Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Planning and Organisational Duties

Clinical Responsibilities

• Provide a high quality triage assessment of all contacts to the out of hours service.
• Identify life threatening symptoms and influence, act appropriately.
• Provide self-care delivery by advice and management of presenting symptoms.

Communications and Key Working Relationships

• Manage patients in relation to their symptoms and clinical history, via nurse advice, an appointment or visit; with the appropriate clinician i.e. Doctor, Nurse Practitioner or Emergency Care Practitioner, or referral to other agencies (Pharmacist, Dentist, A+E, Ambulance service, Health Visitor, Community Nurse, Mental Health or Social Service).
• Administer prescribed treatments to patients.
• Administer as appropriate medication from Patient Group Directions after training.
• Identify treatments as required.
• Chaperone GP if required.

Professional Responsibilities:

• Practice within the guidelines of NMC and Bridgewater Community Health Care Trust.
• Maintain confidentiality of all patients’ identifiable information and contacts.
• Maintain clinical knowledge and competence using best practice, evidence based guidelines and supervision.
• Have a clear understanding of the legal issues and professional accountability related to telephone consultation and advanced practice roles.
• Ensure medicines and controlled drugs are administered, documented and stored according to polices.
• Maintain skills and competencies in use of the patient call management system.
• Inform manager on call of any professional concerns during the out of hour’s session.  Report significant events according to policy.
• Be proactive in maintaining accreditation standards for the out of hours service.

Management Responsibilities:

• Effectively manage the out of hours session, planning, prioritising and coordinating the work load across all aspects of the service.
• Liaise with colleagues at other locations to utilise resources effectively and efficiently.
• Promote a safe and effective service at all times.
• Support other staff as necessary.
• Monitor work load, to ensure accredited standards are met throughout the session.
• Adhere to policy and procedures.
• Conform to nationally set guidelines.
• Contribute to the achievement of nationally set targets for patient access, through the unplanned and emergency care agenda.
• Support and contribute to the future development of the service.

Communication and working relationships

• Work in partnership with other clinicians on duty to maintain effective communication about workload, case mix and outcomes.
• Maintain excellent communications with all team members and other Allied Health Care Professionals in the development of the unplanned care agenda.

Responsibility for Finance

• Contribute to ensuring the effective use of all resources in a cost effective manner.

Responsibility for Human Resources

 Adhere to all Trust policies and maintenance procedures that pertain to areas of practice.

• To practice within the Code of Professional conduct to perform all duties in accordance with the NMC code of conduct.
• Participate in performance review in line with knowledge and skills framework with the lead nurse.
• Act as a role model with their vision and values.
• Participate in professional Code of Conduct and clinical supervision with the lead nurse.

Responsibility for Health & Safety

 Compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 – the post holder

• Ensure that all work is carried out in a safe manner with regard to Health & Safety regulations.
• Ensures all clinical care is delivered in line with Trust Infection control policies/procedures.
• Assist in ensuring a safe place of work is maintained.
• Mandatory training – ensure compliance with in accordance with Trust policies.
• To ensure their own actions reduce risks to health and safety and to promote a health and safety culture within the workplace.
• Compliance with Trust Policies and Procedures.

Responsibility for Teaching

• Create and maintain an appropriate coaching, teaching and assessment learning environment to meet the educational needs of all team members.
• Provide preceptorship, mentorship and clinical supervision to staff as required.
• Be responsible for own professional development, and be actively involved in practice Trust activities.
• Maintain a personal development plan.
• Attend mandatory training as required by: the Trust.
• Participate in staff meetings.

Work Circumstances & on-call

• The service runs from 18:30 until 08:00 Monday - Thursday and 18:30 Friday until 08:00 Monday (and Bank holidays) to provide GP access during the out of hours period.  Clinical Triage Nurse provision will be throughout these opening times.

Standard Duties & Responsibilities

The Trust operates a No Smoking Policy.

All Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust staff employed within Clinical Environments and have contact with children, vulnerable adults; service users and their families must familiarise themselves, be aware of their responsibilities and adhere to Local Safeguarding Children’s Board, Local Safeguarding Adult Board and WWL Procedures for Safeguarding and Protecting Children which are available on the Trust Policy Library.

In accordance with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, employees who are required to interact regularly with the public, both face to face, and by telephone, are required to be able to speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation.

Compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Information Governance – the postholder is not entitled to use for their own benefit or gain, or to divulge to any persons, firm or other organisation whatsoever, any confidential information belonging to the Trust or relating to the Trust’s affairs or dealings which may come to their knowledge during employment.

The candidate is required to fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards, and a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions. 

Compliance with the Health & Social Care Act 2008 – Code of Practice on the Prevention and Control of Infections and related guidance – the post holder is required to fulfil a proactive role towards the reduction and management of healthcare related infection in all of their actions. This entails compliance with Trust Infection Prevention and Control policy and related Standard Operating Procedure (SOP’s); along with risk assessment of all situations; as staff have a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions. Staff must be fully compliant with Trust Infection prevention and Control eLearning policy.

All applicants to any post within the Trust are required to declare any involvement either directly or indirectly with any firm, company, relevant person or organisation which has any interest with the Trust, the services provided by the Trust or any element of patient care. Failure to do so may result in an employment application being rejected, or if it is discovered after appointment the omission of such information could lead to dismissal. This includes any form of private practice relating to medical care.

Compliance with Trust Policies and Procedures including the Code of Conduct.

Compliance with Standing Financial Instructions (SFIs) – The SFI’s identify the financial responsibilities which apply to everyone working for the Foundation Trust and its constituent organisations including trading units.  Failure to comply with Standing Financial Instructions can in certain circumstances be regarded as a disciplinary matter that could result in dismissal. Compliance with the SFIs is monitored by the Finance Department and post holders are therefore required to understand their responsibilities outlined within this document and ensure compliance with its instructions.

Responsibility for all records (including patient health, financial, personal and administrative) that they gather or use as part of their work within the trust. The records may be paper, electronic, microfiche, audio or videotapes, x-ray images.

Any other duties appropriate to the grade. The range of duties and responsibilities outlined above are indicative only and are intended to give a broad flavour of the range and type of duties that will be allocated. They are subject to modification in the light of changing service demands and the development requirements of the post holder.