Job overview
This is an exciting opportunity to work in Cardiovascular Directorate at St Thomas’s Hospital.
We are looking for an experienced, enthusiastic and highly motivated Senior Nursing Assistant who is ready for the next challenge in their career. This post requires the individual to work within Doulton Ward at St Thomas Hospital.
Doulton ward takes pre and post cardiac and vascular surgery. There is strong emphasis on Enhanced Recovery (ERAS) pathway as part of the National guidelines. It consists of 25 inpatient beds caring for patients from Level 1 to Level 2 (ERAS).
You will need to have excellent communication and team working skills, be highly motivated and able to work independently with support when needed.
This post will involve, taking routine observations (vital signs/blood sugar) and performing ECG's, cannulation, phlebotomy skills, and be willing and motivated to be trained to take on more clinical roles.
Main duties of the job
The post holder should be competent with taking patient observations, blood glucose monitoring, phlebotomy and cannulation, and assisting patients with their fundamentals of care. They should also have experience of simple wound dressings and be willing to undertake further training and learning for complex wound management with direct supervision.
We are looking for a motivated, enthusiastic senior nursing assistant, with excellent communication, inter and intrapersonal skills.
This post will involve internal rotation including working long days, night shifts, weekends and bank holidays.
Working for our organisation
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK’s best known hospitals – Guy’s, St Thomas’, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield – as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.
We have a long tradition of clinical and scientific achievement and – as part of King’s Health Partners – we are one of England’s eight academic health sciences centres, bringing together world-class clinical services, teaching and research. We have one of the National Institute for Health Research’s biomedical research centres, established with King’s College London in 2007, as well as dedicated clinical research facilities.
We have around 22,700 staff, making us one of the largest NHS Trusts in the country and one of the biggest employers locally. We aim to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and continue to develop new and existing partnerships with local people, patients, neighboring NHS organizations, local authorities and charitable bodies and GPs.
We strive to recruit and retain the best staff as the dedication and skills of our employees lie at the heart of our organization and ensure that our services are of the highest quality, safe and focused on our patients.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
1. Provide excellent customer care skills to ensure patients safety and wellbeing come first.
2. Undertakes a range of delegated clinical care duties to deliver agreed plans of care, acting on own initiative.
3. To ensure that patients’ receive high quality clinical care and a good patient experience, having regard for their customs, religious beliefs and doctrines.
4. Recognise and avoid situations that may be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of the individuals.
5. To act as an advocate for patients within the department, to ensure a patient orientated approach to the delivery of care and to meet standards within the NHS Plan and other relevant guidelines.
6. Provides support and assistance to professionals in the implementation of plans of care for individual patients.
7. Assist with fluid and dietary needs of patients including completion of food chart and recording intake and output of fluid supporting their nutrition and hydration
8. As directed to collect specimens from patients and to record routine observations of weight, blood pressure, temperature, pulse, respiratory rate. Report any abnormalities and able to escalate any concerns to a Registered Nurse
9. Recognise when patients are in pain and discomfort and report to nurse in charge
10. To undertake venepuncture/cannulation when requested by Healthcare professionals
11. Under the direction of registered staff maintain and develop own skills including:
12. Monitoring and recording of accurate vital signs Recording of ECGSimple, aseptic dressings including removal of cannulaMonitoring and recording of blood glucose levelsMonitoring and recording of nutritional intakeMonitoring and recording of urine input and output as well as urinary continence and bowel careTo respond appropriately to clinical emergencies to ensure the patient receives appropriate care
Person specification
Values and behaviour
Essential criteria
13. Values and behaviour
14. Fundamentals of Care
Skills
Essential criteria
15. Ability to undertake venepuncture and phlebotomy
16. Good Inter and Intrapersonal skills
17. Ability to undertake accurate blood sugar
18. Apollo/EPIC
Desirable criteria
19. Cannulation
20. Wound dressings
21. Microsoft Word/Excel
22. Urinary continence and Bowel care
23. Monitoring of nutritional intake and fluid balance chart
Experience
Essential criteria
24. Previous experience of working as a healthcare assistant in a hospital or registered care setting
25. Venepuncture and Phlebotomy
26. ECG
27. Apollo/EPIC
28. Blood sugar monitoring and accurate recording
Desirable criteria
29. Wound dressings
30. Urinary continence and bowel care
31. Cannulation
32. Monitoring nutritional intake and fluid balance chart
Qualifications and training
Essential criteria
33. Evidence of general education GCSE’s or equivalent.
34. NVQ III in Health care or equivalent qualification in the area of speciality
Desirable criteria
35. Care Certificate - completion or working towards
36. Completion of wound dressing training
37. Completion of cannulation training
Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study’s at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership.