THE LEEDS TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUST Job Title: Nurse Specialist (Hydrocephalus Adults) Reports To: Matron Accountable To: Matron Band: 7 Unit/Department: Neurosciences Clinical Services Unit Location: Leeds General Infirmary JOB PURPOSE The Jobholder will carry continuing responsibility for a defined caseload, including the setting of standards of care, the assessment of care needs and the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care. The jobholder will provide advanced nursing expertise to a specific patient group and will contribute to the development of the speciality service as well as contributing to the strategic direction of nursing within the Trust. The jobholder will ensure cost effective use of resources. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED Qualifications Registered Nurse (Level 1) Recognised teaching/assessing qualification First level Degree Education Post registration qualification in speciality field. Post registration study at masters level in specialist field or equivalent experience. (Desirable) Extended/Supplementary Prescribing (Desirable) Experience At least 3 years experience at Sister/Charge Nurse level or equivalent within relevant specialty during which the following experience will have being gained: Clinical audit, research and standard setting Service development and or change management (desirable) Skills Communication skills Leadership skills Teaching Recruitment and Selection IT skills Plan specialist nursing provision, including education and training Knowledge Highly developed specialist knowledge, underpinned by theory and experience Current issues in healthcare Standards of professional practice Personal Attributes Excellent interpersonal skills Innovator Motivator Assertiveness Flexibility, adaptable, capable of lateral thinking Politically aware CORE VALUES Commitment to delivering high quality evidence based care Commitment to working in a multi-disciplinary team Commitment to the specialty area, valuing the contribution of all team members, encouraging a positive and creative working environment Commitment to own personal and professional development and to the development of others within the team. CORE BEHAVIOURS AND SKILLS Communication skills Teaching and assessment skills Organisational skills Time management skills Change management skills Understanding of research based practice research conscious Team player Conflict management Managing stress Uses initiative to resolve issues within their own control Ability to act professionally at all times CORE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING Understanding of the local and national nursing agenda Understanding of relevant National Service Frameworks (if appropriate) Awareness of Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust guidelines and policies Understanding of organisational structures PRINCIPLE DUTIES AND AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY Acts in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Code of Conduct Clinical Clinical care delivery To ensure continuity of a high standard of evidence based nursing care, assessing health, health related and nursing needs of patients, their families and other carers by identifying and initiating appropriate steps for effective care. This can include: Managing a patient caseload Ordering diagnostic tests e.g. CT Scans and X-Rays. Making and receiving referrals Admitting and discharging patients on the shunt pathway within agreed protocols Running nurse led clinics Re-programming of shunts as appropriate To accept responsibility for own patient caseload, ensuring all patients have an accurate plan of care, which reflects the assessment undertaken and incorporates the issues and recommendations made ensuring clear documentation in the patients records and hand held records To attend and play a lead role in neurosurgical ward rounds. Participating in information gathering and decision making process. To be actively involved in in-patient care, liaising with ward staff to ensure high quality nursing care To liaise at least weekly with lead Hydrocephalus Consultant to discuss problems, feedback and facilitate solutions. To attend out-patients, ensuring nurse consultation with all newly diagnosed patients To follow-up patients as appropriate and ensure all relevant information is available to enable patients to make an informed choice about their treatment To attend and co-ordinate MDT meetings if appropriate to the role ensuring all patients are represented To deliver a seamless service through the development of enhanced Multidisciplinary team (MDT) processes and communication To participate in the identification and development of clinical protocols and strategies to enhance both the continuity and standard of specialist care, both pre and post treatment, whilst ensuring equity of access to the service To participate in the process of operational policies review annually in accordance with national standards To ensure all care is given in accordance with agreed protocols. To liaise with the discharge coordinator regarding potential discharge problems and ward staff to ensure appropriate and timely discharge/follow-up arrangement in place for patients. I To make direct referrals where relevant to neurologists/ neuropsychologists for specific patient advice and information. To identify real or potential problems through contact with patients/relatives/pre-assessment team and flag these to appropriate Consultant. To participate in the running of hydrocephalus clinics To liaise with local community, social services, paramedics and voluntary organisations in order to develop existing services for clients, carers and health professional To actively involve service users in providing feedback of their experience of the current service and suggestions for improvements. To participate in the development of appropriate patient group directives to facilitate/enhance the discharge process - Provide a clinical lead and role model to other nursing staff by delivering high quality care as an expert practitioner - Undertake clinical procedures where dexterity and accuracy are required. - Maintain a safe working environment Responsibilities for patient and client care - Assesses, develops and implement specialist nursing care programmes and evaluate care and treatments using advanced clinical knowledge and clinical skills - Plan specialist nursing service provision organising and managing own workload. - Provides specialised advice contributing to the diagnosis and care of patients. - freedom to act - Makes clinical assessments and treatment decisions within clearly defined policies and protocols - Refer patients as appropriate to other members of the multi-disciplinary team - When required exercises significant clinical discretion and judgement within broadly defined clinical parameters and policies. Communication - Maintains accurate clinical and other records using the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trusts documentation - Support patients and their families communicating very sensitive, complex condition related information, ensuring they receive required information to enable them to participate on their care delivery - Liaise with Community Services (as appropriate) to ensure seamless provision of care delivery Education and Training - Plans, provides and facilitates specialist training and education of learners and other junior staff within own speciality area - Provides specialist training and education at post-graduate level within the University settings as agreed with Matron. - Actively participate in the development of own personal development plan and performance review. - Participate in national, regional and local conferences as agreed with Matron. - Provide education and training to patients and their carers. - Keep up to date with developments, advances within the specialty Leadership and management - Provide leadership to the clinical team working with Matron, develop new roles/ways of working - Investigate and respond to accidents, complaints, untoward incidents and other significant events - Maintains record of workload and performance monitoring information for own practice and reviews this on a regular basis with Matron. - Work with Matron to promote the development of nurses undertaking the CNO Ten Key Roles as considered appropriate - Exercises a personal duty of care in relation to equipment, resource and stock control ordering and utilising equipment and supplies appropriately. - Work with Matron to lead the development of nursing practice, reflecting the CMT and Nursing Directorate business plans - Set, monitor and seek to continuously improve standards and the quality of patient care, including those standards defined in the National Benchmarks for Essential Care - Promote evidence based practice, wherever possible - Propose, develop and implement policy, protocols and practice guidelines specific to the clinical specialty. - Contributes to the development of specialist protocols for specialist area. - Proposes policy and service change and leads the development of the same within and beyond own specialist area. - Engage users and carers views on service delivery and development. Research and Audit - Contribute to the research agenda. Participate in clinical trials as appropriate - Undertake nursing research and lead audit programmes specific to client group, treatments and developments. - Participate in clinical trials as appropriate.