifts are 12.5hrs each, and the successful candidate will cover long days, nights and weekends pro-rata. Self-rostering for ACPs is in operation, and there are lots of opportunities for training and development. There is Consultant Intensivist on-site cover 24/7

Job Summary:

This multi-professional role is designed to transform and modernise pathways of care, enabling safe and effective sharing of skills across traditional professional boundaries (HEE, 2017). Advanced clinical practice focuses on four pillars:

Clinical Practice

Leadership

Education

Research

The post holder will work autonomously at an advanced level of clinical practice, providing direct delivery of care that utilises advanced clinical assessment and reasoning skills to deliver safe and effective care that additionally enhances positive outcomes and experiences for infants, children, and young people within the Trust.

The post holder will demonstrate a high degree of autonomy in decision making skills in acute, complex, and uncertain situations whilst holding accountability for decisions made within the service and in partnership with other professionals.

The post holder will work collaboratively with the multi-disciplinary team, both within the service and across the Trust. They will be expected to cover days, nights and some weekend shifts, dependent on service need (with agreement reached locally in their job plan). The job plan will be comprised of 80% clinical practice with the remaining 20% of hours used for supported, service improvement related activities across the other advanced practice pillars of leadership, education and research. Service improvement hours will be agreed locally (as part of a yearly development review) and may be rationalised during times of significant service need/challenge.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Work autonomously within their scope of practice, managing highly effective consultations (both face-to-face and via digital technology), with advanced communication skills and higher-level decision-making, while role modelling excellence in all aspects of advanced practice.

2. Use highly developed expertise, critical thinking and advanced decision-making skills to conduct autonomous clinical assessments, procedures, laboratory tests and/or diagnostics that fall within their individual scope of practice and are relevant to the service client group.

3. Utilise highly developed clinical knowledge and advanced skills to diagnose, plan, implement and initiate changes to care where required. This will include monitoring and evaluating the response to treatment through analysis and interpretation of on-going clinical observations, re-assessments, clinical tests/investigations/procedures.

4. Modify practice to manage risk appropriately where there may be complex and unpredictable events, including unpredictable clinical responses in emergencies situations (including the deteriorating child), utilising clinical judgement and decision making to initiate appropriate interventions and treatments including escalation and referral.

5. Work autonomously in unpredictable situations, being responsive and flexible to meet the needs of the service.

6. Evaluate own accountability and responsibility (and that of others when appropriate) to ensure safe, high quality, and effective practice, within the context of managing complex, unfamiliar and unpredictable situations.

7. Evaluate own performance, acting in ways that demonstrate self-awareness of, and reflection on, own professional practice, including the ability to autonomously adapt practice to meet clinical need.

8. Utilise excellent communication skills, that support effective communication between the multi professional team and the patient / family, to deliver a patient focused service with effective co-ordination of care (included as part of complex care packages and/or environments.)

9. Ensure practice is informed by current, evidence-based research, that reflects professional guidance and is delivered in line with their scope of practice and Trust policies/guidelines.

10. Counsel and support the child, young person, and family through the treatment process, utilising advanced communication and decision-making skills which also include responsibility for escalation and/or referral (when required.)

11. Initiate, adjust, administer or supply medications and/or medical devices while practicing within the legal parameters for their profession and within their area of competence. e.g as an independent prescriber, supplementary prescriber, annotated with medical exemption, POM-A, or POM-S, or functioning under PGD, or PSD.

12. Work within the advanced practice governance framework/structure both locally and nationally that includes full engagement with Trust governance processes (including full participation in the PDR, CPD and clinical supervision processes).

13. Comply with all Trust policies and procedures and escalate when actions are needed outside of these agreed standards, including compliance with all Trust mandatory training.

14. Promote and lead family centred care, maintaining a safe, friendly and welcoming ward, department, and/or other environment for children, families, visitors and colleagues.

15. Provide up-to-date information and communication records for families, colleagues and shared care centres in conjunction with the multidisciplinary team.

Successful applicants will be expected to fulfil the local PICU illustrations/competencies within 6 months of employment. There is a strong established PICU ACP team who will mentor and support the development of PICU clinical skills and critical thinking.

Person Specification

Clinical, Education,Leadership/Management, Research, Personal attributes

Essential

• oActive professional registration with relevant professional body e.g. NMC, HCPC, GPhC, GOC, etc. oEvidence of ACP experience in a critical care area e.g. PICU, NICU, AICU, critical care retrieval service or tertiary paediatric High Dependency [minimum 2 years]. May consider experienced paediatric acute care ACP with more than 5 years PICU/PCICU experience. oCurrent APLS certification oMeets key illustrations for PICU ACP practice, or willingness to complete these within 6 months of employment oExperience of caring for paediatric cardiology/cardiac surgical patients oAn ACP practice portfolio demonstrating capability of: -Advanced level clinical decision-making skills in acute, complex, and uncertain situations whilst holding accountability for decision-making in partnership with other professionals -Relevant/transferable expertise to conduct autonomous clinical assessments, procedures, laboratory tests and/or diagnostics relevant to the service client group. -Relevant/transferable clinical knowledge and advanced skills to diagnose, plan, implement and initiate changes to care where required. This includes monitoring and evaluating the response to treatment, interpretation of on-going clinical observations, and clinical tests/investigations/procedures
• oEvidence of Advanced Practice qualification (one of the following options): -MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice -MSc in relevant specialty plus a post-graduate diploma (PGDip) awarded from an MSc Advanced Clinical Practice programme -Recognition of advanced practice experience and education via the e-portfolio route awarded by the NHSE Centre for Advancing Practice oEvidence of contribution to the education, training and supervision of others acknowledging the NHSE guidance of the supervision of advanced practice oLegally authorised to initiate, alter, administer, and/or supply medications and/or medical devices (practicing within the legal parameters for their profession) as an independent prescriber, supplementary prescriber, annotated with medical exemption, POM-A, or POM-S, or functioning under PGD, or PSD.
• oEvidence of participation in leadership activities and/or leadership development oParticipation in advanced practice clinical governance, including accountability for own advanced practice governance evidenced by own advanced practice portfolio oWell-developed IT skills with competency in common software packages (e.g. MS Word, PowerPoint, Teams) oEvidence of ability to write reports, papers, policy/procedures
• oEvidence of research, audit, and/or QI skills and experience (including MSc dissertation)
• oStrong communication skills (both written and verbal) oStrong negotiation and diplomacy skills oStrong team working ethos and evidence of engagement with multi-professional team working. oStrong time management skills and ability to prioritise, self-organise, self-motivate and self-direct with the ability to work to deadlines oAbility to manage stressful situations

Desirable

• oSignificant experience of advanced clinical and/or diagnostic skills relevant to PICU oSignificant knowledge and experience of current developments/innovations in PICU oSkills in ultrasound guided vascular access oPCICU experience
• oStrong evidence of contribution to the advanced practice education and training supervision in specific service, including completion of advanced practice supervision training and/or PGCE, practice educator/clinical educator qualification.
• oFormal leadership qualification oExperience of advanced practice clinical governance, risk assessment and management, clinical practice innovation and change management.
• oStrong evidence of active participation in research, audit, and/or QI oTrack record of publication, and/or presentations at local, regional, national or international levels
• oTrack record of participation and engagement at local (Board level), regional and/or national level within specific service or advanced practice forums/professional groups

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Alder Hey Childrens NHS Foundation Trust

Liverpool

L12 2AP

Employer's website

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