Job summary
Are you an Advanced Clinical Practitioner looking for your next challenge?
Enjoy being pivotal to the clinical needs of your service?
Interested in what a virtual ward could offer, both for career and experience?
Then this role is a must for you!
Band 8a
We are looking for 2 Advanced Clinical Practitioners to help us develop, and participate in, the Virtual Ward delivering a collaborative, integrated model of care that delivers a range of monitoring, interventions, and care in the community to avoid and reduce hospital admissions.
Post holder will be appointed to work across the Bedfordshire Care Alliance footprint, bases will be confirmed following appointment.
Working across the BLMK (Bedford, Luton, and Milton Keynes) system and across two community service organisations; CCSNT (Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust) and ELFT CHS (East London Foundation Trust Community Health Services), and to the acute hospitals under Bedfordshire Care Alliance.
You will be a key Clinical Lead within the service delivery and governance and will drive the successful management of the provision to provide care for those patients identified as being suitable for the virtual ward environment.
Relocation expenses will be considered for this role.
Interviews will take place on 26th June at The Poynt, Units 2-3, Poynters Road, Luton, LU4 0LA.
Main duties of the job
The post will be structured around the four pillars of advanced clinical practice as set out in the multi professional consultant level practice capability and impact framework (Health Education England www.hee.nhs.uk 2021):
- Expert clinical practice
- A professional leadership and consultancy function
- Education, training, and development
- Research, evaluation, and service development across the system.
The definition of a virtual ward is 'a safe and efficient alternative to NHS bedded care that is enabled by technology. Virtual wards support patients who would otherwise be in hospital to receive the acute care, monitoring and treatment they need in their own home' (NHS England and NHS Improvement, 2022).
The NHS is focussed on increasing capacity in virtual wards to support people at the place they call home, including care homes. In a virtual ward, support can include remote monitoring using apps, technology platforms, wearables and medical devices, such as pulse oximeters. Support may also involve face-to-face care from multi-disciplinary teams based in the community, which is sometimes called Hospital at Home.
Cambridgeshire Community Services is collaborating with East London NHS Foundation Trust and Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to provide a single 'offer' of Urgent Community response across Bedfordshire with the potential to admit to a virtual ward when clinically appropriate to safely support admission avoidance.
About us
Rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission, we are proud to provide high quality innovative services across most of the east of England that enable people to receive care closer to home and live healthier lives.
There's one reason why our services are outstanding - and that's our amazing staff who, for the seventh year running, rated us incredibly highly in the national staff survey.
If you share our passion for innovative and high-quality care delivery, then please submit your application and join us on our exciting journey as a leading-edge specialist community provider. All are welcome to apply and our promise to you is a culture which prioritises staff engagement and development.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Purpose:
- To act as a high-level autonomous practitioner and role model, delivering advanced practice and promoting clinical effectiveness and patient centred care.
- The post-holder will be required to work autonomously in delivering independent assessment for the patients on virtual ward.
- The post holder will work closely with all members of the multidisciplinary team and will play an integral role in the operational development of the service. They will promote education and facilitate evidence-based practice taking a lead on clinical audit, research and service development.
- The post holder will also provide expert advice delivering advanced clinical practice, clinical leadership and supervision, support and mentorship for multidisciplinary professionals including other ACPs, junior medical staff and clinical nursing staff of all grades. They will also be responsible for enhancing the quality of the service by providing education and support to all practitioners and acting as a role model.
- The post holder will demonstrate a high level of advanced expertise, specialist knowledge, demonstrate high levels of judgement, discretion and decision making in the delivery of clinical care.
- The post-holder will work collaboratively with a range of multi-disciplinary services to facilitate admission avoidance or early supported discharge.
- The post-holder will be expected to work within the four clinical pillars of advanced practice, clinical practice, facilitating learning, leadership and evidence, research and development. This will be demonstrated within their portfolio.
- The role will be structured around four functions, delivering expert practice, professional leadership/consultancy, education, training and development, service development, research and evaluation.
Main Duties and Responsibilities - Practice as an autonomous professional with confidence and authority using an expert knowledge base, complex decision-making skills and the clinical competencies of specialist, emergency care advanced practice.
- Exercise judgement in assessing wide ranging and complex patient problems and have knowledge and expertise related to investigation and treatment options in order to facilitate informed consent.
- Have direct responsibility for managing own patient caseload, ensuring all patients have agreed management plans that reflect their clinical, physiological and educational needs.
- Have a health promotion and prevention orientation and comprehensively assess patients for risk factors and signs of illness working to overcome potential barriers such as language, cultural or behavioural issues using highly developed negotiation and persuasiveness skills.
- Interpret and analyse highly complex clinical and non-clinical facts to form accurate diagnoses and prognoses for a wide range of conditions to recommend / deliver the best course of intervention including the development of comprehensive packages of care acting as the patients advocate where appropriate.
- Initiate pharmacological interventions, using non-medical prescribing review patients medications ensuring they adhere to Trust guidelines and provide for the safe custody and administration of medications prescribed by others in accordance with Trust policies.
- Accurately request radiological and pathology investigations and make clinical decisions based upon expert interpretation of the results.
- Utilise physical skills including carrying out physical examinations, clinical skills, use of specialist equipment, perform specialist interventions that require dexterity and accuracy such as venepuncture, IV injections, syringe drivers etc. Expert hand/eye coordination to complete clinical procedures.
- Manage patients who are critically unwell or those requiring emergency care thus periods of intense physical effort are required on a regular or as per shift basis.
- Moving and handling of patients and equipment.
- Required to drive across the geography.
- Take responsibility for the discharge planning process for named patients and working in partnership with the patient, their family and the multidisciplinary team, provide specialist advice and support to optimise health outcomes and resource usage.
- Manage an unpredictable, challenging and rapidly changing clinical environment with constantly changing priorities, no upper limit on patient numbers and high levels of physical and mental effort.
- Act sensitively, confidentially and with empathy to communicate highly distressing information to patients and their relatives including the unexpected death of a patient or life threatening illness or injury. Support bereaved families and patients and their relatives following serious trauma or illness.
- Use highly developed communication skills to deliver complex information, negotiate and influence professionals and organisations to improve practices and healthcare delivery.
- Use those skills also in communicating with persons who are distressed, highly emotional, bereaved, or mentally disturbed and in dealing with agitated, aggressive persons and in managing potentially violent situations.
- Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive and controversial information, which may require negotiation with patients and their relatives. This may include issues around adult safeguarding, child protection, sexual abuse / assault, and patients in the custody of the legal system. Ensure safeguarding legislation and Trust policies adhered to in own practice.
- Supervise and where necessary, work in collaboration with nursing, medical and AHP team members, demonstrating expert clinical practice. Ensure own and staff wellbeing taking into account frequent exposure to highly unpleasant working conditions and highly distressing, emotional and traumatic cases.
- Support the line management of staff within the three partnership organisations as required
- Appropriately define the boundaries of own practice, adhering to Trust and regulatory standards or equivalent and refer to senior medical staff when scope of practice is exceeded.
- Maintain accurate, contemporaneous and timely care records
Communication - The post holder is required to utilise a wide range of communication skills and will be required to communicate on complex issues to a wide range of audiences, including director and senior management level, in order to inform and influence decisions.
- To attend performance meetings, where appropriate, to represent the service/clinical speciality.
- To be responsible for the implementation of the delegated actions from development plans, including the business plans, through effective communications and briefings to staff.
- Use highly developed communication skills to effectively communicate with colleagues, patients and their relatives/carers to enable the development of internal and external working relationships.
- Use professional judgement to act as an advocate for patients to ensure a patient focused approach to the delivery of care. Support and enable patients and carers to make informed decisions relating to their treatment and management. Escalate any concerns via the nursing / professional structures as required.
- Ensure effective and accurate documentation of patients consultation, examination finding and management plan on system one.
- Ensure that high standards of all documentation are maintained, with accurate, complete and up-to-date information regarding patient care are kept in accordance with Trust standards.
- Communicates sensitive information concerning the patients condition, which requires persuasive and reassuring skills; some patients may have special needs, learning disabilities and therefore communication with the child and parents is key.
