Senior Registered Nurse - Living Well

Job description

Job responsibilities

POST: Senior Registered Nurse Living Well

ACCOUNTABLE TO: Living Well Team Lead

Job Purpose and Summary:

To work as a proactive member of the Phyllis Tuckwell (PT) multidisciplinary Living Well team. This requires working with patients, families and carers known to PT both in the Community in their usual place of residence which includes home or care home, and as outpatients.

The role involves holistic assessment, identification of patient needs, decision making and care planning alongside other MDT colleagues at PT and community partners. It involves strong assessment skills, implementation of a management plan and evaluation to ensure that responsive high-quality, nursing care and support is available for patients, their families, and carers.

The role requires, symptom management, communication and psychological skills, medication management and administration, organisational, leadership and people management skills. Patient safety and practice development are also essential elements of the role.

The role involves:

• Providing a face-to-face service of planned visits to people with palliative care needs.
• Proactive planning through patient centred palliative rehabilitation to maximise quality of life while providing support to live as fully as possible.
• Timely identification of condition changes and deterioration, ensuring escalation and proactive management of symptoms and changing needs.
• Caseload management in the community and support in outpatient and group settings for both patient and carers.
• Working with colleagues to ensure the process of receiving and responding to referrals, to professional and patient enquiries, workload prioritisation, and timely response to clinical need.
• Leadership of junior nurses and rehabilitation assistants within the Living Well team.

Where appropriate, the role will be required to work across services including the inpatient unit, in response to patient needs.

Responsibilities:

1.0 Clinical

a. To assess, plan, co-ordinate, implement and evaluate palliative care interventions based on an agreed plan of care that supports quality and timely care delivered to the patient and family or carer.

b. To be proactive in response to referrals and patient needs.

c. To ensure that care is centred around the person, family and their carer and that effectiveness, clinical safety and a joint approach with community nursing colleagues underpins PT practice.

d. To work with the Team Lead to co-ordinate an effective nursing service ensuring the highest standards of nursing care are provided to patients, families and carers.

e. To undertake face to face and telephone holistic assessments to assess patient need and arrange appropriate follow up and interventions, in accordance with identified needs and the role of other health care professionals.

f. To act as a resource and support to palliative care colleagues through giving advice, information, support, and education.

g. To work alongside PT multi-professional team to ensure high standards are maintained and constantly re-evaluated to provide high quality individualised care.

h. To liaise with other healthcare professionals to ensure effective continuity of care irrespective of the care setting.

i. To manage caseload of patients under the supervision and direction of the team lead, ensuring patient safety and the principles of clinical governance are at the centre of all care.

j. To provide optimal symptom management, psychological and emotional support to patients, their families, and carers.

k. To assess the patients changing needs, liaising with other PT specialists or external partners to support patient or family needs as appropriate, for end of life care at home, or in the In-Patient Unit.

l. To take on, where appropriate, responsibilities for a specific clinical area, proactively seeking to improve knowledge and practice in the specified area and disseminating best practice.

m. To work with colleagues to assess their clinical competencies as appropriate, providing training and support.

n. To attend and contribute to clinical multidisciplinary meetings.

2.0 Professional

a. To contribute to team cohesion, through ongoing supportive relationships and consideration of colleagues.

b. To make autonomous decisions whilst acting the patients best interests, and also recognise own limitations.

c. To work in accordance with NMC Code of Practice.

d. To represent Phyllis Tuckwell in the general public arena, and occasionally give educational talks ensuring that the reputation of PT is maintained and enhanced.

e. To ensure patient records are properly maintained in accordance with NMC guidelines and PT policies.

f. To develop an area of expertise and act as a resource for the multi-professional PT team.

g. To participate in, and contribute to, inter-hospice meetings.

h. To maintain professional links with other health and social care agencies.

i. To identify and work to mitigate risks, and report accidents or incidents in a timely way, ensuring appropriate action and the optimum safety and wellbeing of patients, their families and colleagues

j. To understand and adhere to the PT Medicine Management Policy and Procedures in relation to the correct handling, usage, and administration of all medicines.

k. To provide integrated clinical support to the relevant clinical teams within PT and to external health care colleagues.

3.0 Managerial

a. To be familiar with guidelines and regulations relevant to the role and care setting, particularly those relating to clinical and information governance, health and safety at work, and ensure they are met.

b. To take responsibility for ensuring that individual clinical supervision is accessed.

c. To ensure a safe working environment is maintained, in accordance with the PT Fire, and Health and Safety Policies.

d. To report any feedback, concerns and complaints from patients, their relatives or other advocates to the service lead/manager.

e. To adhere the PT Lone Working Policy and Procedure when working in the community.

f. To undertake 1:1 meetings with staff as delegated by the service manager and or annual appraisals, support and buddy new staff during their induction, and report any concerns as appropriate.

4.0 Training and Development

a) Team

a. To provide clinical and personal support to the other members of the team, thereby promoting and maintaining effective relationships and team working.

b. To support a team approach through being proactive and positive.

b) Personal

a. To identify, develop and maintain own knowledge and skills through continual professional development, discussion with an assessor, and through PT Annual Appraisal Process

b. To maintain a dynamic interest in all professional matters associated with palliative care and management, with a particular interest in current research and development if they relate to nursing practices.

5.0 Research

a. To participate in research and audit within PT participating where appropriate.

b. To take responsibility for specific audits ensuring audits are completed in a timely manner, results communicated to the team, and actions put in place for ongoing improvements in practice.

c. To ensure evidence-based practice.

6.0 Safeguarding, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Role holders are required to understand their responsibilities in the safeguarding context, ensuring that Phyllis Tuckwell reduces the risk of harm or abuse of adults and children at risk.

You are required to:

• adhere to Phyllis Tuckwells Safeguarding Policy (held on the NEST), which supports the local authoritys multi agency safeguarding policy, the law (Care Act 2014) and Mental Capacity Act 2005 (including Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards).
• inform the appropriate PT professional where there is concern that an adult or child may be at risk of harm, abuse, or neglect.

Phyllis Tuckwell is committed to an Equal Opportunities approach, valuing, and respecting everyone as individuals, with diverse opinions, cultures, lifestyles, and circumstances.

This job description is underpinned by Phyllis Tuckwells philosophy, culture, and core values, which actively embrace diversity and inclusion and promotes total team spirit.

This job description is current and subject to yearly review in consultation with the jobholder. It is liable to reflect and anticipate necessary changes to support the PT strategy.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse
• Current NMC registration in adult or general nursing
• Educated to diploma/degree level or equivalent.
• Has Essentials in Palliative Care Course and or palliative care module at degree level, / or is willing to undertake.
• Evidence of relevant continuous professional development
• Mentorship qualification/Practice Assessor

Other

Essential

• Motivated and Enthusiastic
• Flexible
• Confident decision maker
• Computer literate - Microsoft office and other applications
• Awareness of resources and ability to operate within these / parameters

Experience

Essential

• Has a range of relevant post registration nursing experience (transferable skills)
• Palliative Care / Oncology / Chronic disease experience / Community
• Insight and experience into the complexities of care in the community or inpatient care
• Can demonstrate relevant competencies and an ability to make autonomous decisions and evidence of leading on specific areas of practice.

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Excellent clinical and assessment skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• High self-awareness and coping strategies
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to work on own/under the guidance of colleague.
• Sound knowledge of current issues in nursing, developments
• Ability to work within a multidisciplinary team
• Good prioritisation, organisational and time management skills
• Caseload management
• Good understanding of palliative care and symptom management
• Ability to teach / assist the learning of others
• Knowledge of clinical governance

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

Phyllis Tuckwell Memorial Hospice Ltd

Address

Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice

Crosby Way

Farnham

Surrey

GU9 7XG

Employer's website

https://www.pth.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)