Senior Sister/Charge Nurse

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Job overview

An opportunity has come up to join our Band 7 team on Children's Intensive Care. We need an experienced, highly motivated individual who can work with our team to deliver high quality patient care. This is an amazing opportunity develop into a new role and will be vital to helping to achieve your future goals. The role of the Senior Sister / Charge Nurse is pivotal in providing leadership and support to our nurses, while ensuring the department is managed smoothly and this opportunity will allow you to gain new skills in leadership and management.

We are a busy regional Children's Intensive Care Unit (CICU) providing critical care for children across the East Midlands and to our network hospitals within our region. CICU has a sister unit within the East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre (EMCHC) that cares for children with congenital heart conditions and who also require extra corporeal heart and lung support. The post holder will be required to work across the 2 units working towards collaborative working as the 2 units will merge as part of the Children's Hospital reconfiguration and the development of a standalone Children's Hospital. It is an exciting time as we are an expanding service with a new and emerging network developing and a new Children's Hospital being planned. Now is the time to join our team and become part of our amazing transformation!

Main duties of the job

The post holderwill be accountable and responsible for CICU, visible, accessible and responsive to the needs of service users, patients, carers and the public.

The post holderwill be an expert clinical practitioner in the field, be required to work clinical shifts as well as providing managerial cover, and be an enthusiastic integral member of our well established and committed team, with over 50 members of nursing staff, providing and supervising the delivery of excellent quality care.

Wider responsibilities include the provision of a supportive learning environment for continuing education; reporting to the Matron and supporting the wider organisation; reduction of risk and audit; managing resources and information; and co-ordinating activity and flow and the provision of care within the Paediatric Intensive Care Service at UHL.

You should be positive and adaptable to a changing environment that prides itself on quality and efficiency. You will be given the opportunity to learn and develop new leadership and management skills and act as a role model for best practice to junior staff. This role will also allow for further development opportunities within our team. A calm, diplomatic and caring approach is necessary and you must have the ability to deal with the varied and challenging demands. You must have the ability to multi-task and prioritise under pressure, work within a large multi-disciplinary team and ensure the trust values are incorporated in to practice

Working for our organisation

Our new strategy, developed with the support and feedback of colleagues, patients, and partners, is our compass for the next seven years (2023-2030).

We have four primary goals:

• high-quality care for all,
• being a great place to work,
• partnerships for impact, and
• research and education excellence

And we will embed health equality in all we do - taking active steps to reduce the avoidable differences in healthcare that some people face, working in partnership with communities.

Our strategy is underpinned by new values and we will work to ensure they are an everyday reality for all:

• we are compassionate,
• we are proud,
• we are inclusive, and
• we are one team

This is an exciting moment as we look to the future with clarity on what we already do well and where we need to focus our energies to make an even bigger difference for the people we serve.

About the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust:

http://www.leicestershospitals.nhs.uk/aboutus/work-for-us/current-vacanc...

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

KEY RESULT AREAS

Leadership

• To be a visible, accessible and assertive figure to whom patients, relatives and staff can turn for assistance, advice and support.
• In the absence of the Matron lead the unit team and build successful links between nursing and other professions to support and promote effective multi-disciplinary team working.
• To lead and support the unit team through a process of change, demonstrating tenacity, drive, professional integrity, balance and perspective.
• To develop the role of other team members, supporting them in gaining the appropriate competencies to achieve the required standards of care.
• To motivate all team members and lead innovation and expertise in clinical practice by example.
• Through effective communication, disseminate information across the healthcare teams.
• To resolve conflict and ensure feedback and planning for the future occurs.