- Work with Interpreting services as appropriate where there are difficulties with language and communication.
- Work with other services that provide in and out of hours services including Emergency Department, GPs, Out of Hours GP service and ambulance services.
- Utilise advanced knowledge and skills relating to the speciality to provide specialist advice to other members of the multidisciplinary team on the basis of patient assessment.
- Provide a seamless, high-quality service from referral through to assessment, diagnosis, treatment and review, referring to other specialists as required. Provide guidance to staff, patients and their families and carers on pathway navigation.
- Maintain an awareness of professional and ethical issues to ensure care is delivered in a professional timely and courteous manner by all members of the team, respecting the different spiritual and cultural backgrounds of colleagues, patients and relatives.
- Management of clinical complaints, including face to face contact with patients and families, which may involve difficult conversations that require a non-defensive approach.
- Able to undertake communication with patients and families that may be of a distressing or highly distressing nature.
For more details, please see JD & PS attached to this vacancy
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Purpose:
- To act as a high-level autonomous practitioner and role model, delivering advanced practice and promoting clinical effectiveness and patient centred care.
- The post-holder will be required to work autonomously in delivering independent assessment for the patients on virtual ward.
- The post holder will work closely with all members of the multidisciplinary team and will play an integral role in the operational development of the service. They will promote education and facilitate evidence-based practice taking a lead on clinical audit, research and service development.
- The post holder will also provide expert advice delivering advanced clinical practice, clinical leadership and supervision, support and mentorship for multidisciplinary professionals including other ACPs, junior medical staff and clinical nursing staff of all grades. They will also be responsible for enhancing the quality of the service by providing education and support to all practitioners and acting as a role model.
- The post holder will demonstrate a high level of advanced expertise, specialist knowledge, demonstrate high levels of judgement, discretion and decision making in the delivery of clinical care.
- The post-holder will work collaboratively with a range of multi-disciplinary services to facilitate admission avoidance or early supported discharge.
- The post-holder will be expected to work within the four clinical pillars of advanced practice, clinical practice, facilitating learning, leadership and evidence, research and development. This will be demonstrated within their portfolio.
- The role will be structured around four functions, delivering expert practice, professional leadership/consultancy, education, training and development, service development, research and evaluation.
Main Duties and Responsibilities - Practice as an autonomous professional with confidence and authority using an expert knowledge base, complex decision-making skills and the clinical competencies of specialist, emergency care advanced practice.
- Exercise judgement in assessing wide ranging and complex patient problems and have knowledge and expertise related to investigation and treatment options in order to facilitate informed consent.
- Have direct responsibility for managing own patient caseload, ensuring all patients have agreed management plans that reflect their clinical, physiological and educational needs.
- Have a health promotion and prevention orientation and comprehensively assess patients for risk factors and signs of illness working to overcome potential barriers such as language, cultural or behavioural issues using highly developed negotiation and persuasiveness skills.
- Interpret and analyse highly complex clinical and non-clinical facts to form accurate diagnoses and prognoses for a wide range of conditions to recommend / deliver the best course of intervention including the development of comprehensive packages of care acting as the patients advocate where appropriate.
- Initiate pharmacological interventions, using non-medical prescribing review patients medications ensuring they adhere to Trust guidelines and provide for the safe custody and administration of medications prescribed by others in accordance with Trust policies.
- Accurately request radiological and pathology investigations and make clinical decisions based upon expert interpretation of the results.
- Utilise physical skills including carrying out physical examinations, clinical skills, use of specialist equipment, perform specialist interventions that require dexterity and accuracy such as venepuncture, IV injections, syringe drivers etc. Expert hand/eye coordination to complete clinical procedures.
- Manage patients who are critically unwell or those requiring emergency care thus periods of intense physical effort are required on a regular or as per shift basis.
- Moving and handling of patients and equipment.
- Required to drive across the geography.
- Take responsibility for the discharge planning process for named patients and working in partnership with the patient, their family and the multidisciplinary team, provide specialist advice and support to optimise health outcomes and resource usage.
