Main area 317 Ward 11 Paediatric Burns/Plastics - RVI Grade Band 4 Contract Permanent: contracted to work weekends
Hours Part time - 15 hours per week (working over the weekend) Job ref 317-2025-06-08-DR
Employer The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Royal Victoria Infirmary Town 317 02 Royal Victoria Infirmary Salary £26,530 - £29,114 pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 17/02/2025 23:59 Interview date 05/03/2025
Nursery Nurse/ Health Play Specialist
Band 4
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 15,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.6 billion.
We have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.
We’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country, supporting people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts each day, delivering high standards of healthcare.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under-represented groups.
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has become available for a Hospital Play Specialist/Nursery Nurse to join ward 11 Burns, Plastic and ENT within the Great North Children’s Hospital.
Ward 11 is a 15 bedded inpatient unit which consists of the North East Regional Burns and Plastic Surgery Unit, the Regional Cleft Lip and Palate unit and Ear Nose and Throat Unit.
The ward also supports an Outpatient Nurse Led Dressing Clinic and a Plastic Trauma and Burns Assessment Clinic.
The successful candidate will be expected to be an effective member of the multidisciplinary team, assisting the nursing staff with distraction during procedures and to work well with the MDT to enable everyone to provide excellent care to patients and families.
* 15 hours /week (2 days) over the weekend
Main duties of the job
* Provide support, teaching and guidance to parents/carers and children/young people whilst undergoing investigations and treatments.
* Supporting children and young people with both learning difficulties and disabilities when coming into hospital. Working closely with the pre assessment and learning disability teams.
* Provide a range of child centred activities to enhance the patient experience within the hospital environment.
* Take an active role in health promotion and education.
* Work within a multi-disciplinary team to support children and young people ensuring their holistic needs are met.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Health Play Specialist
* The Health Play Specialist role will, under the accountability of the Ward Sister/Charge Nurse to offer normalising and specialised play for children and young people with complex healthcare needs and their families, considering age, stage of development, medical condition and background to promote emotional health and optimal development, this will include the effects of hospitalisation, ill health and treatments required.
* The Play Specialist is required to have knowledge and experience of developmental, emotional and social play for all age ranges and abilities of children in hospital.
* Inform, educate, support and advise other healthcare specialists, nursing staff, and families in the role of play.
* Use play to help and assist in alleviating anxieties, pain, or emotional trauma caused to the child, young person and their families, which can often occur in the unfamiliar hospital environment, aiding them to engage in hospital life, promoting their understanding of their healthcare needs, investigations and treatments.
* The post holder is expected to be a fully integrated member of the department team.
* Contribute to the maintenance, consistency and development of the play service throughout the Trust.
* Receive requests from relevant healthcare professionals and other HPS for a patient to be seen following a referral to a medical consultant and his team.
* To escort children and young people to theatre (where appropriate) in line with Trust policy, to aid and promote understanding and coping mechanisms.
Nursery Nurse
* To assist in therapeutic assessments and carry out play programmes for children and young people in hospital, according to their individual needs and as part of the overall care plan.
* To monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of play using reflective practice to achieve best outcomes.
Person specification
Health Play Specialist
* Health Play Specialist (HPS) qualification at Diploma level, recognised by the Health Play Staff Education Trust (HPSET)
* Registered with HPSET.
* Evidence of on-going professional development.
* Able to work effectively as part of multi-disciplinary team, as well as on own initiative within scope of practice, with effective time management.
* Good interpersonal skills.
* Good organisational skills.
* Basic IT skills
* Previous experience in co-ordinating and providing a play service in a healthcare setting
* Experience of working with children and young people with complex health needs and disabilities
* Advanced IT skills
* Able to mentor HPS students and provide support to junior staff
Nursery Nurse
* NVQ Level 3 in Childcare or equivalent (e.g. NNEB BTEC Nursery Nurse qualification)
* Ability to work effectively under direction or part of a team
* Ability to work independently
* Good interpersonal skills
* Good organisational skills
* Evidence of on-going professional development
* Previous work in health care setting
* Experience of caring in a personal or professional setting
* Able to manage time
* Basic IT skills
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