Post: In-Patient Unit Staff Nurse Band 5

JOB PROFILE

Post: In-patient Unit Staff Nurse – Band 5

Responsible to: In-patient Unit managers

Accountable to: Assistant Director - In-patient Unit

Place of work: In-patient Unit, Woodside Avenue, North London

Hours of work: 37.5 per week

JOB SUMMARY: The IPU Staff Nurse will be a member of the In-patient Unit palliative care team. They will seek to provide a high standard of holistic, skilled, patient-centered, palliative care to all in-patients that is accurately documented. They will assist the Unit manager/s in supervision and training of junior staff and in service development issues. They will act as shift coordinator as required and ensure good communication from shift to shift.

Whilst the position is site-specific, there may be occasions when the nurse is required to provide cross-site/service cover. Although this is a comprehensive job description, other duties might be assigned by the manager.

All nurses must act in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code of Conduct.

of 10 JD/Nurse/IPU/Band5/2013.V1 CORE DIMENSIONS SECTION

Communication Skills The post holder will: . Foster good working relationships and effectively communicate with members of the multi disciplinary team, users of service and other healthcare professionals working externally.

. Act as a resource of clinical knowledge for Hospice staff and external agencies.

. Give clear reports on patients progress and concerns to the multidisciplinary team and facilitate others to do so.

. Give clear leadership to the team, delegating tasks efficiently and ensuring that expectations are known.

. Communicate information to distressed and /or bereaved people in a sensitive manner.

. Manage situations where people are distressed or angry in an effective, safe manner.

. Have excellent telephone communication skills, taking calls from patients, carers and professionals in the community managing their concerns effectively and sensitively.

. Support service users in their initial raising of a complaint ensuring service users concerns are heard, apologies are made as appropriate and they are reassured that their concerns will be investigated following the complaints procedure. Provide Complaints Leaflet to complainee and report complaint using complaints form and procedure. Act as a role model in presenting and supporting good practice and challenging poor performance.

. Liaise effectively with other departments within and external to the Hospice in order to meet the needs of service users and ensure that others do so.

. Ensure accurate and contemporaneous documentation of patient care by themselves and others using electronic systems.

. Identify problems in communication both within the Hospice and in dealings with external agencies reporting these promptly.

. Advocate for patients and other service users ensuring their views are known to the team include in the case of advance care planning and occasions where offered care is declined.

. Coordinate the patients’ discharge or transfer to other areas in liaison with other disciplines ensuring all relevant documentation goes with them.

. Create electronic forms as required for documentation purposes.

. Be able to communicate effectively with people exhibiting challenging behaviours ensuring they are respected but expectations are made as clear as possible.

. Work in accordance with hospice policies to ensure that confidentiality is maintained at all times. 2 Personal and People Development The post holder will: . Maintain own professional development to facilitate evidence-based practice. . Actively participate in the hospice Individual Performance Review process to identify own learning needs and take necessary steps in order to reach personal/professional objectives. . Utilise staff support systems, e.g. clinical supervision. . Actively participate in the induction of new staff in accordance with hospice policy. . Act as a mentor or preceptor and resource person within your team. . Maintain a caseload of Band 2 or 3 staff they appraise through the Hospice PDR process. To use this process to enable others to critically evaluate their own practice, setting clear goals with regular review and evaluation. . Contribute to the provision of an effective learning environment. . Actively participate in student placements and staff training within the organisation. . Act as a mentor and/or supervisor for students on placement ensuring that the clinical environment is conducive to learning. . Always have a rationale for interventions and to ensure that others have a rationale underpinning their practice. . Take an active role in their own PDR process and maintain a record of their own learning. . Be aware of support systems available to individuals and teams. To address these to support themselves and to refer appropriately when they may be of benefit to others. . Act as a support resource for team members, allowing them opportunities to reflect on practice and experiences. . Support the Inpatient Unit in being a learning environment, taking advantage of and creating opportunities for self and others to learn and evaluate learning experience. . Act as a mentor to new staff and students. . Support individuals through performance improvement measures up to and including capability procedure. . Be aware of CQC essential standards and ensure that team members practice in such a way as to meet them. . Contribute to the teaching of staff within the Hospice or to external professionals creating teaching resources that are updated as required. . Be personally accountable for actions and omissions in your practice and be always able to justify your decisions. . With the support of the MDT utilise specialist knowledge to develop own competence in using different interventions in palliative and end of life care.

