Job overview
Are you a registered adult nurse/dual registered nurse with proven clinical assessment skills?
Are you passionate about supporting individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) and understand the importance of the physical health of those with SMI?
Do you want to develop your leadership skills in a supporting environment?
As part of a small, specialist team that covers Oxfordshire you will be providing clinical leadership to the HCA and Nursing Associates of the team. The team supports the assessment of the physical health of individuals with SMI and are responsible for the subsequent referrals and further interventions that may be required. Working both autonomously as well as part of this team, you will provide clinical support and leadership and as well as managing your own caseload providing home assessment and running physical health assessment clinics. Alongside measuring parameters such as blood pressure and pulse, this will also include more advanced assessment skills and interventions such as phlebotomy and recording electrocardiograms (ECG’s) and offering smoking cessation advice.
Main duties of the job
The primary purpose of this role is to coordinate a patient -focussed programme of work to improve the physical health of people with a serious mental illness (SMI). This will be achieved through:
1. Supporting the Registered Nurse Associates in managing their caseload and providing clinical leadership as well as providing advice and education to patients, staff and learners within the directorate as required.
2. Planning the delivery of patient care and taking responsibility for implementing and evaluating that care, using an appropriate nursing model
3. To carry out nursing care to the highest possible standard according to Trust Policies and Practice and Clinical Guidelines. This requires a thorough understanding of policies and guidance related to for example: infection control, hygiene and individualised patient needs.
You will be expected to draw upon your comprehensive physical health knowledge, skills and competencies and you will be responsible for delivering, on a daily basis, specific physical health nursing interventions to patients within the Adult and Community Mental Health Teams across Oxfordshire. You will be responsible for collecting, collating and analysing data/information and will support CMHT staff and other members of the MDT in the assessment, planning, implementing and evaluation of effective, evidenced based care, ensuring the care is holistic and that and standards of care are enhanced.
Working for our organisation
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust provides physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.
Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people’s homes, delivering care as close to home as possible
Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: “Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team”
Our values are: “Caring, safe and excellent”
At Oxford Health we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:
4. Excellent opportunities for career progression
5. Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
6. 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
7. NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
8. Competitive pension scheme
9. Lease car scheme
10. Cycle to work scheme
11. Employee Assistance Programme
12. Mental Health First Aiders
13. Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists may apply)
14. Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the “supporting statement” element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application. The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview.
Person specification
Clinical Experience & Knowledge
Essential criteria
15. Experience in physical health assessment and care planning
16. Understanding of the physical health risks associated with SMI, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome
17. Knowledge of long-term condition management (e.g., COPD, hypertension, diabetes).
18. Ability to recognise and respond to physical health deterioration
Desirable criteria
19. Ability to conduct full physical health assessments using tools like the Lester Tool
20. Competence in smoking cessation, substance misuse support, or dietetics for individuals with SMI
21. Experience in conducting NHS Health Checks
Mental Health Awareness
Essential criteria
22. Understanding of the impact of SMI on physical health and vice versa
23. Awareness of how psychotropic medications affect physical health
Desirable criteria
24. Awareness of 3rd Sector Organisations and how they support those with SMI
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
25. Empathy, patience, and a non-judgemental approach
26. Commitment to reducing health inequalities in individuals with SMI
Additional Training & Experience
Essential criteria
27. Post-registration experience in a community nursing or mental health setting
28. Experience in health promotion and lifestyle interventions (e.g., smoking cessation, weight management, exercise programmes)
Desirable criteria
29. Training in brief interventions such as Motivational Interviewing
Further Qualifications & Development
Essential criteria
30. Specialist training in long-term condition management (e.g., diabetes care, respiratory conditions).
Desirable criteria
31. Non-medical prescribing qualification or willingness to work towards it
32. All new starters have a thorough induction process, both local and Trust wide, which aims to create a positive supportive working environment allowing new employees to learn key elements of their role over a reasonable timescale.
33. Appointment to this post is subject to the trust receiving satisfactory references covering 3 years of employment or study. Please ask your referees to respond promptly to reference requests.
34. We’re advocates of flexible working and many of our roles offer a range of employment options to help you balance your work and personal life.
35. Employees are expected to undertake mandatory and statutory training related to their role.
36. We are ambitious in our pursuit of excellence, driven by the belief that a fair, just and fully inclusive organisational culture enables our teams to deliver the best quality of care and services possible and we work hard to ensure that our diverse workforce reflects the communities that we serve.
37. We welcome applications from all sections of the community, are an Equal Opportunities employer with a number of internal networking groups to support our employees and where possible will always look to make reasonable adjustments in order that you can fulfil the role to recognise your full potential. All our employees are committed to demonstrating through their behaviour our core values – safe, caring and excellent.
38. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
39. Oxford is a world-renowned centre of excellence for research. Oxford Health works closely with the University of Oxford department of Psychiatry and the Department of Primary care, has a Biomedical Research Centre dedicated to improving mental health and the NIHR Clinical Research Facility at the Warneford site. The Trust also hosts the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) which carries out applied research that directly impacts patient health and wellbeing