Detailed job description and main responsibilities

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• To participate as a member of the IPU core nursing team with knowledge in the care of the patients on the unit.
• To demonstrate high standards of individual patient care with a commitment to the development of evidence-based practice.
• To competently care for the patient including the assessment, planning and evaluation of programs of care.
• Liaise and integrate with the multi-disciplinary team, ensuring patients receive comprehensive care and promote a team approach to working.
• Develop good working relationships and promote effective communication between all clinical grades of staff within the multi-disciplinary IPU team.
• The post holder will be proactive towards change and change management.
• Take responsibility for your own professional development.
• To monitor the progress of learners and in particular their skills in carrying out practical procedures.
• Demonstrate professional accountability.
• Act as a clinical role model for new staff, reflecting the philosophy, beliefs and standards of the department.
• Ensure that all prescribed drugs and treatments are given correctly and in accordance with Trust policy, including the correct care and custody of controlled drugs.
• Offer help and advice to the patient’s relatives and friends responding to their individual needs in a caring supportive manner.
• Ensure safe use and efficient management of equipment and supplies.
• Communicate  using  a  range  of  methods  to  ensure  a  caring,  sensitive  and empathetic manner to patients and their relatives.
• Provide clear and concise patient handover to other members of the team.
• To participate as a member of the IPU team with knowledge in the care of the patients on the unit.
• To competently care for the patient including the assessment, planning and evaluation of programs of care.
• Liaise and integrate with the multi-disciplinary team, ensuring patients receive comprehensive care and promote a team approach to working.
• Demonstrate respect for the individual patient, ensuring religious, cultural and social needs are considered at all times and acknowledge their individual rights.  In all situations ensure consideration is made to the patients cultural background. Recognises people’s differences and act in a non-discriminatory way.
• Recognise and report abusive behaviour to an appropriate member of staff.  Document same. Liaise, communicate and negotiate with colleagues to ensure co-operation in achieving departmental objectives, promoting good working relationships and establishing team spirit. Contribute to effective team working, by being fully involved, committed and participative to achieving full potential.
• Take responsibility for your own professional development.
• Rotate onto the day of surgery admissions unit.
• Rotate into the endoscopy unit.
• Rotate into the nurse lead dressings clinics.
• Escalate concerns  in a patient’s  condition  to  senior  members  of  the nursing team, medical staff
• Initiate referrals to other members of the healthcare team.
• To report departmental affairs to the Sister / Charge Nurse.
• Can priorities workload to manage the care for a group of patients
• To ensure that confidentiality is maintained at all times

Freedom to Act

• Works autonomously. Required to act independently within appropriate guidelines, deciding when it is necessary to refer to their manager.

Physical Effort

• Will be required to be able to undertake a range of manual procedures including assistance with the movement of patients and equipment
• To be able to manoeuvre between patients’ quickly to ensure emergency situations can be attended in a timely fashion.

Mental Effort

• Ability to interpret complex information when there may be frequent, unplanned interruptions throughout the shift.

Infection Control

• Infection Control is everyone’s responsibility.  All staff, both clinical and non clinical, are required to adhere to the Trusts’ Infection Prevention and Control Policies and make every effort to maintain high standards of infection control at all times thereby reducing the burden of Healthcare Associated Infections including MRSA.

Safeguarding Children, Young People and the Vulnerable Adult

• All staff are responsible for ensuring that they are familiar with and adhere to the Trusts Safeguarding procedures and guidelines.
• All staff are required to attend safeguarding awareness training and undertake any additional training in relation to safeguarding relevant to their role.

CLINICAL GOVERNANCE, AUDIT, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

• Work within trust guidelines, policies and standard operating procedures.
• Utilise incident reporting system.
• Support patient and public involvement activities in the  IPU and DOSA area as appropriate, leading to service improvement
• Ensure compliance with untoward incident reporting & near misses
• Promote people’s equality, diversity and rights. Assist  the  IPU Matron in the effective use and monitoring the quality of supplies / equipment
• To take reasonable care for your own Health and Safety and that of any other person who may be affected by your acts or omissions at work.
• Be responsible for the assessment of needs, development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of patient care in line with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) code of Professional Conduct and reflect the Trust’s policies, procedures, standards and guidelines.

Finance/ Physical Resources

• Responsible for the security and safe use of all Trust equipment.
• To be responsible for the maintenance of equipment within the Unit and on DOSA with regular checking of all equipment and ensuring that repairs are performed as soon as possible.
• Assist in the management of resources by participating in the selection, ordering and monitoring of departmental stock items.
• To ensure the safe keeping of patients property and valuables in line with Trust policy
• Assist the Matron to maintain IPU budgets and assist in cost saving projects
  Comply with best practice in the safe use of equipment by self and other members of the team, i.e. trainees / medical and nursing staff

Registered Nurses at The Christie have a responsibility to:

• Maintain Active Status on the NMC
• Act always in accordance with NMC Code of Conduct and guiding documents Adhere to Trust Policy and Procedures. Maintain up to date skills and knowledge and maintain awareness of professional issues.
• Maintain a professional portfolio.