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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Main Duties

• Delivery of patient care to the standards of the NMC, the Trust, and the Operating Department. To monitor and evaluate standards of care in conjunction with senior staff.
• Age appropriate communication with patients.
• Effective and professional communication with own team members, clinicians, family members and other carers in a multicultural environment.
• Able to lead a small team for a limited period of time.
• Co-ordinate the activities of team members to provide effective and efficient patient care.
• Achieves co-operative working between own and other Service Management Teams.
• Shares specialist knowledge with junior members of staff and nursing students, to be prepared and able to accept the role of preceptor / mentor.
• Takes steps to solve problems identified during patient care, and calls for expert help as necessary.
• Assists the department in efficient resource utilisation.
• Maintains confidentiality of patient data at all times.
• Maintains personal contact with patients, relatives and visitors – being sensitive to their needs for courtesy, dignity and privacy and ensuring a friendly environment at all times.
• Reports risks to both patients and staff using the appropriate format.
• Assists in the completion of risk assessments relevant to own area of work.
• Participates in clinical audits and suggests new ways of working for the improvement of the team.
• Is personally accountable for attending statutory and mandatory training.

Clinical and professional

• Autonomously work in partnership with individuals, families and carers, managing a caseload of patients delivering individualised and personalised direct patient care.
• Ensure patients receive a high quality of evidence-based care
• Assess and recognise a deteriorating patient and take appropriate action in a timely manner
• Maintain a full and accurate records of patient assessment within the patient’s records
• Maintain a supportive relationship with patient and their family from admission to discharge, ensuring that they are supported in making informed decisions relating to their treatment and management
• Timely and effective assessment and intervention for pain management 
• Facilitate patients in their own recovery, ensuring that they are appropriately prepared for discharge, providing post-operative discharge advice
• Ensure that nursing care is patient focused and that patient dignity and privacy are maintained at all times
• Ensure due regard is given to the customs, values and spiritual beliefs of patients and colleagues and that equal opportunities are practiced.
• Ensures that all clinical and legal nursing documents are completed accurately and legibly, in line with the NMC standards
• Ensure that prescribed medications are safely administered and to monitor, report and investigate all medication errors
• Ensure competency in use and safe maintenance of all medical devices within the sphere of responsibility
• Reports all incidents and near misses promptly and appropriately, investigates and implements remedial action to reduce the risk in the future
• Promote a professional image at all times and be accountable for own clinical practice

Leadership and management

• To work in partnership with the wider multi-disciplinary team to ensure the delivery of an individualised plan of care and enhance the patient experience.

Education and training

• Maintain own mandatory training requirements, and monitor those of the ward team
• Maintain own professional and personal development as agreed in appraisal
• Participate in Student Nurse Education and assessment in accordance with the university requirements
• Maintain personal records of continuing professional development in order to meet NMC Revalidation requirements.

Audit and Research

• Promote evidence-based practice.
• Participate in the Clinical Governance and Audit programmes 

General

• To act in accordance with relevant professional body professional standards and to be accountable for own clinical practice and professional actions at all times
• To ensure confidentiality at all times, only releasing confidential information obtained during the course of employment to those acting in an official capacity
• Ensure continued and effective registration with the professional body
• To work in accordance with the Trust’s Equal Opportunities policy to eliminate unlawful discrimination in relation to employment and service delivery
• To ensure skills are up-to-date and relevant to the role, to follow relevant Trust policies and professional codes and to maintain registration where this is a requirement of the role
• To undertake such duties as may be required from time to time as are consistent with the responsibilities of the grade and the needs of the service