of 10 JD/Nurse/IPU/Band5/2013.V1 Health, Safety and Security The post holder will: . Identify risks as they arise, carry out risk assessments, referring on where necessary and taking immediate remedial action as required. . Be aware of the Inpatient risk register, suggesting remedial measures as new risks arise. . Ensure self and others adhere promptly to the incident reporting policy and complete appropriate form and action plans. . Encourage others to consider risk reduction measures when completing incident reports. . Recognise risk as covering all aspects of the Hospice including patient welfare and care, facilities and estates and finances. . Be familiar with and implement safeguarding policies, the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. . Work in accordance with Hospice policies, procedures and guidelines. . Attend organisational mandatory training as required by your manager relevant to your role. . In the absence of or in consultation with senior nursing staff, ensure that the off duty rota meets the requirements of the Inpatient Unit. . Advise the Unit Manager/s or in their absence Head of IPU of any staffing difficulties which may lead to compromised care. . Take charge of the inpatient unit liaising with support services as required. Ensure staff are trained and competent to use equipment safely and equipment is used in accordance with instructions and departmental procedures, reporting faults as necessary. . In collaboration with the Infection Control Nurse, promote an environment that supports infection prevention and control policies and procedures. Ensure that you and other staff practice in accordance with these.

Quality and Service Improvement The post holder will: . Collaborate with other members of the multi disciplinary team in the delivery of high standards of effective healthcare within best practice guidelines. . Act consistently with legislation, policies and procedures. . Uses and maintains resources efficiently and effectively and encourages others to do so also. . Prioritise own workload, organise and carry out own work in a manner that maintains and promotes quality. . Monitor and evaluate the quality and effectiveness of clinical services highlighting where and how improvements can be made, taking appropriate immediate action, implementing agreed planned changes.

4 . Keep self and colleagues updated on service improvement changes. . Evaluate the quality of own and other’s work, raising quality issues and related risks with Unit Managers. . With your line manager and identified others, contribute to the identification of practices relevant to your role that could improve service delivery outcomes through: o Audit o Research o Evaluation o Education/training o User involvement o Project management

. Ensure that resulting action plans are kept up to date and any deviances or issues highlighted to IPU Unit Manager/s or in absence Head of IPU. . Take an active role in unit meetings, highlighting areas requiring quality improvement. . Be aware of organisational strategic direction and future issues pertaining to the provision of specialist palliative and supportive care. Contribute to and participate in organisational service development.

Equality and Diversity The post holder will: . Promote a culture which respects and values diversity, and support patients, visitors and staff in exercising their rights. . Ensure care within your practice is consistent with the 5 principles of the Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice (2005). . Recognise and report behaviour which undermines equality and diversity in accordance with organisational policies and current legislation.

of 10 JD/Nurse/IPU/Band5/2013.V1 SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS SECTION

Assessment and Care Planning To Meet Health and Well Being Needs The post holder will: . Assess complex holistic needs of patients, families and carers. . Ensure care is planned and provides detailed, holistic care, involving patients in the process, any decisions required and its evaluation. . Contribute to the forward planning of patient care e.g. discharge planning, LCP and advanced care planning. . Ensure care is provided on a basis of priority ensuring the patients' greatest needs are addressed first. . Ensure that care is evidence based and that care delivery is consistent with care planning. . Ensure risk assessments are completed for newly admitted patients and that these are updated regularly as required.

