Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Roles and responsibilities 

Clinical:  

•  To develop further in the area of clinical expertise. 
•  To be up to date on clinical practice and implement and change practice of self and others as appropriate. 
• To be an expert in the designated basic clinical skill set and to teach, inform and coach others as appropriate.  

• To positively contribute to research and audit initiatives   
• To ensure patients undergoing procedure for the cardiac catheter lab are prepared as per protocol in a timely manner.

• To facilitate and organize occasional transfer to other tertiary hospital, on the North West London Area, for patients needing complex invasive cardiology interventions and procedures.  

• To manage the flow of patients within the clinical area taking into  consideration levels of care and patient acuity 

• Always adhere to infection control policies and procedure and be able to challenge staff not following IPC guidelines 

Leadership:  

• To  co-ordinate the Cardiology unit on a regular and on-going basis. 
• To support less experienced staff to set priorities and support them to flourish their clinical skills and experience. 
• To take a lead in specific areas of delegated responsibility within the ward team (clinical & non-clinical). 
• To assist Team Leaders in the development of others and deputises  appropriate.  
• To supervise temporary / bank staff.  
• To act as a mentor for Band 5 nurses and nursing students (as sign-off mentor)  

• To empower others to make decisions. 

• To be able to challenge poor practice and support staff to follow protocols and procedures.

Educational 

• To contribute towards staff development within cardiology by means of teaching in the classroom and in the clinical setting. 
• To contribute towards the knowledge of other healthcare professionals within primary and secondary care through teaching and presentations. 
• To develop and maintain own clinical skills and expertise by attending relevant study days/ conferences where appropriate. 
• To participate in the orientation of new staff and students. 

Professional 

• To act in accordance with the NMC Code of Conduct 
• To exercise sensitivity and diplomacy regarding role boundaries with other healthcare professionals across the Acute Trust and local Primary Care Trust 
• To engage in personal clinical supervision 
• To participate in own annual appraisal with regular review with line manager, identifying own development needs and appropriate learning that relate the role. 

 Audit and Research 

• To facilitate and participate in the collection of audit data and outcome measures to demonstrate effectiveness of the service provided, and to highlight areas for further development 
• To participate in local and Trust audits such as Infection Control Audit and other Quality Improvement Audits 
• To present results of audit to the Trust and cardiac directorate 
• To obtain, evaluate and implementation findings from research and other information to facilitate best practice.

 Communication 

• Ensure all communication, which may be complex, contentious or sensitive, is undertaken in a responsive and inclusive manner, focusing on improvement and ways to move forward.  
• Ensure all communication is presented appropriately to the different recipients, according to levels of understanding, type of communication being imparted and possible barriers such as language, culture, understanding or physical or mental health conditions.  

This job description may be subject to change according to the varying needs of the service. Such changes will be made after discussion between the post holder and his/her manager.  

 All duties must be carried out under supervision or within Trust policy and procedure. You must never undertake any duties that are outside your area of skill or knowledge level. If you are unsure you must seek clarification from a more senior member of staff.