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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical responsibilities

Ensure that the agreed standards of care are maintained at optimum level, informing the unit manager of any concerns.

Assist with the organisation of the reception and discharge of patients, ensuring that they receive safe and competent care during the immediate and post-operative period.

Act as a resource/advisor to junior healthcare practitioners and medical staff in the delivery of research based programmes of care, ensuring the appropriate assessment, planning and evaluation.

To ensure that all patient documentation is completed and kept up-to-date, and that care plans provide an accurate progress record and response to treatment.

Deals with accidents and incidents involving patients, staff relatives and visitors. Completes statements and incident forms and reports such incidents and accidents appropriately and in a timely manner.

Participates in the Quality Assurance tool within the Critical Care Directorate.

Provide skilled high quality Peri-operative care to all patient groups.

Ensure that all patients are safe to be transferred back to ward areas, in accordance with the recovery area protocol.

Provide skilled high quality assistance to the anaesthetist.

To adhere to the NMC / HCPC Code of Professional Conduct at all times

To demonstrate clinical expertise in the care of any patients receiving treatment in the department.

To assess, plan, implement and evaluate the needs of patients on an ongoing basis, co-ordinating the care given by all members of the clinical team.

To accurately assimilate and interpret clinical information about the patients’ condition, instigate appropriate remedial action and promptly report changes

To act as a resource person to others, providing accurate information, advice and support to the multidisciplinary team, patients and their relatives.

To ensure that accurate records are maintained reflecting both changes in the patient’s condition and the treatment delivered.

To ensure that patients and their relatives are updated regularly with accurate information, and ensure that this is presented in a sensitive way and one that they understand.

To ensure that Clinical Guidelines are implemented and to be actively involved in auditing practice in conjunction with Line Manager and practice development staff.

To ensure that practice is evidence based and with support assist in the development of policies and protocols within the clinical area.

To uphold high standards of perioperative care, according to existing policies and standards.

To support the process of continuous quality improvement, assisting in audits etc to formally evaluate standards of care and assist in the implementation of changes in the light of such findings.

To organise patient transfers both within and outside the department, escorting ill patients as requested.

To contribute to the health education of patients and their families, ensuring that all patients receive appropriate advice and support to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

To actively support the implementation of the Trust nursing / local

To Actively support the Perioperative strategy and uphold the ethos of the local philosophy.

Performing clinical work, pertaining to post holders professional boundaries and clinincal skills within other Dartford & Gravesham NHS Trust theatre units as required.

Managerial responsibilities:

To assist the Senior Nurse in co-ordinating the provision of care and ensuring that there is effective communication between the multidisciplinary team.

Ensure adequate levels of staffing in the recovery area, ensuring that there is a balanced cover to meet the patients’ needs and acceptable safety levels.  Informing senior managers, if staffing levels or skills  cannot maintain safe patient care.

To manage a high dependency bed when required providing skilled support to anaesthetic and nursing / ODP colleagues.

Exercise leadership and acts as a role model at all times within the unit maintaining a suitable environment for a happy Unit team.

Discuss present performance and future development with the unit’s manager, using Individual Performance Review in accordance with Nursing Policy.

Actively participate in undertaking Performance Development Review of junior staff within the team.

To manage the clinical workload effectively, ensuring care is prioritised appropriately.

To contribute positively towards the delivery of a cost effective service, adjusting staffing levels to meet demand and assisting the clinical co-ordinators to keep within agreed resources.

To assist with the ongoing organisation of the unit, including responsibility for a designated area of practice within department on a daily basis, to ensure optimal theatre utilisation at all times, facilitating timely admission and discharge of patients.

To act as a team leader to an identified group of staff, monitoring and documenting the development of their clinical skills.

To develop own skills in recruitment and retention, sickness management and performance management as determined by line manager.  

To actively support the process of risk management and health & safety – upholding relevant policies to promote this and ensuring incidents are reported appropriately (in writing) and helping identify ways of preventing errors and accidents to both patients and staff.

To make a positive contribution to service development affecting the clinical area and positively influence other to adapt to change.

To actively promote customer care, assisting in resolving local (informal) complaints and supporting the clinical co-ordinators to investigate formal problems.

To assist with the monitoring of stock levels of clinical stores and technical equipment, resolving any shortfall as appropriate.

To maintain standards of hygiene and cleanliness within the clinical area, action remedy as appropriate and reporting deficits to Senior Nurse and/ or Theatre Co-ordinator/Matron and Service Manager as appropriate.

To communicate varied and complicated information (verbally and in writing) in a way that is understood and gets the important facts across.

To resolve local problems/ conflicts, keeping managers/others informed and maintaining positive team dynamics across the Division at all times.

To take a leadership role in crisis situations, resolving problems as necessary.

To maintain confidentiality with regard to personal information pertaining to staff.

To attend and contribute to departmental meetings as required.

Professional responsibilities:

Assist the manager in ensuring that staff are professionally competent in the performance of their duties and that they receive relevant training and are assessed before being asked to perform duties beyond their training.

Assist in maintaining custody of controlled drugs by ordering, checking and administering. Also, ensuring that the staff are instructed in their safe handling and administration as stated in the Trust’s Drug Policy.

Is guided by advisory documents issued by the NMC, e.g. Code of Professional Conduct, Confidentiality, Administration of Medicines, Exercising Accountability, Scope of Professional Practice.

Please also see attached job description.