Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will:

• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary, fostering good communication with colleagues of all disciplines.
• Promote effective communication within the team by organising and chairing regular ward team meetings, cascading information, discussing key issues and directing the team where necessary.
• Manage highly complex and contentious information effectively demonstrating excellent communication skills, both orally and in writing.
• Establish rapport and maintain supportive professional relationships with clients and their carers, even when there are barriers to acceptance such as lack of insight or difficulties adjusting to complex life changes; recognising the stress associated with caring, offering and promoting carer’s assessments as required.
• Liaise with statutory and voluntary sector agencies in particularly Care Co-ordinators and Independent Mental Health Advocates, to meet client needs.
•  Provide specialist clinical reports as required eg. MHRT, continuing healthcare applications.
• Ensure record keeping meets the standard required by the NMC, utilising paper-based or IT systems as directed by the Senior Nurse and ensuring information sharing protocols are understood and appropriately explained to clients.
• Be a registered mental health nurse with experience of working in an inpatient setting.
•  Possess a range of clinical experience and specialist knowledge within the relevant area of practice e.g. older persons care, adult mental health, and rehabilitation/recovery.
•  Provide evidence of continuing professional development and post registration education.
• Demonstrate good organisational ability, leadership skills and management experience.
• Demonstrate a good understanding of the legislative and policy framework underpinning mental health service provision e.g. Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, National Service Frameworks, Care Treatment Plan
•  Provide skillful and comprehensive assessment of clients within inpatient mental health service ensuring risk assessment is an integral component of all clinical work.
• Demonstrate ability to present cases to the multi-disciplinary team considering the range of care and treatment options available in line with the current evidence base and making recommendations regarding the appropriate course of action.
• Assess and manage critical/unpredictable situations that arise in the ward.
• Demonstrate good organisational skills and efficient use of resources when preparing a rota, managing annual leave, planning training etc.
• Organise and deploy staff according to competency and workload thus meeting identified patient needs and priorities.
• Ensure the environment is safe for patients, meets the required standard of cleanliness and all equipment is maintained in good working order and checked as necessary.
• Be responsible for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the staff team through the development and implementation of safe working practice.
• Take a lead role in the management of complex cases including development of a care plan which is negotiated with the client, ensuring that the agreed care is delivered and evaluated on a regular basis, support staff in the management of such cases.
• Act up in the absence of the Ward Manager/Team Leader.
• Physical dexterity and fitness to undertake Restricted Physical Intervention training and interventions when required.
• Physical fitness to escort patients inside and outside of the hospital setting.
• Physical dexterity, skills and accuracy to administer oral/intramuscular medication and to monitor physical health using appropriate equipment eg. thermometer, sphygmomanometer, alcometer.
•  Keyboard skills and information technology skills including word processing, email, intranet and internet, power point for communication, correspondence, clinical reports, teaching preparation, clinical literature searches.
•  Create a therapeutic environment for patients promoting a philosophy of user/carer involvement in all aspects of the service.
• Provide leadership and direction to the nursing team, acting as a role model to ensure consistency and continuity in the maintenance of high standards of care.
• Be responsible for their own and the team’s delivery of the Care Treatment Plan, ensuring timely, comprehensive assessments of care needs including risk assessment, patient centred negotiated care planning and recommending evidence based treatment.
• Evaluate the care given systematically, using evidence based practice and review care plans to reflect the changing needs of the individual.
• Provide expert knowledge in the care and treatment of clients experiencing a range of mental health problems relevant to the area of practice.
• Be competent in and provide a range of therapeutic interventions relevant to the area of practice eg. family intervention, medication management, psycho-social interventions.
•  Engage in appropriate clinical supervision to support practice development and offer clinical supervision to others as required.
• Ensure the safe administration of oral/intramuscular medication as prescribed.  Monitoring therapeutic effects and side effects, liaising with the appropriate staff regarding the physical and mental state of the patient.
• Support clients to access appropriate support in relation to state benefits applications and any aspect of housing, employment or educational needs.
• Support the Care Co-ordinator to undertake nursing assessments integral to the overall continuing healthcare assessment process, making recommendations regarding potential specialist placement.
• Ensure the smooth transfer of care to specialist/out of area placements as required.
•  Fully prepare clients for discharge from hospital, ensuring robust planning of after care with community services.
• Identify, develop and implement changes to clinical practice within the clinical area as agreed by the Senior Nurse.
• Act in accordance with the legal requirements and statutory rules relating to practice and all Health Board Policies and Procedures.
• Participate in patient/client surveys and service evaluation in partnership with service users and carers to inform future service and practice development.
• Record unmet need and submit returns as required within the Care Treatment Plan to highlight deficits and so influence future service development
• Participate in policy, practice and service development initiatives as required.
• Be responsible for managing the available staff resource effectively and efficiently.
• Be responsible for ordering essential clinical supplies demonstrating an awareness of efficient resource management.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the resource implications of clinical decision making.
• Use available resources effectively ensuring adherence to financial control procedures.
• Have an overall duty of care in relation to patient cash, property and valuables in the ward area and ensuring the implementation of relevant financial control procedures.
• Be responsible for the day to day management of a team of registered and unregistered staff and students of all disciplines on placement within the service.
•  Take a lead role in the selection and recruitment of the team.
• Participate in the induction of new team members/students offering advice, support and teaching/development opportunities as required.
• Be accountable for the dissemination of Health Board policies and procedures and for monitoring compliance within the team.
• Manage/monitor sickness absence, duty rotas and annual leave, and maintain records to support this activity making information available when requested. 
•  Provide timely, accurate statistical information to demonstrate clinical activity.
• Provide clinical and management supervision to staff members.
• Organise and participate in staff appraisals/KSF reviews, identifying training needs and personal development plans in accordance with organisational objectives.
•  Ensure that staff undergo all mandatory training as required by the Health Board.
• Create accurate, contemporaneous clinical records utilising established systems within clinical teams.
• Be responsible for scrutiny of nursing records as part of effective management supervision, maintaining accurate supervision records to reflect and support this activity.
• Participate in research and clinical multi-disciplinary audit, promoting a positive attitude towards the implementation of evidence-based practice within the team.
• Be guided by clearly defined occupational policies, work is managed rather than supervised.
• Have day to day responsibility for taking charge of the ward in the absence of the ward manager, this will involve the supervision and day to day management of a defined group of staff within the inpatient service.