Job summary The Nursing Associate works alongside the clinical team within Shirley Health Partnership (SHP). The post holder will be an integral part of the practice team, working as and when required within SHP. Their principal task is to support registered nurses to enable them to be able to focus on the more complex clinical care of patients. This job description and person specification is based on: The Royal College of Nursing Standards of proficiency for Nursing Associates. (published 10th October 2018) The Royal College of Nursing job description guidance: Guidance for employers of Nursing Associates Nursing associates should aim to meet the same standards of behaviour and conduct as nurses and midwives and adhere to the same Code which seeks to: o Prioritise people o Practise effectively o Preserve safety o Promote professionalism and trust SHP must ensure that the post holder has access to appropriate clinical supervision and an appropriate named individual to provide general advice and support on a day-to-day basis. Mission statement To provide an appropriate and rewarding experience for our patients whenever they need our support Our core values that are shared among the partners and staff are: Openness Fairness Respect Accountability The partnership has always prided itself on providing high quality medicine in a traditional family practice setting and that has been the unwritten rule for many years. We believe we are respected by our peers and we have built a positive relationship with our colleagues both in secondary care and and community healthcare. Confidentiality SHP is committed to maintaining an outstanding confidential service. Patients entrust and permit us to collect and retain sensitive information relating to their health and other matters pertaining to their care. They do so in confidence and have a right to expect all staff will respect their privacy and maintain confidentiality. Quality and Continuous Improvement (CI) To preserve and improve the quality of SHP outputs, all personnel are required to think not only of what they do but how they achieve it. By continually re-examining our processes, we will be able to develop and improve the overall effectiveness of the way we work. The responsibility for this rests with everyone working within SHP to look for opportunities to improve quality and share good practice and to discuss, highlight and work with the team to create opportunities to improve patient care. Induction We will provide a full induction program, and management will support you throughout the process. Learning and development The effective use of training and development is fundamental in ensuring that all staff are equipped with the appropriate skills, knowledge, attitude and competences to perform their role. All staff will be required to partake in and complete mandatory training as directed. It is an expectation for this post holder to assess their own learning needs and undertake learning as appropriate. The post holder will provide an educational role to patients, carers, families and colleagues in an environment that facilitates learning. Collaborative working All staff are to recognise the significance of collaborative working and understand their own role and scope and identify how this may develop over time. Staff are to prioritise their own workload and ensure effective time-management strategies are embedded within the culture of the team. Teamwork is essential in multidisciplinary environments and the post holder is to work as an effective and responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working and work effectively with others to clearly define values, direction and policies impacting upon care delivery Effective communication is essential, and all staff must ensure they communicate in a manner which enables the sharing of information in an appropriate manner. All staff should delegate clearly and appropriately, adopting the principles of safe practice and assessment of competence. Managing information All staff should use technology and appropriate software as an aid to management in the planning, implementation and monitoring of care and presenting and communicating information. Service delivery Staff will be given detailed information during the induction process regarding policy and procedure. The post holder must adhere to the information contained within SHP and local practice policies and regional directives, ensuring protocols are always adhered to. Security The security of SHP is the responsibility of all personnel. The post holder must ensure they always remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately to their line manager. Under no circumstances are staff to share the codes for the door locks with anyone and are to ensure that restricted areas remain effectively secured. Likewise, password controls are to be maintained and are not to be shared. Professional conduct All staff are required to dress appropriately for their role. Leave All personnel are entitled to take leave. Line managers are to ensure all their staff are afforded the opportunity to take their leave each year and should be encouraged to take all their leave entitlement. Public holidays will be calculated on a pro-rated basis dependent on the number of hours worked. Primary key responsibilities The Nursing Associate is to undertake the following key responsibilities in delivering health services: a. Delivery of high quality, compassionate care while undertaking specific clinical and care tasks under the direction of a nominated individual with a focus on promoting good health and independence b. To provide high-quality holistic and person-centred care to individuals c. To provide routine care to patients as required in accordance with clinical based evidence, NICE and the NSF d. To provide wound care, dressings and other clinical tasks as required e. To work as part of the SHPs MDT to provide and monitor care, under direct or indirect supervision f. To improve safety and quality of care at every opportunity g. To contribute to the delivery of integrated care h. To work with SHPs MDT to ensure delivery of nursing associate duties to complement existing workforce i. To work with a mentorto take responsibility for developing own clinical competence, leadership and reflective practice skills within the workplace j. To provide support and supervision to training nursing associates, healthcare assistants, apprentices and those on learning assignments/placements as required k. To support registered nurses to enable them to be able to focus on the more complex clinical care. l. To develop relationships across the MDT to support integration of the role across health and social care including primary care, secondary care and mental health m. To perform and record clinical observations such as blood pressure, temperature, respirations and pulse n. After undertaking additional training, to provide flu vaccinations, ECGs and venepuncture and other relevant clinical tasks as required by SHP in line with the competencies of the role o. To promote health and wellbeing to all patients, for example undertaking the NHS health check p. To care for individuals with dementia, mental health conditions and learning disabilities q. To provide wound care (ulcer/Doppler etc.) to patients r. To provide support during minor operations as required s. To advise patients on general healthcare and promote self-management where appropriate, including signposting patients to personalised care colleagues and local community and voluntary sector services t. To communicate proactively and effectively with all MDT colleagues attending and contributing to meetings as required u. To maintain accurate and contemporaneous patient health records ensuring that clinical data is appropriately recorded with SNOMED CT codes v. To process pathology results as required w. To enhance own performance through continuous professional development, imparting own knowledge and behaviours to meet the needs of the service x. To work with your line manager to access regular clinical supervision to enable you to deal effectively with the difficult issues that people present y. To contribute to and embrace the spectrum of clinical governance z. To attend a formal appraisal with your manager at least every 12 months. Once a performance/training objective has been set, progress will be reviewed on a regular basis so that new objectives can be agreed aa. To contribute to public health campaigns (e.g., flu clinics) through advice or direct care bb. To support and deliver health promotion and wellbeing programmes including any opportunistic delivery cc. Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area Secondary key responsibilities In addition to the primary responsibilities, the Nursing Associate may be requested to: a. Be an accountable professional b. Support delivery of QOF, incentive schemes, QIPP and other quality or cost effectiveness initiatives enhancing service delivery and patient care c. Undertake any tasks consistent with the level of the post and the scope of the role, ensuring that work is delivered in a timely and effective manner. d. Duties may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the post or the level of responsibility. e. To understand practice and departmental policies f. Undertake all mandatory training and induction programs. g. To act as a chaperone h. There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks. This will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels