Detailed job description and main responsibilities

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

To work at a high level of advanced practice, providing clinical expertise

To provide professional leadership and support within a multi-professional team

To cover a 24hr, 7-day service including a combination of long days, nights and weekend shifts.

To act as a senior role model within critical care

To contribute to the development of the ACCP role within Critical Care and the Trust.

To work across organisational departments, policies, and professional boundaries to improve the quality of patient care for critically ill patients.

To enhance continuity of patient care.

To monitor the effectiveness of the role.

To support and mentor future Advanced Critical Care Practitioners.

Understands the professional accountability and legal frameworks for advanced practice.

      COMMUNICATION

Maintain and promote effective communication with teams in all clinical areas and all the multi-disciplinary team and all units, wards and departments.

To promote trust values to all individuals, groups and organisations both internally and externally.

To support the critical care management and leadership team.

Deal with sensitive information and communicating unpleasant news both in a professional and compassionate manner.

Demonstrate skills of motivation and negotiation in an aim to improve quality of patient care.

To be able to give informal and formal presentations and teaching sessions related to learning within a critical care environment.

      CLINICAL AND PATIENT CARE:

To work competently in the role of ACCP, being aware of the boundaries of the role, referring patients appropriately to other healthcare professionals as required.

 To perform advanced physiological assessment of critically ill patients regardless of location (ICU/HDU/Theatres/Recovery/Wards).

To use appropriate clinical decision making to initiate appropriate management/treatment according to agreed protocols and guidelines.

To prescribe in adherence to non-medical local policy & governance structures.

To be an ALS & CALs provider.

To undertake airway management skills, both directly and indirectly supervised within the boundaries of individual skill set.

To Initiate and subsequently management mechanical ventilation, which will include monitoring blood gases and altering ventilator settings to ensure optimal ventilation.

To undertake intra-hospital transfer of the critically ill patient as deemed appropriate and within their limitations.

To undertake and organise the management of patients with tracheostomy in the Intensive Care Unit and ward areas, including initiating and managing tube changes and decannulation.

To perform procedures common to the Critical Care environment including but not limited to peripheral and central venous access, arterial puncture and cannulation, bronchoscopy and transfer of stable level 3 patients.

To work flexibly as a member of the Critical Care Team supporting the critical care MDT.

Recognise and take appropriate actions with regards to critical incidents using appropriate pathways.

To interpret and utilise complex data obtained from effective use of current invasive and non-invasive monitoring equipment initiating appropriate management.

To interpret laboratory and radiological results initiating appropriate management.

To communicate highly complex and sensitive information to patients and relatives.

To present at critical care MDT and handover.

To manage a caseload of discharged patients, follow up patients discharged from critical care, and assist with the critical care Follow-Up Clinic.

      TRAINING AND EDUCATION

To maintain registration, credentialing, and good standing as an ACCP, including continued FICM Membership.

To demonstrate ongoing compliance with the national ACCP FICM Competency Framework, maintaining evidence of competence and scope of practice appropriate to the role.

To participate in regular appraisal, professional development reviews, and job planning, contributing to the identification of individual learning needs and targeted development plans.

To engage in continuing professional development, including maintenance and extension of advanced clinical skills, aligned with service requirements and personal areas of specialist interest.

To contribute to and participate in quality improvement, education, and research activities, supporting the ongoing development of the ACCP workforce and critical care service.

      EDUCATIONAL

To work collaboratively with the ACCP Lead, Critical Care Education Team, and senior clinicians to contribute to the development, delivery, and evaluation of the Critical Care education strategy.

To maintain mandatory and role-specific training relevant to advanced critical care practice (e.g. advanced life support, blood authorisation), in line with local and national requirements.

To plan, deliver, and support formal and informal education and training for critical care staff, including multidisciplinary teaching at bedside, simulation, and classroom-based sessions.

      MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP

Adopt a leadership style that motivates and empowers other healthcare professionals to attain high standards of patient care and professional development.

Foster a supportive working environment, maintain staff morale, and facilitate good and effective communications to the development of a robust team within their area of responsibility, ensuring a workforce fit for purpose.

To act as a role model and promote advanced practice opportunities in the Trust.

Encourages and supervises other members of the critical care team including nurses, allied health professionals and junior members of the medical team to develop their clinical skills, assesses advanced clinical competencies and knowledge.

      CLINICAL GOVERNANCE AND PATIENT SAFETY

Effectively communicate the role of Advanced Critical Care Practitioner with the patient, families, and staff.

Always advocate and prioritise care in the best interest of the patient.

Be responsible for ensuring the agreed programme of work is achieved in the allotted time frame.

Develop and review systems/policies to ensure good communication and team effectiveness.

Be responsible for the deployment of HR policies within their sphere of responsibility.

Implement the recommendation of Improving Working Lives and act on the results of the staff survey.

Ensure the Critical Care Team are kept informed of the progress of the role and provide the opportunities for suggestion and comments to improve the care delivery.

Update patients’ health records and ensure record keeping is timely and accurate at all times ensuring patient confidentiality is maintained.

       POLICY AND SERVICE DEVELOPMENT

Ensure the constant provision of effective, high-quality care to all patients.

To support and work with the multi-disciplinary team in the introduction of clinical changes.

To be actively involved in the development of critical care related protocols and procedures in conjunction with other members of the multidisciplinary team.

Maintain, update and develop personal and professional knowledge and skills, using the performance management, enabling standards of patient care to be constantly monitored and improved.

       RESEARCH/AUDIT

Regularly undertake audit and research within the service.

Identify potential areas for service improvement.

Seek to improve the quality of service through application of best evidence.

Identify areas for improvement in the management of acutely ill patients throughout the organisation.  

Participate in research studies whenever possible and publish outcomes as appropriate.

Monitor the effectiveness of the role by development of appropriate audit measures.