Senior Staff Nurse

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Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, (LGT), is a community-focused provider of local and acute care, delivering high-quality services to over one million people living across the London boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich, and Bexley. We provide whole-life care and are here to support our communities to live healthier lives as well as taking care of them when they need us the most.

Employing almost 7,500 colleagues, affectionately known as Team LGT, we provide services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, University Hospital Lewisham, and at over a dozen community settings in Lewisham. We also provide some services at Queen Mary's Hospital in Sidcup.

We have recently launched our new vision and values to mark the LGT10 - the tenth anniversary of our Trust forming in 2013. Our trust vision is to be exceptional. In the quality of our patient care; our support for colleagues; and in the difference we make through our partnerships and in our communities.

To achieve this we value Respect, Compassion, and Inclusion; Being accountable over staying comfortable; Listening over always knowing best; and Succeeding together over achieving alone. You can read more about our visions and values here

Our hospitals and community sites provide a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services, as well as emergency and planned care. The Trust is rated as "good" or "outstanding" in over three-quarters of the services inspected by the Care Quality Commission.

Every year our work includes performing 10,000 procedures in our theatres; bringing seven and a half thousand new lives into the world; carrying out 570,000 visits to patients in their homes or communities and providing emergency care for more than 300,000 patients arriving in our busy Urgent and Emergency Departments.

LGT is a centre for the education and training of medical students enrolled with King's College London's GKT School of Medical Education. We are a training centre for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. We are pioneering new roles that will support the changing needs of our patients and are one of the largest employers of physician associates in the country.

We are committed to working with our partners to deliver the best outcomes for our local communities. This means playing an active role in the South East London Integrated Care System (ICS), and in formal partnerships including the South East London Acute Provider Collaborative, provider partnerships with our local mental health trusts and borough-based boards of the ICS in Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham.

Job overview

We have a vacancy for an enthusiastic, professional and motivated band 6 children's nurse to join our team. Significant post registration experience is essential for this post.

The ward consists of 16 beds/cots and cares for children with varying medical, surgical, ENT, orthopaedic conditions. We have specialist services for Cystic Fibrosis, Sickle Cell and Diabetes.

Main duties of the job

To provide high quality, individualised care to children between the ages of 0-16 years.

To assist the ward sister in leading the nursing team and deputising in their absence.

To monitor standards of care and take appropriate action to maintain and improve.

To act as a mentor, both teaching and supervising student nurses and junior staff nurses.

To respond to the children's and their families concerns and respond accordingly.

To employ effective communication skills with the children and their families and with the MDT.

Working for our organisation

Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:

1. Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
2. Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
3. Improving the experience of staff with disability
4. Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
5. Making equalities mainstream

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. To provide high quality, effective, individualised care to all children, by assessing care needs and developing, implementing and evaluating them without supervision.
2. To assist the Clinical Nurse Manager and/or Matron in leading the nursing team and deputise in their absence.
3. To monitor standards of nursing care and take appropriate action to maintain and improve them.
4. To utilise a variety of strategies to communicate effectively with children, families, the multi-disciplinary team, other departments within the trust and pertinent agencies outside the organisation.
5. To respond to children's and families' concerns as they arise and take remedial action as required.
6. To act as a mentor, teaching and supervising junior staff including student nurses and health care support workers.

KEY RESULT AREA
Clinical Responsibilities

1. Act as a clinical leader and role model for the nursing team, setting standards and expectations of quality of care and developing techniques to ensure a client orientated service.
2. Carry out planned care for a group of children without direct supervision.
3. Ensure the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of evidence based, individualised patient care.
4. Supervise programmes of care given by junior staff and students.
5. Ensure the legibility and accuracy of documentation, in such a manner that enables the information to be effectively handed over to other staff.
6. Have responsibility for the correct administration and custody of medicines according to local and Trust policy.
7. Ensure registered nurses monitor children's progress, work towards safe and timely discharge plans and ensure barriers to discharge are identified and acted on appropriately.
8. Deal with concerns raised by children and families in a proactive manner and take remedial action as necessary, as per Trust policy, informing the Clinical Nurse Manager and/or Modern Matron.
9. To maintain accurate records and prepare accurate statements concerning accidents, clinical incidents and complaints, as required by the Clinical Nurse Manager and/or Modern Matron.
10. Work with the Clinical Nurse Manager and/or Matron to ensure adherence to all official recommendations, guidelines and regulations relating to child protection.
11. Identify and refer children in need/at risk as per Child Protection guidelines and procedures.
12. Maintain competency in advanced resuscitation skills by successful completion of a recognised course (PILS/APLS).

