Detailed job description and main responsibilities

•    Develops and maintains effective working relationships with a wide range of colleagues across all levels from other disciplines, both within and outside the trust.
•    Promotes and maintains positive and effective links of communication with patients, their carers and visitors to the Trust. 
•    Ensure systems are in place to support good communication written and verbal, with colleagues and other members of multi-disciplinary team.

Planning and organisation
•    Identify the needs for nursing care presented by each individual client under your direct care. 
•    Plan, develop and evaluate individual nursing needs using evidence – based practice, maintaining dignity and showing compassion for each patient. 
•    Record the nursing care given, evaluating its outcome in terms of achievement of the objectives, modifying care documentation accordingly and become involved in audit / quality setting work of the department. 
•    To carry the co-ordinator phone and respond accordingly to the needs of the service, often changing planned activities

Physical skills
•    Ability to communicate effectively with patients/clients, carers, specialist services and colleagues across all levels.

Policy and service development
•    To ensure all Trust procedures and policies are strictly adhered to ensuring patients and staff welfare is paramount.
•    To assist in the continuous improvement of the quality of care for patients and their families through the implementation of clinical governance activities, ensuring: 
•    Clinically effective and research-based practices are implemented. 
•    Audits are undertaken and actions taken to make improvements 
•    Clinical and non-clinical risks are identified and managed 
•    Patients are given opportunity to give feedback on their experiences, are involved in planning and monitoring services and are provided with information 
•    Information is used effectively to improve processes and practices
•    To assist in monitoring standards within the department, to include generic standards of care and infection control. Instigating any changes to make improvements as necessary.
•    To ensure the health and safety of patients, families and colleagues always.

Finance, equipment and other resources
•    Demonstrate an awareness of financial resources, training staff in the use of equipment and materials and monitoring staff performance in this respect. i.e. cost implications, availability and efficient use of stock / equipment to ensure effective patient care. 
•    To ensure equipment is maintained routinely and safely. 
•    To assist in the management of the unit budget, ensuring that income and expenditure balance are achieved.

People management and training
•    Take charge of the ward in the absence of more senior staff.
•    To work collaboratively with other departments to ensure effective deployment of staff within the ISU and trust wide when necessary 
•    To ensure equipment is maintained routinely and safely 
•    To delegate staff, where necessary, in an appropriate manner in order to assess plan and implement and monitor care of patient 
•    Assist in the prevention of complaints through effective communication with patients and families. 
•    Assist in the investigation of complaints of care.

Information technology and administrative duties
•    To ensure Information Governance is adhered to in all aspects of your work 
•    Ability to use computer programmes, to include PAS, IHCS, infoflex, Allocate, PACS etc

Freedom to act 
•    Act at all times in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct. 
•    To keep up to date with clinical, professional, managerial developments and relevant NHS initiatives
•     To maintain and improve specialist knowledge and expertise in current developments and future trends in relation to nursing practice and management. 
•    To maintain current registration with the NMC and comply with standards set by them. 
•    Act as a team leader to ensure the optimum application of the knowledge / skills of each member of staff in providing the care planned for each patient. 
•    Demonstrate a high standard of clinical practice ensuring personal professional development. Maintain an awareness of research findings and developments in professional practice as required in accordance with prep. 
•    Give intravenous medication. 
•    Undertake clinical packages for unit, venepuncture, cannulation, ECG monitoring etc
•    Provide support and advice to clients and relatives when faced with distressing situations.