Senior Sister/Charge Nurse

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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical

• Lead on assessing planning and implementing high quality care, and evaluating care options for patients in the clinical area, in line with the Trust values and objectives

• Lead on complex clinical care for patients within critical care

• Ensure the safe custody, maintenance and administration of medication, in accordance with established Trust policy

• Promote and maintain a safe therapeutic environment for patients, their families and staff, according to national and local Infection Control guidelines, Health & Safety legislation and Trust policies and objectives

• Coordinate discharges and transfers, promoting timely and safe processes for them

• Ensure that patient flow and the management of beds is effective and safe

• Ensure the delivery of high quality end of life care in line with national pathways

• Maintain a good understanding and implementation of clinical escalation procedures as required

• Understand the Trust clinical governance framework, and participate in the promoting and safeguarding of high standards of care, through effective risk management & governance, and adherence to the Trust values

• Ensure that the team promote, ensure and adhere to the Trust safeguarding polices

• Undertake effective multi professionally work with colleagues to deliver care

• Coordinate and manage nurse led clinics where appropriate

• Coordinate specialist functions, including making clinical decisions where appropriate

• Monitor quality of standards of care, in line with CQC requirements and Trust and Divisional objectives

• Deliver and supervise a high quality patient experience

• Work with manager to collect and disseminate data on quality indicators etc, in line with national and Trust objectives

• Maintain a safe working environment, including ensuring equipment is safe, and used in line with Trust policy and values

• Promote and maintain patient safety at all times, including proactively implementing falls and pressure ulcer prevention and safe medicine management

• Lead role in the detection, management and prevention of safeguarding issues

• Have an awareness of current professional and clinical developments within their area of practice and promote this to others

Leadership and management

• Manage the day to day staffing arrangements and rotas, to ensure safe levels of practice

• Be a shift coordinator on a regular basis where appropriate

• Ensure staff adhere to Trust protocols of care, eg Infection Control

• Take continuing responsibility for the Ward / Department in absence of manager

• Participate in senior nurse / unit on call rota / bleep holder (some areas, eg paediatrics) as appropriate

• Lead and manage their own clinical team within general clinical areas, and of the total team in the absence of the manager, in line with Trust values

• Develop and maintain effective communication and working relationships with other professional groups, and staff generally within the Division and the Trust

• Contribute to the effective management of the area by ensuring correct levels of staff are in place to deliver and assist with the planning of off duty rotas

• Assist in the delivery of induction / orientation of new staff

• Act as a role model, ensuring staff work to Trust guidelines and values

• Supervise, under the direction of their manager, the work of qualified and unqualified staff and learners

• Provide clinical support and guidance to staff

• Act as a resource for clinical knowledge to staff

• Initiate action on complaints & incident management and responses, and assist in their investigation and resolution

• Participate in recruitment and selection, and develop effective selection and interviewing skills

• Undertake appraisals of staff, following training

• Chair team meetings as required

• Lead on specific projects, as indicated and agreed by manager

• Have a working knowledge of budget arrangements for area, focussing on cost effectiveness and quality, to ensure maximum use of resource

• Understand and manage local change with team members, including the embedding of new projects

Education & research

• Actively support and assist in preceptorship and in pre-registration student support, supervision and guidance including mentorship where appropriate

• Identify and respond to learning needs for area

• Develop and deliver or organise local training sessions, mindful of the Trust values

• Facilitate others in the development of informal teaching skills

• Participate in the annual training needs analysis for their area

• Participate in any local or related research projects, clinical trials etc

• Apply and encourage others to utilise evidence based practice and relevant research findings in practice

• Identify areas of nursing / midwifery research within their area that will be of benefit, and encourage and educate other staff to recognise the importance of research

• Participate in clinical supervision / acting as supervisor

Professional development

• Maintain professional registration

• Ensure mandatory training and a satisfactory appraisal is in date

• Undertake a professional development plan and demonstrate achievement of objectives

• Ensure adherence to Trust policy and guidelines at all times

• Role model Trust values at all times

Communication and relationship building

• Know and utilize Trust values in all working relationships to patients, corers and staff.

• Demonstrate good leadership skills and ensure that communication is effective between the patient, relatives and members of the multidisciplinary team, and ensure appropriate nursing input into patient care discussions

• Ensure communication is used effectively in the interests of patient care, including the use of clinical incident reporting if necessary.

• Communicate handover of care in a professional manner

• Demonstrate politeness, courtesy and sensitivity in dealing with patients/clients, visitors/relatives and colleagues, maintaining good customer relations and recognizing individuality and rights for each patient in line with Trust values.

