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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Clinical Practice

• To provide the delivery of an advanced specialist nursing service for people with specialist needs.
• To provide highly specialist nursing advice and support of patients and families and other healthcare professionals following diagnosis and through treatment.
• To ensure continuity of a high standard of evidence based nursing care, assessing health, health related and nursing needs of patients, their families and other carers by identifying and initiating appropriate steps for effective care. This can include:
  • Managing a caseload
  • Ordering diagnostic tests
  • Making and receiving referrals
  • Admitting and discharging patients for specified conditions and within agreed protocols.
  • Running clinics
• To accept responsibility for own caseload, ensuring all patients have an accurate plan of care, which reflects the assessment undertaken and incorporates the issues and recommendations made using clear documentation in the patients records and hand-held records.
• To be actively involved in in-patient care, liaising with the ward staff to ensure a high quality of nursing care.
• To attend outpatients, ensuring nurse consultation with all newly diagnosed patients.
• To follow-up patients as appropriate and ensure all relevant information is available to enable patients/carers to make an informed choice about their treatment
• To attend and co-ordinate MDT meetings ensuring all patients are represented
• To deliver a seamless service through the development of enhanced Multidisciplinary team (MDT) processes and communication
• To participate in the identification and development of clinical protocols and strategies to enhance both the continuity and standard of specialist care whilst ensuring equity of access to the service
• To contribute in the process of operational policies review annually in accordance with national standards.
• To ensure all care is given in accordance with agreed protocols.
• To work with key staff members to maintain nurse led follow-up services. Providing detailed baseline patient assessment and education and support to patients and their families.
• To liaise with the discharge coordinator and ward staff to ensure appropriate and timely discharge/follow-up arrangement in place for patients
• To maintain a suitable mechanism for MDT referrals to the Clinical Nurse Specialists
• To work with the MDT to develop, implement and evaluate integrated care pathways and systems of MDT documentation
• To liaise with local community, social services, educational services and voluntary organisations in order to develop existing services for clients, carers and health professional
• To actively involve service users in providing feedback of their experience of the current service and suggestions for improvements.
• To participate in the development of appropriate patient group directives to facilitate/enhance the discharge process
• To participate in relevant fora at Care Group, Trust or PCG/PCT Level to represent the specialist service or generic child health perspective
• To be aware of the Trust’s Safeguarding children policies and procedures and demonstrate ability to effectively raise concerns and work with other agencies to protect children
• To set up and co-ordinate shared care management of patients

Education and Research

• To ensure all patients are fully informed of the risks and benefits of proposed procedures / treatments, contributing to the process of securing informed consent
• To produce and provide all patients with relevant and accessible written information regarding their treatment in accordance with Trust standard
• To develop information for clients, carers and health professionals about all aspects of specialist care
• To develop and update as appropriate, information and educational literature to assist parents / carers making informed choices as to their child’s treatment plan and continuing management
• To develop and participate in programmes of education to enhance the nursing contribution and quality of care to patients across the trust, nationally and internationally
• To supervise and participate in the delivery of programmes of education and training according to the identified needs of clients, carers and other involved in their care
• To work with other clinical staff to identify knowledge gaps in relation to specialist patients and ensure staff are appropriately educated
• To contribute to the development of nursing practice within the team. Additionally, where appropriate, to act as a practice supervisor to Trust and honorary contract employees.
• To actively participate in educational events provided by the Trust and primary care sector.
• To attend meetings and conferences as appropriate ensuring that you are fully conversant with current issues both within the Trust and within the specialist services locally and nationally.
• To promote and facilitate evidence based practice and clinical audit within the Trust, raising the profile and enhancing the contribution of nursing to patient care and informing business and service development plans.
• To participate in and assist with any appropriate/relevant Trust approved research projects conducted within the department.
• To identify, apply and disseminate research findings relating to specialist nursing practice
• To promote nursing research and evidenced based practice relevant to the speciality

Management

• To liaise effectively with all other disciplines within the Trust and at local level.
• To participate in the management of change to improve standards and communication links from Acute Trusts through to Primary Care.
• To actively contribute to any relevant initiatives within the care group and provide support to colleagues and Heads of Nursing.
• To contribute positively to the leadership of nursing within the care group acting as an effective role model.
• To comply with measures to actively manage and reduce risk to patients. Ensuring the formal reporting and recording of adverse incidents in line with Trust policy
• Network with the team of clinical nurse specialists within the Trust to evaluate, develop and promote the specialist-nursing role
• To utilise and maintain information systems to aid audit and to provide regular activity analysis reports
• Maintain contemporaneous and accurate treatment records, submitting relevant statistics, reports and activity data as requested. To participate in the evaluation of the service in terms of clinical effectiveness, clinical excellence and value for money
• To ensure the best use of available resources is used within agreed budget to provide a cost effective service.
• To forge effective links within primary, secondary and tertiary care to ensure effective communication
• To develop policies and protocols to improve patient care
• Ensures compliance with the Trust's Equality and Diversity Policy, supporting the delivery of the Trusts Race Equality Scheme and the Trust's duty to positively promote race equality and equality of opportunity for disabled people ensuring services are responsive to the needs of equality groups

Personal Professional Development

• To achieve a range of clinical competencies as required within the Trust and Care Group
• To keep up-to-date with current literature and research in the speciality.
• To maintain your own personal and professional development in accordance with PREP/Revalidation requirements, attending mandatory study sessions as required
• To undergo and actively participate in your own performance appraisals
• To keep up to date with NMC & Trust guidelines and protocols
• To adhere to the NMC Code of Professional conduct working within and accepting responsibility for maintaining agreed levels of competence

General

• The post holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety and well being and that of work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with this post.
• To observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.
• To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
• To be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.
• This job description is intended as a guide to the general scope of duties and is not intended to be definitive or restrictive. It is expected that some of the duties will change over time and this description will be subject to review in consultation with the post holder.
• All employees must hold an 'nhs.net' email account which will be the Trust's formal route for email communication.  You are therefore required to check this regularly and to deal with such communication promptly.

Infection Control Statement

The post holder has an important responsibility for and contribution to make to infection control and must be familiar with the infection control and hygiene requirements of this role.

These requirements are set out in the National Code of Practice on Infection Control and in local policies and procedures which will be made clear during your induction and subsequent refresher training.  These standards must be strictly complied with at all times.