Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust
An exciting opportunity for a Community Assistant Practitioner has arisen in the King's Lynn Community Nursing Team.
If you have the desire and commitment to make a difference in people's lives, this post may be right for you!
We are a friendly, busy team who would welcome an individual looking for a new challenge.
Working Pattern:
The service operates between 08:00 and 20:00 hours, seven days a week, and you will be required to work shifts between these times. We are willing to explore candidates who would like to consider flexible working, part-time, and possible bank hours.
Main duties of the job
Key Areas of Responsibility
* To contribute to the delivery of care packages for patients with long-term conditions, palliative care, and chronic wounds to achieve quality of life and independence where possible.
* To work within the integrated team to facilitate early discharge from hospital.
* To work within the integrated team to prevent unnecessary admission to hospital.
* To work with Tissue Viability Nurse and Dermatology to gain experience in chronic wound management.
To work with all healthcare professionals and statutory/non-statutory agencies to provide a seamless, integrated service to our service users.
Job responsibilities
Clinical
The post holder will:
1. Assess patients with straightforward requirements based on predetermined department protocols.
2. Prepare for, carry out, and monitor assessments and treatments in specified clinical areas, and discharge in line with predetermined department protocols.
3. Apply competency-based treatment techniques/care to patients with specific conditions under the supervision of a qualified practitioner, following a prescribed treatment/care plan.
4. Modify and progress intervention/treatment using own clinical reasoning, notifying a qualified practitioner accordingly.
5. Prepare for and develop individual/group activities to meet defined intervention needs.
6. Monitor patients and promptly alert a qualified practitioner when there are unexpected changes.
7. Demonstrate problem solving, and contribute to the solution, working with colleagues.
8. Make basic judgements on patients' response to prescribed treatment, and report findings to a qualified practitioner.
9. Plan and prioritise own visits to delegated patients and ensure these are documented in a personal work diary.
10. Ensure patient-held records are completed for each visit, and that SystmOne inputting is completed on a daily basis.
11. Where there are barriers to understanding, such as hearing impairment, mental capacity impairment, and other difficulties in comprehension, explanations require adjustments in order to gain understanding, consent, and concordance.
12. Be required to use tact and persuasive skills in order to gain the patient's cooperation in their treatment/care/management plan.
13. Liaise with GPs, Social Services, inpatient teams, other allied health care professionals, and the voluntary sector to ensure identified needs are met and care coordinated appropriately.
14. Communicate with patients/carers by exchanging factual information, reassurance, tact, and empathy.
15. Establish and maintain appropriate working relationships with colleagues, patients, carers, and other health care professionals.
16. Demonstrate dexterity and coordination when undertaking treatment of patients where accuracy is important, e.g., taking blood sugars, venepuncture, wound care.
17. Be responsible for ensuring equipment is used safely, following appropriate training, and that it is maintained appropriately.
18. Contribute to the requisitioning of supplies and equipment through electronic ordering systems.
19. Work with qualified practitioners with group work/clinics as required.
20. Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of consent, and gain consent as appropriate following department policy.
21. Share responsibility for indirect patient contact tasks, such as answering telephones, arranging appointments, processing referrals, and inputting activity data.
22. Will be exposed to bodily fluids, infected material, blood products on a daily basis, therefore must utilise universal precautions and adhere to infection control policies.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care or equivalent knowledge and experience.
* Foundation Degree programme or equivalent demonstrable knowledge and skills acquired through training and experience.
Experience
* Experience of working in a health or social care setting.
Skills, Abilities and Knowledge
* Evidence of a higher level of skills and knowledge of practice.
* Able to provide high standards of care.
* Awareness of Assistive Technology.
Communication
* Good interpersonal skills.
* Have basic IT and standard keyboard skills.
Personal and People Development
* Tact & diplomacy.
* Empathy & sensitivity.
* Ability to use own initiative.
* Good observational & reporting skills.
* Ability to manage stressful situations.
* Work flexibly to accommodate patient/service needs.
Personal Attributes / Behaviours (linked to the Trust's Behaviour Framework)
* Able to identify with the Trust's commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults.
* A team player.
* Highly motivated.
* Professional appearance.
* Be reliable.
Other
* Must hold full and valid driving licence and have access to a vehicle (if applicable).
* Able to communicate effectively in written and verbal English Language.
* Be able to kneel, bend & stoop, and work in cramped environments.
* Be able to manoeuvre limbs of around 5-6 kg.
* Be able to manoeuvre patients using handling aids.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer name
Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust
£25,147 to £27,596 a year pro rata
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