Deputy Clinical Nurse Specialist in Surveillance – ROSSINI Platform
NHS AfC: Band 6
Main area: Deputy Clinical Nurse Specialist in Surveillance – Central Wound Hub
Grade: NHS AfC: Band 6
Contract: Fixed term: 5 years (NIHR Funded)
Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Weekends)
Job ref: 196-NM12794
Employer: Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type: NHS
Site: Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Guy's Hospital
Town: London
Salary: £44,806 - £53,134 per annum inc HCA
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 02/05/2025 23:59
Interview date: 13/05/2025
We are seeking a passionate, self-motivated, and driven Deputy Clinical Nurse Specialist who has experience in surgical wound care to join our dynamic remote wound monitoring programme. This programme will utilise the successful ‘Isla’ platform for surgical site infection surveillance as part of the Rossini Platform trial – a pioneering, multi-arm, multi-stage study aimed at reducing surgical site infections across six major surgical specialities.
This is a full-time, five-year fixed term role funded by the NIHR, based at one of our GSTT sites. If you are inspired by innovation, collaborative working, and a commitment to improving patient outcomes, we would love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be responsible for running the ROSSINI Platform Surgical Site Infection Surveillance under the Central Digital Wound Hub. This will include supporting the research team, ensuring timely and appropriate remote care advice and referrals for surgical patients and carers, and expanding the service for all surgical arms of the ROSSINI Platform. The post holder will be responsible for data collection activities related to the service and will undertake reporting and line management activities.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical
* To oversee the daily running of the CDWH for the Rossini Platform study to ensure patients are reviewed and responded to in a timely manner on the digital remote wound platform (Isla).
* To support and line manage junior colleagues for optimal review of patient submissions on Isla for a seven-day and out-of-hours service.
* To provide timely review of patient submissions to the Central Digital Wound Hub, ensuring appropriate reassurance, advice and/or referral as required.
* To ensure early identification of patients who require MDT escalation for infection or delayed wound healing, and action this or support junior staff in doing so.
* To ensure information on clinically relevant information on community treatment is recorded for visibility and optimal care delivery.
* To collect and/or oversee data on clinical outcomes.
* To identify areas for improvement in relation to the Central Digital Wound Hub and work with the Trust Lead for SSI to deliver an improvement plan, using appropriate methodology.
* To participate in research studies as required.
* To work with the CTU and Isla providing specialist input in SSIS data collection, handling ensuring correct completion of surveillance forms or electronic surveillance data platforms.
* To undertake audit in relation to SSIS and to ensure audit documentation is completed correctly.
* To work autonomously managing a case load of defined group of patients ensuring close surveillance is undertaken to identify Surgical Site Infections (SSI) and determine incidence and prevalence of infections.
* To promote a patient focused approach to care ensuring high standards of surgical care are followed and in collaboration with all relevant health professionals.
* To support the Rossini Platform in the initiation of appropriate actions to enable all grades and disciplines of staff to prevent SSI.
* To assess surgical patients to identify signs of infection and initiate interventions to prevent or mitigate infection or wound healing issues.
* To support, encourage and advise (as required) staff on the management of patients who develop SSIs.
* Participate in data entry and coding.
* Participate in telephone and remote digital post discharge follow up surveillance.
* To provide information to patients and their carers as required where a need has been identified in relation to infection surveillance.
* To provide specialist nursing input in the identification, prevention and monitoring of SSI.
* To support the Infection control surveillance lead nurse in the review of microbiological data to evaluate the efficiency of an intervention and plan future practice in consultation with relevant clinical leads.
* Support general enquiries relating to SSIS from patients, staff and the general public always acting appropriately, sensitively and professionally to ensure confidentiality is maintained at all times.
* To collaborate with the CDWH Co-Leads and/or SSI team to investigate potential outbreaks.
* Collaborate and support surgical teams in providing information which enables patients to make choices about adopting a healthier lifestyle and actions to reduce surgical site infections.
* To report any unsafe infection prevention and control practices to the CDWH Co-Leads.
* To participate in the promotion and maintenance of effective communication with patients, health professionals in relation to surgical site wound surveillance.
* To maintain effective communication within the SSI team.
* To support the Trust Lead for SSI Surveillance, Research and Innovation in assisting clinical teams in the formulation and initiation of appropriate strategies or action plans required to minimise the risk of SSIs.
Management
* Provide clinical support for junior colleagues, including ongoing training needs and development, providing consistency even when working remotely.
* Review shift rotas for the Central Digital Wound Hub, ensuring adequate cover for a seven-day service including out-of-hours.
* Assist Team leaders as to deliver and manage quality improvement projects.
* Attendance of clinical governance meetings for relevant surgical directorates, if required.
* To organise network surgical specialism meetings (external) alongside SSI team colleagues.
* Identify technical issues and work with Isla to resolve this in a timely fashion.
* Maintain accurate records of the SSIS ensuring that confidentiality is maintained.
