Job overview
We are seeking an enthusiastic and dynamic individual for a qualified ACP post within the Emergency Department at Whittington Health, based at the main hospital site in Archway.
This post is based in the adult ED and applicants must demonstrate significant ED experience as an ACP. We welcome applications from ACPs who also have paediatric ED experience and can work across both areas. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate competency in all areas of the adult ED (Urgent Treatment Centre, Majors, Resuscitation, Rapid Assessment) and will have completed the academic aspects of ACP training including an MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice and non-medical prescribing. They should be preparing to submit their portfolio for credentialling as an Emergency Medicine ACP by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine within 12 months of appointment.
Our qualified ACPs work on a rolling rota incorporating day, late and night shifts. The shift length is currently 10.5 hours. We offer an 80:20 split between clinical and non-clinical work, providing ACPs with the opportunity to undertake other relevant activities related to advanced clinical practice. These include service improvement, audit, teaching, patient safety, responding to complaints, report writing and participation in research. We are keen for the team to be active participants throughout the department, developing special interests and continuing their professional and clinical development post-credentialling.
Main duties of the job
Please see the Job Description and the Persons Specification for further details about the job role. If you are unable to access the PDF, the details of the job description can also be found in the 'Detailed Job Description and Main responsibilities' section.
Working for our organisation
Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Main duties:
1. Demonstrate competency in all areas of the adult ED.
2. Demonstrate the ability to look after patients with a wide range of pathologies from the life-threatening to the self-limiting
3. Be able to identify the critically ill and injured, providing safe and effective immediate care
4. Demonstrate expertise in resuscitation and be skilled in the practical procedures needed
5. Demonstrate the skills to stablish the diagnosis and differential diagnosis rapidly, and initiate or plan for definitive care
6. Work with all the in-patient and supporting specialties as well as primary care and prehospital services
7. Demonstrate the skills to correctly identify who needs admission and who can be safely discharged.
8. Undertake relevant additional activities across the four pillars of advanced practice (clinical practice, research, leadership & management, and education).
9. Act in accordance with relevant professional regulator’s code of conduct
Leadership and Consultancy
The post holder will be expected to:
10. Role model standards of care and behaviour through clinical practice.
11. Be highly visible in the clinical area
12. Act as a role model of standards of behaviour and professionalism
13. Maintain professional registration and practice through CPD
14. Maintain personal standards of conduct and behaviour consistent with Trust and NMC/HCPC guidelines
15. Allocate, coordinate, monitor and assess own workload
16. Advocate for patients, carers, service and organisation.
17. Be aware of, and proactively work towards meeting national targets for ED performance.
Clinical Practice
The post holder will be expected to:
18. Have been awarded an MSc in Advanced Clinical practice, incorporating non-medical prescribing qualification.
19. Assess diagnosis, plan and implement programmes of evidenced based care for patients in the ED.
20. Ensure interventions are undertaken in line with best practice guidance.
21. Undertake advanced skills appropriate to role, ensuring clinical competencies are maintained.
22. Undertake non-medical prescribing in adherence to agreed Trust policy.
23. Ensure that safeguarding children and adults legislation and local policy is adhered to within own practice and service.
24. Lead on the development and evaluate policies/guidelines/protocols for advanced clinical practice.
25. Continually review and evaluate own role and clinical practice
26. Be an active member of relevant Trust committees and groups contributing to developing/implementing local/national strategy.
27. Plan and manage own workload in a flexible manner, ensuring that service provision meets the needs of clients.
28. Keep relevant records and submit reports in a professionally acceptable manner.
29. Promote a positive relationship with all stakeholders within the service.
30. Contribute to the clinical governance process, including adverse incident reporting/investigation and the management of complaints, as appropriate.
31. Be involved in peer review of own practice and that of others.
Education, Training and Development Functions
The post holder will be expected to:
32. Develop and deliver specific and relevant teaching programmes for all disciplines and grades of staff within the Trust in relation to their area of expertise.
33. Review and evaluate teaching programmes and lead on the development of new programmes when a need is identified.
34. Identify own development needs in line with service requirements within personal development plan.
35. Act as mentor/preceptor and resource person for all nursing and support staff, as appropriate to the role.
36. Ensure the clinical environment is conducive to supporting the education and learning of all staff and students.
37. Contribute to clinical governance outcomes.
Practice and Services Development, Research, and Evaluation
The post holder will be expected to:
38. Evaluate clinical practice through audit of service and quality improvement activities
39. Demonstrate knowledge of current research in all aspects of their work and to advise others on the implementation of relevant research findings.
40. Implement research findings appropriate to practice.
Person specification
Education & Qualifications
Essential criteria
41. First degree or equivalent professional qualification
42. Current registration with NMC/HCPC as a nurse or paramedic
43. MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice
44. Non-Medical prescribing qualification
Desirable criteria
45. ALS (as a candidate, not observer)
46. ATLS (as a candidate, not observer)
47. RCEM Credentialled EC-ACP
48. CORE (Level 1) ultrasound course
49. Teaching or mentoring qualification
50. Leadership or management qualification
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
51. Demonstrate the ability to work in a highly demanding environment
52. Excellent verbal and written communication skills
53. Competent in use of IT packages and electronic patient care records
54. Able to articulate personal development needs
55. Ability and knowledge to undertake audit
56. Experience of providing supervision and feedback
57. Competent in databases and spreadsheets
Desirable criteria
58. Previous line management experience
59. Evidence of participation in research projects
60. Evidence of continued leadership development
61. Patient Safety/Healthcare Investigation qualification (e.g. HSSIB)
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
62. Evidence of excellent clinical record and wide-ranging clinical experience with demonstrable experience working as a trainee ACP or ACP in the adult ED
63. Able to demonstrate competency in, and work across, all areas of the adult ED (Urgent Treatment Centre, Majors, Resuscitation, Rapid Assessment, ED)
64. Evidence of undertaking a trainee EC-ACP post
65. Evidence of participation in audit and quality improvement
66. Evidence of preparation to submit ePortfolio for credentialling as an EC-ACP by RCEM
Desirable criteria
67. Extensive demonstrable experience working as an ACP in the paediatric ED
68. Evidence of presentations at local, regional, or national level
69. Ultrasound log book detailing experience
Personal attributes
Essential criteria
70. Highly motivated
71. Flexible and dynamic working
72. Understanding of ACP role in the ED setting and wider NHS
73. Associate member of RCEM with access to Kaizen ePortfolio
74. Familiarity with the RCEM ACP curriculum and programme structure.
SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND ADULTS
To comply with the Trust’s Safeguarding Children and Adults policies, procedures and protocols. All individual members of staff (paid or unpaid) have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults This will require you to:
75. Ensure you are familiar with and comply with the London Child Protection Procedures and protocols for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people.
76. Ensure you are familiar and comply with the London Multi Agency Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Pan London Procedures.
77. Ensure you are familiar and comply with local protocols and systems for information sharing.
78. Know the appropriate contact numbers and required reporting lines.
79. Participate in required training and supervision.
80. Comply with required professional boundaries and codes of conduct
Whittington Health is committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.