Managerial Responsibilities

1. Be responsible for the daily management of the ward/department, in the absence of the Clinical Nurse Manager and/or Matron.
2. Plan, organise and deploy staff according to ability and workload in order to meet the children's needs. This will include anticipating problems where they may exist and to inform the Clinical Nurse Manager and/or Modern Matron of the day of any changes in staff requirements as may result from changes in patient dependency, in the event of insufficient manpower being available.
3. Ensure that nursing practices comply with local and Trust policies and procedures.
4. Communicate effectively at all times and maintain a harmonious working environment.
5. Assist in organising regular ward/department meetings and attend unit and other meetings as and when appropriate. Ensure effective communication is developed via team briefing or other methods to enable staff to fulfil their proper functions.
6. Maintain a safe and healthy environment.
7. Assist the Clinical Nurse Manager and/or Matron in compiling duty rotas and be responsible for arranging adequate staff cover.
8. Assist the Clinical Nurse Manager and/or Matron in the monitoring of sickness and absence levels.
9. With the Clinical Nurse Manager and/or Modern Matron participate in the selection and recruitment of junior staff.
10. Assist in ensuring the availability of resources for patient care.
11. Ensure equipment is in good working order and report appropriately when defective.
12. Support the Clinical Nurse Manager and/or Matron and exercise leadership by example. To be aware of the effect of change amongst all staff and the importance of ensuring that any change in clinical or managerial policy is effectively communicated to all staff.
13. Actively participate in nursing research, ensuring that appropriate, relevant and valid research findings are incorporated in clinical practice.
14. Participate in the implementation of continuous quality improvements within the ward/department, in line with Trust policies, commissioners' specifications and the NHS Plan and NSF for Children.
15. Lead the implementation of nursing audit on the ward/department and facilitate the development of multi-disciplinary audit within the directorate.
16. Ensure competence in information technology skills, relevant to ward/department.
17. Ensure the economical use of resources.
18. Carry the crash bleep when required, responding to emergency calls within the unit.
19. Promote and develop the philosophy of child and family centred care within the ward/department, ensuring that nursing staff are responsible to the needs of the individual children and their families.
20. Be proficient in relevant I.T. skills.

Education, Training and Personal Development.

1. Participate in the education of the child and family regarding aspects of care and promotion of health and the prevention of illness.
2. Assist in the annual appraisal process and ensure all staff have an individual performance review and a personal development plan in place as delegated by and in consultation with the Clinical Nurse Manager and/or Matron.
3. Assist the Clinical Nurse Manager and/or Matron in orientating all new staff and students to the ward/department.
4. Provide teaching and development to the nursing team and students, assisting them to achieve their learning outcomes.
5. Act as a role model, mentor and preceptor to the nursing team.
6. Provide evidence based Health Education/Health Promotion to children and their carers.

Professional Responsibilities

• To keep up to date with current developments in nursing and ensure evidence based practice.
• Maintain personal records of continuing professional development.
• Contribute to the delivery of the trust's Nursing Strategy.
• To act in accordance with NMC Code of Professional Conduct.
• Ensure confidentiality at all times, only relating confidential information obtained to those acting in an official capacity.
• To be aware of and take appropriate action in regard to cardiac arrest, fire and major incident.
• Understand your role and responsibilities in Safeguarding Children; identifying and referring children and families in need / at risk.

Person specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential criteria

• RSCN or RN Child
• PILS provider
• Functioning at minimum diploma level
• Mentorship level 5/6 or applied for.
• High Dependency module or equivalent level of experience.

Desirable criteria

• Functioning at degree level.

Experience

Essential criteria

• Good written & verbal communication skills.
• Ability to document legibly and precisely
• Significant post registration experience at band 5 or above.
• Interest & experience in teaching.
• Acute Children's ward experience.

Desirable criteria

• Significant experience of working with children and family.
• Competent in IV drug administration.
• Experience in managing the ward on a regular basis.

We reserve the right to close the post before the stated closing date, please apply early. We do not contact applicants with the outcome of the shortlisting. If you have been shortlisted, you will receive an invite to an assessment day or interview.

As a local employer and anchor institution we work closely with our community to recruit locally and we welcome applications from the widest variety of people to ensure our workforce are reflective of the local communities which we serve. We encourage all suitable candidates to apply including if you are Black, Asian or other ethnic minorities, live with a disability (visible or not) or are LGBT+. We have a number of active staff networks including Disability, LGBT+, Multicultural Inclusion and Women's staff networks to bring staff together and celebrate diversity across our whole workforce.

Please note, not all roles will meet the criteria for a skilled worker visa.

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

• JD (PDF, 359.2KB)
• Working at LGT (PDF, 4.2MB)