* To maintain a flexible approach to the role and ensure provisions on an efficient and effective service within agreed resources.
* Supervision responsibility for junior CDWH team members.
* Act as a facilitator and change agent enabling clinical staff to embrace strategies for change.
* Prioritise workload taking into account varying demands and resources.
Clinical Research, Audit, Quality & Education
* Responsible for monitoring and ensuring the validity of patient information collected for the Rossini Platform study alongside SSI team colleagues.
* Take responsibility for ensuring the standard of data collection for the Rossini Platform study and data entry is accurate and reliable.
* Participate in clinical audit, quality improvement, service evaluation, innovation and research as requested by the Trust SSI Lead.
* Work with clinical areas where SSIS is undertaken in identifying the education requirements.
* To organise and deliver, with support from the Infection control surveillance lead nurse, the feedback of SSI surveillance results to clinical teams; to review results and where appropriate agree actions.
* To participate in the training and development of the SSI team and the wider surgical teams.
* To participate alongside SSI team colleagues, in education of clinical and non-clinical teams at Infection Control Awareness days, Infection control link practitioners' course and meetings and Quarterly Infection control briefings.
* Incorporate UKHSA guidelines, NICE guidelines, and other public issues into guidance and advice for all staff in consultation with clinical leads and the SSIS lead nurse.
* Critically appraise and evaluate IPC practice around SSI through a structured audit programme designed to reduce SSI.
* Acts as a facilitator in relevant clinical trials related to SSIS.
* Present clinical findings at and attendance at conferences nationally when required.
* Develop and improve own competence in a structured way through self-assessment, education, self-directed learning and conferences.
Person specification
Professional / Statutory Registration
* Registered Nurse on the NMC Register
Education/ Qualifications
* Bsc / 1st Degree (health related) or equivalent qualification/ training and experience
* Post graduate certificate in specialist area, e.g. infection link practitioner course, surveillance or audit skills etc.
* Professional knowledge acquired at diploma / degree level will be supplemented by specialist training, experience and short courses
* Relevant qualification in Infection Control, e.g. ENB 329, Diploma/Degree in Infection Control/Microbiology or Implementation Science or equivalent knowledge and Skills
Previous Experience
* Extensive clinical experience.
* Previous experience of student supervision and clinical education at undergraduate level.
* Experience of delivering patient advocacy.
* Experience of audit, research & evidence based care.
* Previous experience of working autonomously at an advanced level within the specialist area delivering effective patient focused care.
* Experience of delivering change management both personally and as a facilitator.
* Current, relevant and consolidated experience in Surveillance.
Skills, Knowledge and Abilities
* Proven listening / counselling skills with the ability to manage complex situations and appropriately deliver sensitive and difficult outcomes.
* Developed interpersonal and influencing skills.
* Evidence of teaching skills in particular teaching staff how to identify and manage patient risk to avoidable harm.
* Ability to clinically lead and influence staff.
* Up to date knowledge of current clinical and professional issues.
* Sound knowledge of current issues in the profession and practice of nursing.
* Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal and communication skills.
* Good time management and organisation skills.
* Knowledge of current clinical and nursing research.
* Ability to carry out audit and research.
* Ability to interpret and analyse complex data and findings.
* Ability to manage complex clinical and operational situations e.g. clusters of infection that involve staff from all levels within an organisation.
* Ability to conduct & evaluate own projects successfully.
* Knowledge of quality standards & NICE / DH recommendations.
* Demonstrate an understanding of the National agenda related to surgical site infection.
Additional Information
* Creative, lateral thinker with sensitivity based on knowledge.
* Diplomatic, flexible and positive approach to work.
* Strong team player.
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 equitably according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or studies 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.
Applications are welcomed from applicants with a disability. We can make reasonable adjustments and offer support and advice in a variety of ways throughout the application process. Equality of opportunity is our policy.
As an organisation we are committed to developing our services in ways that best suit the needs of our patients. This means that some staff groups will increasingly be asked to work a more flexible shift pattern so that we can offer services in the evenings or at weekends.
We are committed to supporting all employees to achieve a healthy work-life balance and to work in a way that is best for them and our patients. We will consider all requests to work flexibly, taking into account the individual’s personal circumstances as well as the needs of the service. We encourage all prospective applicants to discuss their individual circumstances with the recruiting manager as part of the onboarding process.
Your e-mail address is important to us - We communicate to all job applicants via the e-mail address which has been provided on the application form. Please ensure that you check your e-mail on a regular basis.
Please apply for this post by clicking "Apply Online Now."
Employer certification / accreditation badges
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Name: Melissa Rochon
Job title: Trust Lead for SSI Surveillance
Email address: melissa.rochon@gstt.nhs.uk
Queries to find out more about the role are welcomed.
Our dedicated and talented staff make it their mission to provide outstanding care for our patients.
#J-18808-Ljbffr