Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical responsibilities

1. To work within an extended and expanding role, providing holistic, individualised approach for assessment, diagnosis, planning, and implementation, practicing within agreed guidelines and protocols to deliver high quality patient services.
2. Support with initiating and developing nurse-led services within defined protocols, working closely with primary care, virtual wards and required secondary care teams.
3. Learn to professionally lead and coordinate nurse-led clinics within the speciality, providing expert advice and develop individualised treatment plans, ensuring prescribing is appropriately tailored to an accurate diagnosis.
4. Within the field of expertise, and organisational policy, train to request specific clinical tests to establish a diagnosis or support ongoing management of patients.
5. Co-ordinate with the Emergency Department (ED) to monitor and review frequent service users and provide outpatient reviews for ED attendees and hospital inpatients.
6. To be supported with conducting outpatient clinics for patients with conditions associated with the speciality, to provide education and care.
7. To liaise with primary and secondary care in line with evidenced based best practice standards and national guidelines.
8. Discuss cases with tertiary sites where required, to ensure bespoke care can be provided in hospital and in the community.
9. The post holder will work towards achieving academic requirements based on the designated ARCP, and will be willing to work through specified curriculums or portfolios such as Walsall’s NHS e-portfolio or paper-based Workplace Based Assessments (WPBAs).
10. Ensure that documentation is accurate, contemporaneous and maintained at all times in line with the Trust Documentation Policy. Any medical records made during the patient encounter should be accessible following discharge.
11. To act as a role model for all junior clinicians regarding clinical attributes and interpersonal skills.
12. To train to be a conscientious, confident and competent practitioner who works within their scope of professional practice. To ensure that the clinician adheres to departmental, Trust and professional body guidelines (NMC / HCPC / GPhC).                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Management responsibilities                                                                                                 
13.  Train to practice as an independent professional in a self-directed manner, with confidence, authority and expertise, undertaking a range of clinical procedures with support and supervision by senior clinicians.
14. To develop advanced leadership skills.
15. To undertake staff appraisals annually and ensure all staff have agreed objectives, personal development plans and are compliant with mandatory training.
16. Coordinate and monitor all nursing staff leave i.e. annual leave, sickness, and study where required.
17. Actively be involved with service development within the service or directorate.
18. To undertake audits and produce service reports to disseminate amongst staff to improve patient care.
19. To professionally coordinate a budget where directed, and have awareness of effective use of resources and cost implications demonstrated by optimising staff rotas and effective use of stationery / equipment within the service.
20. Participate in updating and continual assessment of clinical protocols and policies for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients within the service.
21. To be able to prioritise own workload daily with excellent administration skills and coordinate the supporting nursing team.
22. Recognise areas of conflict and professionally manage this to promote a healthy working environment.

Quality initiatives

1. Responsible for ensuring commitment to maintaining a high quality of service to patients by continual development of practice in the light of research evidence and by audit and benchmarking activity against clinically relevant standards.
2. Encourage and embody suggestions and implementation of approved improvements to services and in exercising professional responsibility for both themselves and their peers within an open ‘fair and just culture’.
3. Adhere to Trust’s complaints procedure with regard to written and verbal complaints using appropriate referral mechanisms in order to resolve the situation. Will work with senior clinicians, Matron and PALS Team to highlight particular deficits in relation to complaints.
4. Contribute to, under the direction of senior clinicians, clinical leadership activity through the generation and implementation of policies and practice guidelines developing care plans or pathways where appropriate.
5. As a Trust we are committed to delivering single sex accommodation. You have a responsibility to assist in delivering this whenever you can.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Continued Professional Development (CPD)                                                         
6. To achieve all competencies required for each year of the Trainee CNS programme in line with the relevant Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP).
7. Attend and support all directed teaching sessions in line with the educational needs analysis in the given division.
8. Assist in the assessment and continual professional development of clinical staff using mechanisms such as individual performance reviews to generate a personal development plan in accordance with Trust policies and procedures.
9. As part of the development of personal and professional skills, you will be required to support staff in accordance with Clinical Supervision Policy to undertake clinical supervision as either supervisor/supervisee. This may include involvement in the planning and implementing teaching programmes for nursing, medical and allied health professional staff of all grades within the directorate, when deemed appropriate by allocated senior clinicians / Matron.
10. To be actively involved formative and continuous assessment through own workplace-based assessments where required (DOPS, mini-CEX etc).
11. To assist and hold relevant advanced life support skills (e.g. ILS, ALS, APLS, TNCC, HMIMMS, etc) as required by the relevant ARCP.
12. To develop and maintain a positive learning environment by providing continued support and by ensuring developmental requirements are addressed on an individual or generic basis
13. To complete Continuing Professional Development and revalidation as defined by relevant statutory bodies (NMC / HCPC / GPhC).
14. To engage with allocated educational supervisor/mentor to ensure that Personal Development Plan(s) are suitable and tailored to achieve ARCP competencies.
15. To develop the attributes of a CNS, in terms of specialist theoretical and practical knowledge, expertise of a range of skills and procedures within the directorate, and extensive experience within the area of work.
16. Ensure adherence to Trust and regional child protection policies and attend mandatory training.
17. The trainee must successfully complete all aspects of the relevant Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) in each year of training, culminating in the completion of the training pathway and final sign-off by the ARCP panel to become a Qualified Clinical Nurse Specialist. Failure to do so may result in redeployment to other roles or role termination.