Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1.            Clinical Responsibilities

- Demonstrate specialist skill and professional knowledge acquired through post-registration academic, clinical, leadership and management development. Work as an excellent role model for professional practice practicing and championing civility within the team at all times.

- Practice in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s Code: Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses and midwives and Trust policies, protocols and guidelines. Is accountable for own practice and for appropriate delegation of care he/she gives to colleagues, nursing support workers and students.

- To support regular and flexible cross county service provision to meet patient and service needs

- Support other registered professionals with the revalidation process.

- Demonstrate expert ability to assess, plan, implement and evaluate patient care, guiding more junior staff to deliver effective, holistic, person-centred care. Display sound analytical and critical thinking ability in complex and rapidly changing situations.

- Maintain an overview of clinic utilisation, clinic space and staffing resource.

- Regular participation and dissemination of information for Link role[s] undertaken ensuring quality and safety initiatives are actively supported and delivered.

- Support student mentorships within the team providing a robust and learning environment.

2.            Professional Development, Education, Training & Research

 
- Promotion/development and maintenance of a culture within the clinical environment, which challenges and questions practice and promotes the quality of thinking amongst practitioners. Assist on the effective induction, mentorship and support of new staff and students.

- Contribute to data collection and audits for Nurse Quality Indicators and the subsequent implementation of action plans.

- Actively participate in Clinical Governance to maintain and improve standards of patient care, safety and quality. Work as a role model in placing the patient’s experience at the core of service delivery. Assist in the monitoring and auditing of quality of care through a range of strategies including incident reporting, complaints and clinical audit. Ensure own actions promote quality and alert others to quality issues

- Main own Revalidation requirements in accordance with NMC guidelines.

3.            Management and Leadership

- Work with fellow band 6 colleagues to ensure that the nursing team works flexibly and supportively together, and that the performance indicators for the area are delivered.

- Ensure that there is effective skill mix and staff management at clinic level.

- Demonstrate excellent personal communication. Establish and maintain effective two-way communication channels with individuals and groups.  Advocate civility of self and others.

- Demonstrate appropriate assertiveness and ability to challenge others when the rights of patients and others may be infringed.

- Demonstrate leadership skills and ability to problem solve. Promote excellent team working and interdisciplinary relationships.

- Allocate work and assess performance of the team members objectively against set criteria/ competencies. Provide clear feedback to team members in a way that is conducive to maintaining and improving performance.

- Contribute on a designated, recurrent basis to act as coordinator for clinics.

- Actively promote robust infection control practices. Assist the department sisters to maintain high standards of cleanliness in the clinical area and for a well-maintained clinical environment.

- Promote interdisciplinary working, with outcomes aimed at the best interest of patients.

- Actively promote diversity, including race diversity.  Assist the department sisters to sustain relationships that promote dignity, rights and responsibilities. Identify and take action to address discrimination and oppression.

- Support the sisters and Senior Sister to ensure the clinical area practices within Data Protection/Confidentiality/Caldicott principles.

 
4.         Communications and Working Relationships

 
- The post holder must have the ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients, relatives and carers either in person, by telephone or in writing.  This may involve receiving and divulging sensitive and/or complex information. The ability to overcome and manage barriers to understanding such as language, impaired hearing, challenging behaviours and learning difficulties.

- The post holder will also need to communicate with colleagues within the service and other staff groups such as nurses, doctors, Allied Health Professionals and administrative staff within the department.  This may include communicating information of a clinical and confidential nature and requires close attention to detail. 

- Foster civility approaches within the team and others when working with external team members.

- Maintain accurate and comprehensive patient records.

- Liaise as necessary with other departments within the Trust, associated external organisations and key individuals, including GPs and Social Services, voluntary organisations and community colleagues to ensure continuity and high-quality patient care.

5.            Physical, Mental & Emotional Effort & Working Conditions

- Clinical activities require highly developed skills. This often involves working in certain restricted positions (e.g. bending and kneeling) where posture cannot be easily changed

- Continuous concentration is necessary to ensure the high level of clinical care required of the post-holder. This may be difficult to maintain in the presence of frequent interruptions from clinical colleagues, requiring advice.

- Occasional exposure to unpleasant working conditions including aggressive patients and those with poor hygiene.

- Occasional movement of heavy equipment or wheelchairs, often within confined spaces.

- Frequent VDU use