Clinical Responsibilities:
Ensure that the agreed standards of care are maintained at optimum level, informing the unit manager of any concerns. Assist with the organisation of the reception and discharge of patients, ensuring that they receive safe and competent care during the immediate and post-operative period. Act as a resource/advisor to junior healthcare practitioners and medical staff in the delivery of research-based programmes of care, ensuring the appropriate assessment, planning and evaluation. Ensure that all patient documentation is completed and kept up-to-date, and that care plans provide an accurate progress record and response to treatment.
Deal with accidents and incidents involving patients, staff, relatives, and visitors. Complete statements and incident forms and report such incidents and accidents appropriately and in a timely manner. Participate in the Quality Assurance tool within the Critical Care Directorate. Provide skilled high-quality peri-operative care to all patient groups.
Ensure that all patients are safe to be transferred back to ward areas, in accordance with the recovery area protocol. Provide skilled high-quality assistance to the anaesthetist. Adhere to the NMC / HCPC Code of Professional Conduct at all times. Demonstrate clinical expertise in the care of any patients receiving treatment in the department. Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate the needs of patients on an ongoing basis, coordinating the care given by all members of the clinical team.
Accurately assimilate and interpret clinical information about the patient's condition, instigate appropriate remedial action, and promptly report changes. Act as a resource person to others, providing accurate information, advice, and support to the multidisciplinary team, patients, and their relatives. Ensure that accurate records are maintained reflecting both changes in the patient's condition and the treatment delivered. Ensure that patients and their relatives are updated regularly with accurate information, presented in a sensitive way that they understand.
Ensure that Clinical Guidelines are implemented and actively participate in auditing practice in conjunction with the Line Manager and practice development staff. Ensure that practice is evidence-based and assist in the development of policies and protocols within the clinical area. Uphold high standards of perioperative care, according to existing policies and standards. Support the process of continuous quality improvement, assisting in audits to formally evaluate standards of care and assist in implementing changes in light of such findings. Organise patient transfers both within and outside the department, escorting ill patients as requested.
Contribute to the health education of patients and their families, ensuring that all patients receive appropriate advice and support to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Actively support the implementation of the Trust nursing / local perioperative strategy and uphold the ethos of the local philosophy. Perform clinical work pertaining to the post holder's professional boundaries and clinical skills within other Dartford & Gravesham NHS Trust theatre units as required.
Managerial Responsibilities:
Assist the Senior Nurse in coordinating the provision of care and ensuring effective communication between the multidisciplinary team. Ensure adequate levels of staffing in the recovery area, ensuring balanced cover to meet patient needs and acceptable safety levels. Inform senior managers if staffing levels or skills cannot maintain safe patient care. Manage a high dependency bed when required, providing skilled support to anaesthetic and nursing / ODP colleagues. Exercise leadership and act as a role model at all times within the unit, maintaining a suitable environment for a happy Unit team.
Discuss present performance and future development with the unit manager, using Individual Performance Review in accordance with Nursing Policy. Actively participate in undertaking Performance Development Review of junior staff within the team. Manage the clinical workload effectively, ensuring care is prioritised appropriately. Contribute positively towards the delivery of a cost-effective service, adjusting staffing levels to meet demand and assisting the clinical coordinators to keep within agreed resources.
Assist with the ongoing organisation of the unit, including responsibility for a designated area of practice within the department on a daily basis, to ensure optimal theatre utilisation at all times, facilitating timely admission and discharge of patients. Act as a team leader to an identified group of staff, monitoring and documenting the development of their clinical skills. Develop own skills in recruitment and retention, sickness management, and performance management as determined by the line manager. Actively support the process of risk management and health & safety, upholding relevant policies to promote this and ensuring incidents are reported appropriately (in writing) while helping identify ways of preventing errors and accidents to both patients and staff.
Make a positive contribution to service development affecting the clinical area and positively influence others to adapt to change. Actively promote customer care, assisting in resolving local (informal) complaints and supporting the clinical coordinators to investigate formal problems. Assist with monitoring stock levels of clinical stores and technical equipment, resolving any shortfall as appropriate. Maintain standards of hygiene and cleanliness within the clinical area, taking action to remedy as appropriate and reporting deficits to Senior Nurse and/or Theatre Coordinator/Matron and Service Manager as appropriate.
Communicate varied and complicated information (verbally and in writing) in a way that is understood and conveys the important facts. Resolve local problems/conflicts, keeping managers/others informed and maintaining positive team dynamics across the Division at all times. Take a leadership role in crisis situations, resolving problems as necessary. Maintain confidentiality with regard to personal information pertaining to staff.
Attend and contribute to departmental meetings as required.
Professional Responsibilities:
Assist the manager in ensuring that staff are professionally competent in the performance of their duties and that they receive relevant training and are assessed before being asked to perform duties beyond their training. Assist in maintaining custody of controlled drugs by ordering, checking, and administering, ensuring that staff are instructed in their safe handling and administration as stated in the Trust's Drug Policy. Be guided by advisory documents issued by the NMC, e.g., Code of Professional Conduct, Confidentiality, Administration of Medicines, Exercising Accountability, Scope of Professional Practice.
#J-18808-Ljbffr