Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a 9-12 month secondment for a Band 7 Tracheostomy Specialist Practitioner (Nurse/AHP) at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
This role is ideal for highly motivated and experienced nurses/ AHPs, who have extensive post registration experience in managing patients with tracheostomy’s /altered airways (including leading on complex tube changes and airway clearance methods) and who are seeking to further develop their advanced clinical skills within a renowned, innovative multidisciplinary team at one of the UK’s leading teaching hospitals, located in the heart of London. They must be confident in their clinical assessment skills, including ENT, airway and respiratory assessments.
As a specialist nurse or Allied Health Professional (AHP), this role is central to advancing tracheostomy services at GSTT and ensuring delivery of high-quality care across acute and community settings, serving as a role model and upholding the standards of practice and code of conduct outlined by their professional regulatory body.
Main duties of the job
1. line management and supervision of the Deputy CNS
2. Senior ward support and leadership
3. Delivering highly specialised care to complex patients across inpatient, outpatient and community pathways, acting as a confident autonomous practitioner.
4. Complex airway management, weaning and decannulation decisions including specialist tube advice and recommendations in collaboration with ENT, ICU and other medical teams
5. Patient/carer training on tracheostomy management, assisting in complex discharge planning and working collaboratively with the ICBs and the MDT to improve patient safety, flow and length of stay.
6. Supporting workforce development through training programmes/study days across the organisation and monitoring staff competencies to ensure that staff possess the necessary knowledge and skills to safely care for individuals with altered airways.
7. External training to community services where appropriate District nurses
8. Outpatient tracheostomy clinic
9. Weekly tracheostomy review and management service round (TRAMS), working under the guidance of an ENT/lane fox consultant in collaboration with senior SLT and PT to manage patients with complex airway needs
10. paediatric transition service
11. Safeguarding escalation and management including carrying out mental capacity assessments
12. service development, governance, quality improvement and education to ensure safe, effective and patient-centred tracheostomy care
Working for our organisation
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK’s best-known hospitals – Guy’s, St Thomas’, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield – as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high-quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.
We are among the UK’s busiest, most successful foundation trusts. We provide specialist care for patients including heart and lung, cancer and renal services as well as a full range of local hospital and community services for people in Lambeth and Southwark.
We have a long tradition of clinical and scientific achievement and – as part of King’s Health Partners – we are one of England’s eight academic health sciences centres, bringing together world-class clinical services, teaching and research. We have one of the National Institute for Health Research’s biomedical research centres, established with King’s College London in 2007, as well as dedicated clinical research facilities.
We have around 22,700 staff, making us one of the largest NHS Trusts in the country and one of the biggest employers locally. We aim to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and continue to develop new and existing partnerships with local people, patients, neighbouring NHS organisations, local authorities and charitable bodies and GPs.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Job description included. Interested candidates are welcome to contact the recruiting manager for informal discussions about the role.
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria
13. Extensive post registration experience in managing tracheostomy's/altered airways
14. Experience of mentorship/supervision of other staff
15. Autonomous practice including managing a caseload of patients
16. Experience of audit/research
17. Experience of driving/involvement in quality improvement and change
18. Evidence of working as part of a multidisciplinary team
Desirable criteria
19. leadership experience
20. running a practitioner led clinic
Qualifications
Essential criteria
21. BSC/1st Degree (health related) with registration as an NMC Adult nurse or HCPC SALT/Physiotherapist
Desirable criteria
22. To have or working towards a non medical physical assessment course
Skills
Essential criteria
23. Able to use skills of history taking and physical assessment to direct clinical care
24. Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal and communication skills
25. Excellent organisation/time keeping skills
26. Evidence of teaching skills, in particular teaching patients how to manage their condition
27. Tracheostomy competent
Desirable criteria
28. Clinical research
Employer certification / accreditation badges