KEY DUTIES CONTINUED Provide leadership support to Department Manager and Lead Nurse in the continued development of preoperative assessment department. Take lead of development projects as appropriate. Continually promote equality and diversity, undertaking equality impact assessments when appropriate. Ensure effective uses of physical and financial resources within the service. Promote patient and public involvement activities in specialist area to promote service improvement. Develop and maintain specialist clinical skills in assessment, diagnosis and investigation request/interpretation within the Rheumatology service. Attend annual appraisal to identify and agree training and development needs as part of a Personal Development Plan. Participate in clinical supervision sessions and provide leadership to colleagues, arranged by the team Leader/Clinical Supervisor. Deputise, if required for Clinic Manager maintaining smooth running of the clinic CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES Maintain Professional Registration Adhere to relevant Code of Practice of Professional body Education of patients and carers To plan, develop, implement and evaluate health education MDT programmes for patients and carers with rheumatological conditions. To empower patients with rheumatological conditions to realise and maintain their potential in relation to health and well being through one-to-one contacts and MDT education programmes by facilitating improved knowledge on disease management, medication and its effects on daily living. To be the first point of referral for patients commencing on disease modifying drug therapy, including education, consent, monitoring requirements. To be responsible for the autonomous prescribing and monitoring of disease modifying drug therapy by acting upon identified haematological and biochemistry abnormalities in accordance with Professional, national and departmental guidelines. To prevent adverse effects on health and well being through education and monitoring of patients on DMARD therapy. To autonomously act as a first point of contact for patients at home who are experiencing difficulties with aspects of their treatment or disease presenting via telephone help line and rapid access clinics. To demonstrate expert skills in rheumatological assessment including performing joint assessment, requesting appropriate investigations and interpreting these including blood test and X-ray reports. To develop a comprehensive nursing management plan to meet the needs of the patient and to liaise with other members of the MDT over patient management. To liaise with more senior rheumatology nurse or medical staff in development of medical management plan. To review care plans to ensure the needs of patient are being met. Assist consultant rheumatologist by reviewing follow-up patients at medical outpatient clinics including taking full history, appropriate rheumatological examination, requesting appropriate investigations, interpreting results of these, instituting appropriate management plan, reviewing progress and re-evaluating plan. Where necessary, done in consultation with rheumatology consultant or specialist registrar. To be professional and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of own work including the management of patients. To ensure a high standard of clinical care for the patients within the rheumatology service, and support all grades of staff and MDT colleagues to do likewise. Assist in the co-ordination and effective delivery of services. To provide a link between hospital and home to ensure a patient centred, integrated service relevant to their need and those of their family. To be clinically responsible for the management of patient caseload within own specialist area. To be available to colleagues, managers and other clinical staff, for the provision of expert advice on nursing matters pertaining to the management of rheumatology patients. ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES Ensure patient records are kept up to date and accurate and recording is done in line with Trust policies and procedures. To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up to date documentation, in line with legal and departmental requirements, and communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of reports and letters To co-ordinate the collection of appropriate data and statistics for the use in the review of service delivery TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSBILITIES To provide expert advice, teaching and training to other members of the MDT regarding the management of patients and service delivery/development. Deliver training to wide range of health professionals including nurses, medical students, community based care workers and other members of MDT. To participate in the in-service training programme, delivering presentations and training sessions at staff meetings, tutorials, training sessions in-house and externally, attending external courses and undertaking reflective practice. Organising local conferences/study days promoting the speciality and nursing services to a wider audience LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES Deputise, if required for Clinic Manager maintaining smooth running of the clinic. To represent the Trust externally (locally, regionally and nationally) regarding nursing services provided to patients within speciality To plan, develop, implement and evaluate nurse specialists services within rheumatology To continue involvement in supervision of junior members of nursing staff. To provide expert advice to allied health professionals and students working within other clinical areas RESEARCH & AUDIT To commence and participate in research/special projects as directed by the Ward Manager. Active participation in collection and collation of research and audit data as appropriate, presenting the outcomes to clinical audit.