Care Delivery

• To practice clinically at an expert level to ensure that all patients within the unit have their needs assessed and that programmes of care are developed to meet those needs and are delivered in accordance with the unit philosophy.
• To act as the lead specialist for the area on a shift with responsibility for interpreting clinical information and having freedom to act while discussing findings and plans of care with other members of the multi-disciplinary team.
• Advise other members of the multidisciplinary team on clinical issues, determining how the clinical aspects of the care is delivered by others on the shift (within care protocols)
• Act as a resource and advisor, responsible for the allocation of patients to staff and the co-ordination of care delivery to the critically ill patients.
• Maintain efficient and effective communication with the Matron on issues relating to the unit and patient care and make autonomous decisions in their absence.
• Monitor the quality of patient care and participate in the regular evaluation of patient satisfaction. Identify areas of poor performance, developing and implementing strategies to improve performance.
• Build working relationships with other departments, referring hospitals and wards. Facilitate communication regarding shared care and meeting the needs of patients and carers.
• Undertakes expanded clinical responsibilities that utilise advanced knowledge and skills, and work autonomously within the Scope of Professional Practice in the Critical Care Unit, following education and/or update of skills, in relation to extended clinical tasks/roles required for this post.
• Facilitate change, act as a role model and identify and lead the implementation of appropriate new practices.
• To proactively identify opportunities to expand roles, working in conjunction with Professional Development Nurses to devise protocols accordingly.
• Together with the Matron and Head of Nursing develop auditable standards of care, supporting the national benchmarking scheme.
• To act at all times with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct, rules and code of practice.

Person specification

Training & Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Registered Children's Nurse or NMC registered with appropriate experience in the specialty
• Post registration qualifications in PICU and HDU care
• Degree level education in health related sciences
• Recognised NMC teaching and assessing qualification
• Advanced Paediatric Life Support Certification

Skills & Abilities

Essential criteria

• Expert practitioner in PICU
• Teaching and assessment skills
• Effective communication skills is complex situations
• Evidence of effective leadership skills

Communication Skills

Essential criteria

• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Evidence of creative and innovative thinking
• Effective communicator and negotiator during complex situations
• Experience in formal teaching
• Able to motivate others
• Evidence/experience in change management

Planning & Organisational

Essential criteria

• Experience in planning, implementing and evaluating staff development
• Able to prioritise
• Ability to lead a team

Resource Utilisation

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of budgetary management and effective use of resources

Equality & Diversity

Essential criteria

• Demonstrates a commitment and understanding of the importance of treating all individuals with dignity and respect

Experience

Essential criteria

• Suitable post registration clinical experience and appropriate experience within the specialty at Band 6
• Experience in clinical audit and interpreting and actioning results

Analytical & Judgement Skills

Essential criteria

• Effectively co-ordinates a multi-disciplinary team
• Demonstrates leadership skills
• Self confidence and ability to cope under pressure

Additional Information

Please submit your application form without delay to avoid disappointment; we will close vacancies prior to the publishing closing date if we receive a sufficient number of completed application forms.

Please check the email account (including your junk mail) that you supplied as part of your application on a regular basis following the closing date and throughout the recruitment process, as this is how we will communicate with you.

UHL is an equal opportunities employer. We aim to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds who match our job criteria.

Applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria for the job will be interviewed if you indicate you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme. If you require a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process please make the recruitment services team aware as soon as possible.

UHL is committed to helping colleagues balance the demands of both their work and personal needs through flexible working arrangements wherever reasonably practicable and subject to service needs.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

Please note if you are successful in obtaining this position and the post involves regulated activity you will be required to undertake a Disclosure & Barring Service check.

The Trust will pay for the check initially and the money will then be deducted from your salary over a three month period commencing on your first month's payment.

The current price of a check is £38 for an enhanced and £18 for a standard check.

COVID 19 Risk Assessment

Due to the current Covid pandemic we have introduced a staff risk assessment into our pre-employment process. This now forms part of the mandatory pre-employment checks that will be carried out if you receive a conditional offer.

The risk assessment is intended to ensure you are able to safely perform your duties in any of our work areas, and if you have been identified as being particularly vulnerable to coronavirus. Our main aim is to reduce risk and to ensure the safety of all new starters to the Trust as well as current staff, patients and visitors.

If it is identified that you are within a vulnerable category, we will endeavor to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate this through discussions with both Occupational Health and your recruiting manager.

Covid Vaccination Status

Covid-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself, family, colleagues and our patients/service users from the Covid-19 virus. We therefore continue to encourage our current and potential colleagues to get vaccinated.

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust holds the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of everything it does and all that it stands for. We are committed to developing a workforce that is representative of the community we serve. We welcome applications from the diverse community of Leicester, Leicester and Rutland, to help deliver healthcare services that meets the needs of our diverse communities.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

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.

Documents to download

• JDPS (PDF, 632.5KB)
• Understanding your right to work in the UK (PDF, 1.1MB)
• Employee Benefits (PDF, 578.5KB)