Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trusts
The Nottingham therapeutic apheresis service is a rapidly growing service based within clinical haematology at Nottingham city hospital. The apheresis service provides a range of procedures including stem cell harvesting for both patients and donors, T-Cell collection, plasma exchange, red blood cell exchange, and therapeutic photopheresis. The apheresis service provides treatment for patients who are referred from Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and Staffordshire. We are also closely linked with our Haematology Daycase unit where we deliver different treatments such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and blood product transfusions.
Main Duties of the Job
As an apheresis nurse, you will work closely with the apheresis lead clinical nurse specialist to provide all aspects of clinical care for patients and stem cell donors. This involves working as part of a highly skilled specialist team, acting as a source of clinical expertise. Most importantly, it means maintaining high standards of care and ensuring best practice and clinical effectiveness is achieved. You will be trained to perform a wide range of apheresis procedures including stem cell collections, red cell exchanges, plasma exchanges, and extracorporeal photopheresis. Participation in our 24-hour on-call service in addition to your contracted hours is required. The post holder will be based at City Campus, NUH. Core working hours are Monday to Friday 08:00 - 18:00, on-call hours are from 18:00 - 08:00 weekday nights and 24 hours on weekends.
Job Responsibilities
1. Clinical:
1. Taking responsibility for the care of a caseload of patients requiring specialist Apheresis procedures under the guidance of the Apheresis Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist.
2. To be a highly competent, knowledgeable, and visible practitioner within the specialty ensuring the provision of excellent, evidence-based nursing care for patients and their families.
3. Take direct referrals, in accordance with apheresis service guidelines as appropriate, and assess, treat, and refer patients to other members of the clinical team as required.
4. Work alongside all members of the team to identify new ways of working that ensure high quality of care is delivered.
5. Be a visible point of contact for patients, visitors, relatives, and staff, acting as a resource for information and support.
6. Ensure pre-collection patient/donor evaluation is complete for autologous and allogeneic stem cell collections.
7. In conjunction with the ward/referral hospital, provide advice and support to colleagues and patients to ensure the mobilisation regime is carried out as per protocol.
8. Develop skill in care of the central venous catheter, venepuncture, cannulation, intravenous drugs, chemotherapy, and venesection, apheresis, and blood product administration in accordance with the hospitals guidelines for clinical practice.
9. Participate in applying and understanding the principles of cytotoxic handling and disposal as stipulated in local departmental policies and national legislation.
10. Be a role model and example, ensuring that the dignity, rights, and confidentiality of the patient and individual team members are protected and maintained in accordance with national standards and guidelines.
11. In conjunction with the MDT, ensure that patient care plans are regularly reviewed and evaluated. Ensure nursing records and documentation is maintained and current. Be a key member of the MDT in supporting patients and their carers during the delivery of bad news, caring for terminally ill patients, and the event of death.
2. Managerial:
1. Take charge and lead the apheresis unit in the absence of the Apheresis Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist.
2. Take an active role in influencing service development through specific research and audit projects.
3. Responsible for supporting the Apheresis lead Clinical Nurse Specialist to help gain both the JACIE and Human Tissue Authority accreditation for the Apheresis department as required to practice as a transplant centre.
4. In collaboration with the transplant programme director and senior nurses, ensure compliance with pre-established specifications/standards (JACIE/HTA) that underpin the quality of the transplant service with a specific focus on our apheresis service.
5. Work with the Haematology Quality Manager to maintain and update Standard Operational Procedures (SOPS) for all aspects of apheresis.
6. Assist with the establishment, motivation, and development of the team.
7. Contribute to the creation of a positive team and working environment, promoting flexible working. Encourage all team members to demonstrate initiative in their application to practice. Identify and minimize interpersonal conflicts that may affect team or individual performance.
8. Convey and present information, written or verbal, formally or informally, as appropriate. Ensure confidentiality is maintained at all times in-line with Trust policy and procedure.
9. Maintain and support the unit with accurate incident reporting, ensuring the appropriate action is taken where required.
10. Apply the Directorate and Trust clinical governance strategies to the clinical area.
11. Support the Apheresis lead Clinical Nurse Specialist with an annual audit plan to help develop and implement new processes within the apheresis.
12. Become competent at handling and investigating incidents using Datix and receive the training to do so.
13. Improve and maintain standards in nursing care by working with the ward manager using tools such as benchmarking and audit.
3. On-call Service:
You will be responsible for working autonomously and accountable for the prescribing of emergency nursing care whilst working out of hours/on-call. This will be for emergency apheresis procedures including plasma exchange, red blood exchange, and out of hours stem cell harvesting.
4. Audit and Research:
As a member of the quality management team, review current standards of care delivery through audit projects, undertaking audit and research projects where required and encourage team members to be involved. Encourage and facilitate evidence-based practice in all aspects of care delivery.
5. Professional:
1. Take an active role in self-development by reviewing performance, identifying own development needs, and taking the appropriate action in order to meet those needs and help to take the lead on the development of apheresis team objectives.
2. Create a positive learning environment within clinical settings, to encourage and facilitate individual and shared learning and professional development.
3. Ensure you attend any relevant training or Apheresis study days, chemotherapy, and haematology study days.
4. Help support the Clinical Nurse Specialist by implementing change in response to clinical, organisational, and national demands, in agreement with appropriate others in the unit.
Person Specification
Commitment to Trust Values and Behaviours
* Must be able to demonstrate behaviours consistent with the Trust's "We are here for you" behavioural standards.
Training & Qualifications
* Current level one NMC registration
* Intravenous medication package
* Blood transfusion trained
* Venepuncture and cannulation skills
* Evidence of continuing professional development
* Trained in apheresis procedures
* Chemotherapy trained
* Teaching and assessing qualification
* Research experience
Experience
* Experience in a haematology setting
* Ability to convey sensitive information in an empathetic manner to patients/carers and staff.
* Supervision of non-registered staff and students
* Demonstrate an involvement in link nurse or project work
* Experience using ICT systems
* Apheresis experience
* Experience of service development/service improvement
* Teaching and assessing experience
* Audit or research experience
* Experience of developing policies and procedures
* Evidence of data collection and analysis
Communication and Relationship Skills
* Demonstrate effective written and verbal communication skills
* Produce timely and accurate written/electronic documents
* Can minimise interpersonal conflict and barriers to communication
* Demonstration of team working and ability to work within a team
* Evidence of negotiation and influencing skills
* Experience of giving presentations/providing formal teaching sessions
Analytical and Judgement Skills
* Recognition of own level of competence and limitations and is able to communicate these to appropriate staff
* Ability to identify own learning needs
* Demonstrate an ability to assess, plan, deliver, prioritise, and evaluate patient care
* Evidence of making autonomous decisions around patient care in high-pressure situations.
* Able to recognise gaps in service provision
Planning and Organisation Skills
* Demonstrate an ability to prioritise own workload
* Demonstrate an ability to supervise and support others
* Demonstrate the ability to manage emergency situations and respond appropriately
* Able to contribute to the development, implementation, and monitoring of local objectives and action plans
Physical Skills
* Physically able to perform the full range of nursing duties
* Dexterity and accuracy in undertaking clinical skills
* Competent and capable of using medical equipment
* Able to undertake manual handling manoeuvres
Other Requirements
* Flexible and adaptable
* Enthusiastic and well-motivated
* Ability to work on call during evenings and weekends
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.
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