Detailed job description and main responsibilities

At the Trust, there are opportunities to develop your nursing skills at whatever stage you may be; whether this be as a newly qualified nurse wanting to build a solid foundation of knowledge within inpatient mental health care, or for those at a later stage in their career looking for new learning opportunities and challenges. We strive to recruit a variety of nurses from different fields to ensure holistic care is delivered, this includes mental health nurses, learning disability nurses and paediatric nurses.

Reflection within and on practice is an essential part of development, both within groups and on an individual basis. Highfield Unit has a structured weekly timetable of reflective spaces to ensure everyone has access to support and supervision to enhance their abilities.  

Providing consistent and robust round the clock inpatient care is vital.

• Engage proactively with young persons and their families/carers/significant others to build positive working relationships.
• Make a systematic and comprehensive assessment/ re-assessment of patient need within the CPA framework to take account of all aspects of the young persons life, including;

o   Individual history

o   Strengths, individual goals and resources

o   Mental state, signs and symptoms

o   Health and social care needs including factors relating to the impact of culture, race, gender, social class and lifestyle

o   Risk assessment

o   Functional needs

o   Family needs

o   Complex needs such as substance use

o   Participation in Mental Health Act (1983) Assessments

·       Develop effective risk management plans, and timely review of the risk management plan identifying opportunities for positive risk taking in conjunction with the patient, carers/significant others and the ward team.

·       Actively engages with the Care Coordinator under CPA to identify appropriate resources to support the young persons care package within the hospital setting and within their local home environment including;

o   Housing

o   Social welfare and income

o   Leisure

o   Education

• Contribute towards supporting family members and carers to be as involved as required in the care of the young person
• Demonstrate knowledge of medication effects, side-effects, indications, contraindications and recommended dosage
• To demonstrate competency in physical aspects of physical monitoring (e.g. blood pressure, blood glucose level etc)
• Work with young persons with concordance issues and promote patient choice
• Actively engage young persons and carers with the PALS or Advocacy  service where appropriate
• Co-ordinate and implement plans of care during the young persons journey through the inpatient environment and demonstrate clear written communication to support such plans
• Work with young persons and their families/carers/significant others on symptom management and relapse prevention
• Evaluate plans of care in collaboration with the patient as an ongoing process and able to make recommendations for changes in the care package
• To model healthy eating behaviours for all young people
• Work to develop effective multidisciplinary relationships through skilled communication with the ward and community teams
• To convey clearly, accurately and concisely patient information to colleagues in team meetings, ward rounds, handovers and all other verbal communications
• Following support and training to be involved in co-facilitating groups on the unit; there is a wide range available including DBT informed skills, psychodynamic groups and be involved in the development of other unit groups.
• To work alongside the multi disciplinary team collaborating with the young person and their family or carers to develop Positive Behaviour Support plans.