Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To provide effective clinical leadership within the Urgent Response Team, enabling the service to deliver to the highest possible care standards, ensuring that evidence-based practice is used. To act as a role model and exercise good leadership.

Providing highly skilled nursing assessment, intervention and advice to clients and carers. Communicating with members of the multi-disciplinary team to maintain high standards of care

To work as an accountable and autonomous professional responsible for the diagnosis, advanced assessment and treatment of community dwelling clients who are experiencing a sudden health crisis, who may have additional complex multiple pathology and or social circumstances, including Palliative and End of Life Care.

The post holder will guide and support junior staff and students in the organisation of their work, providing clinical advice and specialist expertise.

To deputise for the Professional Lead on an equitable basis with other senior nurses as needed

To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including the management of their work, ensuring a high standard of clinical care.

To undertake a comprehensive assessment of clients with a wide variety of complex conditions using advanced investigative and analytical skills of clinical and non-clinical information to form accurate diagnosis and prognosis

To formulate individualised treatment plans, using sound clinical reasoning skills and utilising a wide range of evidence-based treatments to formulate a specialised programme of care which is client led and goal orientated.

To assess competency for and delegate appropriate tasks to other team members, carers and their families

To have clinical responsibility for dealing with unplanned and unpredictable urgent referrals for clients living in the community

To demonstrate ongoing evaluation of nursing interventions with the client and respond accordingly

To carry out treatment plans for other professionals in their absence under delegation and within your competency.

To work innovatively to address the challenges posed by providing treatment in a variety of community settings.

To undertake specialist-nursing interventions, which require accuracy and precision, some of which will be invasive.

To demonstrate highly developed knowledge and skills in the health surveillance of acutely ill community-based clients.

To take an active lead in advising and teaching health education and health promotion to clients, other professionals, families and carers.

To assess for and provide equipment in accordance with ICES (Integrated Community Equipment Store) guidelines

To regularly work unsupervised and alone in clients’ homes

To immediately report to the Professional Lead any variance to the clients care pathway and document in accordance with the agreed procedure.

To identify urgent need for, and initiate an emergency response, giving appropriate first aid as necessary within own capabilities.

To work at all times strictly within the Trust’s Infection Control Guidelines. To ensure that therapy / treatment / care does not constitute a risk of infection either to the health professional, the patient / client or to visitors, and to report any situation that compromises the safety of staff, clients / patients or visitors with regard to risk of infection.

To communicate effectively with clients and carers to maximise rehabilitation potential, using a wide range of verbal and non-verbal communication skills

To gain valid consent to intervention where possible in accordance with the legal framework and consent policy. To identify and report concerns where clients may lack capacity.

To liaise and effectively communicate assessment and rehabilitation outcomes with other multi- disciplinary teams, voluntary agencies and health and social care professionals in accordance with South Warwickshire Foundation Trust information sharing guidelines. This communication will include verbal, report or letter format and include case conferences and multidisciplinary team meetings

To maintain accurate, comprehensive, contemporaneous documentation and maintain confidentiality in accordance with local intermediate care protocols, South Warwickshire Foundation Trust records policy and national professional standards

Under the direction of the Professional Lead assist in the delivery of training/clinical education for staff and students, including: peer clinical supervision, interdisciplinary reflection, individual clinical supervision of junior staff, the training and support of NVQ candidates including writing expert witness statements and annual appraisal of specific junior staff.

To attend professional meetings and study days appropriate to the needs of the service. Thereafter, to provide written evidence of learning and feedback to the Urgent Response Team.

To undertake all mandatory training.

Following the principles of clinical governance to maintain a high quality of service through liaison with the Team leaders, leading the implementation of: recognised professional standards, evidence based practice, effective clinical audit and clinical bench marking, risk management and validated clinical outcome measures. Make recommendations for change.

Participate in the development and implementation of clinical initiatives and protocols.

To work within agreed national and local clinical guidelines, and be aware of and abide by the guidelines and protocols of the Integrated Team.

To be aware of and abide by the approved policies and procedures of theTrust and the Nursing and Midwifery Councils guidelines on professional conduct.

To be responsible for your own continuing professional development which is demonstrated in a portfolio.

To participate in appraisal scheme and attend external courses where identified as part of individual appraisal.

To be aware of the agreed procedures and Community Nurse involvement in the event of a major accident

To liaise with the team leader in deploying staff on a day-to-day basis, allowing flexibility within the team so that the needs of the service are met.

To maintain adequate levels of nursing stock and undertake a quarterly equipment audit within work area

To undertake and promote efficient use of available resources

To assist in the recruitment and selection of junior staff

Organise the induction of new staff.

To maintain accurate and timely input onto information systems

Such other duties as are within the spirit of the job purpose, the title of the post and it’s grading

This is an outline job description. It is subject to review at periodic intervals and may change over time with the development of Community Services following discussion with the post holder.

Post holder will be required to have access to independent means of transport for work purposes to travel across the South Warwickshire Foundation Trust and to other agencies.

South Warwickshire Foundation Trust endorses the principle that whether people smoke or not is a matter of personal choice but where they smoke is a matter of public concern. The policy on smoking and health protects non-smokers and requires that all the South Warwickshire Foundation Trust premises are smoke free.