• Work cohesively with all members of the ward team in ensuring that the very best services to patients are provided at all times

• Work effectively within a multi-racial and cultural environment

Specific skills / Competencies for the Intensive Care Unit

Team Management

• Coordinating and managing a team through facilitation of effective team function, promotion of team development and ensure that the team meets identified standards of care of best practice. Including:

• Ensure team days take place

• Responsible for ensuring all staff have a PDR and maintain their revalidation

• creating an environment for mutual support within the team

• ensuring good communication exists within team members

• monitoring participation of team members in inter team projects

• Ensuring that team undertake patient reviews at least three monthly.

• Monitoring and auditing the quality of care provided to patient's

• Care planning and documentation

• Reviewing and learning from Patient feedback

• Completion of Mandatory updates.

Shift Co-ordinating

• To act as a shift co-ordinator on a regular basis, ensuring the following occur:

• Planning and allocation of staff in accordance to continuity, skill mix, student nurses, bank or agency staff and developmental needs of staff.

• Effective handover of patient care between shifts (both coordinator and bedside staff)

• Providing clinical support and learning opportunities for staff , Ensures that staff are aware of teaching sessions/inter team projects and attend them

• Maintenance of quality issues (damp dusting, documentation)

• Management of the ward round and plan of care for patients

• Maintaining unit infrastructure including the coordination of patient admissions and discharges to the unit; maintaining quality issues, stock levels, transfer of patients via EBS and appropriate staffing levels.

• Maintaining a safe environment through the checking of emergency equipment, preparation of bed areas, adherence to trust policies, maintenance of equipment, reporting of clinical incidents and staff performance

Other responsibilities

• Supporting other departments through expert advice and clinical support when required

• Networking with the northwest London critical care network

• To develop ICU research based guidelines with support of colleagues.

• To lead one of the ICU -team projects and facilitate the management of change in relation to inter-team group project work.

• On completion of ALS training to act as a member of the Trust Resuscitation Team

• To act as primary nurse for designated patients and deliver primary nursing reviews/case reviews. (Chelsea site only)

• Provide formal teaching sessions in relation to critical care as part of the Foundations of critical care programme

• To act up in the absence of the lead nurse/matron

Person specification

Trust Values

Essential criteria

• Putting patients first
• Responsive to patients and staff
• Open and honest
• Unfailingly kind
• Determined to develop

Education and qualifications

Essential criteria

• Registered Nurse
• Diploma in Higher education or Degree
• Critical Care Course
• ALS Provider
• Evidence of leadership course
• Evidence of teaching / mentorship qualification

Desirable criteria

• Master qualification

Experience

Essential criteria

• Relevant post reg experience at Band 6 level
• Wide variety of clinical experience.
• Experience of excellence in leading all /part of a clinical team in practice.
• Experience of teaching and supporting learners / new staff etc

Skills and knowledge

Essential criteria

• Proven clinical knowledge linked to area of specialty, and excellence in care delivery
• Proven knowledge of safety issues through clinical governance and risk management
• Proven leadership and deputising skills in clinical area
• Excellent communication skills with patients, relatives, staff and external contacts, including in challenging situations, demonstrating respect and kindness.
• Knowledge of current challenging and issues in nursing
• Commitment to teaching and learning for self and others
• Computer literacy skills
• Commitment to quality initiatives and research
• Clinical decision making skills and ability to prioritise workload

Desirable criteria

• Clinical decision making skills and ability to prioritise workload
• Commitment to quality initiatives and research

Personal qualities

Essential criteria

• Effective role model, demonstrating values of safety, respect kindness and excellence
• Enthusiastic and motivated
• Self-starter and able to work on own initiative
• Able to remain calm under pressure
• Able to act as a patient's advocate
• Approachable, respectful, supportive adaptable, and assertive

Important

• The closing date given is a guide only. There may be some occasions when we have to close a vacancy once sufficient applications have been received. You are therefore advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
• Please check your emails regularly as this is how we will communicate with you throughout the recruitment process.
• If you have not heard from us within 3 weeks after the closing date, we regret that this usually means your application was not successful.
• In submitting an application, you authorise the Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process, should you be appointed to the post.
• During the recruitment process your identity documentation (ie passport, driving licence, visa etc) will be scanned using a device which recognises UV, infrared and machine-readable zone security features of the documents provided.
• Employment at the Trust is offered subject to successful completion of a six month probationary period.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have regular contact with vulnerable people and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

• Senior sister/charge nurse (PDF, 752.3KB)
• Guidance for applicants (PDF, 85.4KB)
• Policy Statement (PDF, 144.5KB)
• Staff Benefits and Wellbeing (PDF, 196.5KB)
• Recruitment Pack (PDF, 2.8MB)