Enablement to Address Health and Well Being Needs The post holder will: . Provide an environment that encourages the patient to play an active part in their care enabling them to voice their wishes about current and future care, e.g. the use of advanced care planning tools. . Promote a culture that is conducive to the recognition of complex, physical, spiritual, social and psychological needs and utilise internal referral system in a timely and appropriate manner. . Provide support, information and advice to patients and carers to enable them to make informed decisions about treatment and care in order to maximise their potential. . Act as an advocate to ensure that the patient’s perspective is heard within the multi disciplinary team. . Empower individuals to adjust to and manage large scale changes in their lives to maximise their potential within the constraints of their conditions and circumstances.

Provision of Care To Meet Health and Wellbeing Needs The post holder will: . Provide care in line with the care management plan to meet the patient’s needs. . Ensure symptoms are addressed as they occur, that intervention is provided as agreed by the team and that where decisions are made on an individual basis, there is a clear evidence base for action.

6 . Be fully aware of pharmacological interventions for symptom control maintaining up to date knowledge of available drug therapies, their effects and side effects. . Address wider issues in symptom control including psychological, spiritual and emotional aspects of symptoms. Encourage others within the team to consider these aspects in their care planning. . Act as a resource for others regarding effective symptom control including use of syringe drivers, both within the Hospice and for external agencies. . Continue to provide sensitive care to patients after death in a manner that respects dignity, cultural beliefs and previously expressed wishes. . Provide ongoing support to carers and relatives at the time of death and in the early days of bereavement. . Contribute to the provision of organisational bereavement support e.g. Thanksgiving & Remembrance Service, Tree of Lights.

Interventions & Treatments The post holder will: . Be fully conversant with organisational medicines policies with palliative care guidelines and algorithms, and administer medication in line with them. . Monitor effectiveness of medications and treatment and act in accordance with findings. . Provide support, information and advice to patients, families, colleagues and other healthcare professional agencies, including the 24 Hour Advice Line, in line with hospice policy.

of 10 JD/Nurse/IPU/Band5/2013.V1 KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS FRAMEWORK - DIMENSIONS MATRIX TITLE OF POST: Staff Nurse band 5

KSF level required for Highlight KSF level KSF DIMENTIONS post for PDR attained

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 CORE DIMENSIONS (relates to all posts)

Communication X

Personal People Development X

Health, Safety and Security X

Service Improvement X

Quality X

Equality and Diversity X

SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS

HWB2: Assessment and care planning to X meet health and wellbeing needs HWB4: Enablement to address health X and wellbeing needs HWB5 Provision of care to meet health X and wellbeing needs

Service & project Management X

VALUES AND BEHAVIOURAL DIMENSIONS

Patient Focussed

Team Approach

Values Partnerships

Takes Responsibility

Adaptive and Creative 8 Financial Realism

Open & Appropriate Communication

PERSON SPECIFICATION TITLE OF POST: Staff Nurse band 5

Essential Desirable Evidence

1st Level Registration or  Working toward Application Qu Diploma level degree/diploma form and alif certificates  Current registration with  Evidence of further accredited ica Nursing and Midwifery Council learning relevant to the field of tio palliative care n Mentorship qualification

Able to demonstrate an interest  Demonstrate experience of Interview in specialist palliative care taking charge of team of staff in and application Evidence of relevant experience absence of a more senior form Ex gained through training colleague pe Able to demonstrate evidence of rie Experience of working with patients with life limiting illness involvement in specific project or nc development work e  Supervisory experience Evidence of communication skills training

 Ability to work as part of a  The ability to demonstrate Interview Pe team through experience i.e. and rs organisational and time application  Organisational skills on management skills form al  Time management skills ski  Ability to lead lls Effective communication skills, written and verbal

Pe  Professional Innovative Interview rs on  Approachable al  Empathetic ch ar  Motivated and able to act motivate eri Enthusiastic sti cs

of 10 JD/Nurse/IPU/Band5/2013.V1 Involves shift work including Interview Ot weekends, Bank Holidays and he night duty r May be required to work at all sites within the organisation