- Manage an unpredictable, challenging and rapidly changing clinical environment with constantly changing priorities, no upper limit on patient numbers and high levels of physical and mental effort.
- Act sensitively, confidentially and with empathy to communicate highly distressing information to patients and their relatives including the unexpected death of a patient or life threatening illness or injury. Support bereaved families and patients and their relatives following serious trauma or illness.
- Use highly developed communication skills to deliver complex information, negotiate and influence professionals and organisations to improve practices and healthcare delivery.
- Use those skills also in communicating with persons who are distressed, highly emotional, bereaved, or mentally disturbed and in dealing with agitated, aggressive persons and in managing potentially violent situations.
- Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive and controversial information, which may require negotiation with patients and their relatives. This may include issues around adult safeguarding, child protection, sexual abuse / assault, and patients in the custody of the legal system. Ensure safeguarding legislation and Trust policies adhered to in own practice.
- Supervise and where necessary, work in collaboration with nursing, medical and AHP team members, demonstrating expert clinical practice. Ensure own and staff wellbeing taking into account frequent exposure to highly unpleasant working conditions and highly distressing, emotional and traumatic cases.
- Support the line management of staff within the three partnership organisations as required
- Appropriately define the boundaries of own practice, adhering to Trust and regulatory standards or equivalent and refer to senior medical staff when scope of practice is exceeded.
- Maintain accurate, contemporaneous and timely care records
Communication - The post holder is required to utilise a wide range of communication skills and will be required to communicate on complex issues to a wide range of audiences, including director and senior management level, in order to inform and influence decisions.
- To attend performance meetings, where appropriate, to represent the service/clinical speciality.
- To be responsible for the implementation of the delegated actions from development plans, including the business plans, through effective communications and briefings to staff.
- Use highly developed communication skills to effectively communicate with colleagues, patients and their relatives/carers to enable the development of internal and external working relationships.
- Use professional judgement to act as an advocate for patients to ensure a patient focused approach to the delivery of care. Support and enable patients and carers to make informed decisions relating to their treatment and management. Escalate any concerns via the nursing / professional structures as required.
- Ensure effective and accurate documentation of patients consultation, examination finding and management plan on system one.
- Ensure that high standards of all documentation are maintained, with accurate, complete and up-to-date information regarding patient care are kept in accordance with Trust standards.
- Communicates sensitive information concerning the patients condition, which requires persuasive and reassuring skills; some patients may have special needs, learning disabilities and therefore communication with the child and parents is key.
- Work with Interpreting services as appropriate where there are difficulties with language and communication.
- Work with other services that provide in and out of hours services including Emergency Department, GPs, Out of Hours GP service and ambulance services.
- Utilise advanced knowledge and skills relating to the speciality to provide specialist advice to other members of the multidisciplinary team on the basis of patient assessment.
- Provide a seamless, high-quality service from referral through to assessment, diagnosis, treatment and review, referring to other specialists as required. Provide guidance to staff, patients and their families and carers on pathway navigation.
- Maintain an awareness of professional and ethical issues to ensure care is delivered in a professional timely and courteous manner by all members of the team, respecting the different spiritual and cultural backgrounds of colleagues, patients and relatives.
- Management of clinical complaints, including face to face contact with patients and families, which may involve difficult conversations that require a non-defensive approach.
- Able to undertake communication with patients and families that may be of a distressing or highly distressing nature.
For more details, please see JD & PS attached to this vacancy
Person Specification
Qualifications & training
Essential
- Registered with NMC/HCPC
- MSc Advanced Clinical Practice
Experience
Essential
- Recent experience of working at an advanced practice level within Primary, Community or Acute care.
- Extensive experience of advanced assessment, planning, diagnosis and implementation
Other
Essential
- Ability to work across multiple sites, including for supervision purposes.
Person Specification
Qualifications & training
Essential
- Registered with NMC/HCPC
- MSc Advanced Clinical Practice
Experience
Essential
- Recent experience of working at an advanced practice level within Primary, Community or Acute care.
- Extensive experience of advanced assessment, planning, diagnosis and implementation
Other
Essential
- Ability to work across multiple sites, including for supervision purposes.
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).