Critical Care Outreach Lead Nurse
Band 8a
Job overview
Are you a dynamic and experienced nurse leader with a passion for critical care and patient safety? We are seeking a highly motivated Lead Nurse to head our Critical Care Outreach Team (CCOT) at the Aintree site.
This is a pivotal role within our Trust, offering the opportunity to lead a specialist team that supports patients transitioning from critical care, responds to acute deterioration, and contributes to our Avoidable Mortality Reduction Programme through surveillance of Sepsis and Acute Kidney Injury (AKI).
Main duties of the job
As Lead Nurse, you will be responsible for the daily management, strategic direction, and clinical leadership of the CCOT, ensuring alignment with both corporate and divisional objectives. You will also support the Medical Emergency Team (MET) Lead Nurse in delivering rapid response services across the Trust.
You will function as a clinical expert, providing advanced assessment and care for deteriorating patients, supporting rehabilitation, and leading Trust-wide initiatives in tracheostomy and laryngectomy care.
Key Responsibilities
* Strategic leadership and operational management of the CCOT
* Clinical oversight of patients stepping down from Critical Care
* Responding to MET calls and supporting acutely ill patients
* Surveillance and review of AKI and Sepsis alerts
* Education and training across the Trust, including tracheostomy care
* Supporting inter-hospital transfers of critically ill patients
* Performance management and development of CCOT staff
* Ensuring compliance with national guidelines and Trust policies
About You
You will be a Registered Nurse with:
* Significant post‑registration experience in critical care or acute settings
* Proven leadership and management skills
* Advanced clinical assessment and decision‑making abilities
* ALS provider certification
* Experience in education and staff development
* A commitment to quality improvement and patient safety
Working for our organisation
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust comprises Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital & Royal Liverpool University Hospital.
We are part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, formed on 1 Nov 2024 from the coming together of LUHFT and Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust. The Group was born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our patients.
UHLG is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 16,800 colleagues dedicated to caring for our communities.
For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care alongside highly specialised regional services for more than two million people in the North West.
Aintree University Hospital is the single receiving site for adult major trauma patients in Cheshire and Merseyside and hosts a number of regional services including an award‑winning stroke facility. Broadgreen Hospital is home to elective surgical, diagnostic and treatment services, together with specialist patient rehabilitation. Liverpool Women’s Hospital specialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK’s largest single site maternity hospital each year. The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single bedrooms and focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Job Title: Critical Care Outreach Team Lead Nurse
Directorate / Service: Theatres, anaesthetics, Critical Care and Pre‑op Care Group
AfC Band: 8a
Professionally Accountable to: Divisional Director of Nursing
Responsible to: Assistant Director of Nursing
Job Summary
The Critical care outreach team at Aintree site offer a specialist follow up service for patients discharged from critical care to step down areas. They support acute, deteriorating patients and function as part of the Medical Emergency Team (MET) within daytime hours. They are also responsible for the surveillance and review of patients alerting with Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) and Sepsis as part of the Trust Avoidable Mortality Reduction Programme.
The Critical Care outreach lead nurse will be wholly responsible for the daily management and strategic direction of the Critical Care Outreach Team, ensuring alignment with both Corporate and Divisional objectives. The role will require administrative and clinical leadership and will also offer support to the MET team Lead nurse to deliver this service effectively across the trust.
The Lead Nurse for the Critical Care Outreach Team will be accountable for the leadership, performance management, service development, and maintaining high standards and quality of care within the service and the team.
Key responsibilities
* Act as the Lead Nurse for the Critical Care Outreach Team (CCOT)
* Hold strategic responsibility for the development and coordination of the CCOT in relation to the requirements of the Trust, maintaining relevant policy and guidelines.
* Accountable for the leadership, management and development of the staff employed within the CCOT.
* Provide clinical leadership and support to the staff employed within the CCOT and the Medical Emergency Team.
* Provide clinical input and specialist skills to all clinical areas in Aintree University Hospital (AUH), establishing and maintaining effective communications between Critical Care, CCOT, MET and the wards/departments, making operational judgements and managing conflicting views where necessary.
* Acts as a role model in achieving excellence in the care of critically ill/highly dependent patients.
* Perform autonomous comprehensive assessments of deteriorating and critically ill patients. Plan, implement, and evaluate care delivery according to changing health needs and varying levels of complexity.
* Active member of ward-based MDT working to rehabilitate critical care step down patients.
* Responds as part of Aintree Medical Emergency Team.
* Coordinates the inter hospital transfer of acutely ill level 1,2 and 3 patients for investigation or to an area for a higher level of monitoring.
* Oversee the surveillance and review of patients alerting with Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) and Sepsis as part of the Trust Avoidable Mortality Reduction Programme.
* Leads in the delivery of education, training and development of staff throughout the general/cohort wards on tracheostomy and laryngectomy care, having responsibility as author of the Trust wide Tracheostomy guideline to ensure training and education and patient care is delivered in line with relevant National Tracheostomy Safety guidelines.
* Directly support the Lead Nurse for the Multi‑Professional Medical Emergency Team (MET) in ensuring that the Trust complies with national guidelines and recommendations around rapid response and recognition of deterioration. This may involve support with data collection, input and reporting, as well as ordering and maintaining MET equipment.
Clinical Responsibility
* Inform and co‑ordinate clinical service delivery provided by the CCOT, providing clinical leadership and demonstrating specialist clinical skills based on current best practice and evidence‑based guidelines and relevant National competencies for Outreach and rapid response teams.
* Perform comprehensive assessments of critically ill patients, implement and evaluate care delivery according to changing health needs, level of dependency and complexity of condition.
* Interprets diagnostic information and provides a service within the expanded role of the Nurse Practitioner including analysis of blood results and ECGS, venepuncture, arterial blood gas sampling and interpretation of results, cannulation and provision/use of Intra osseous access.
* Provides Trust wide spirometry assessment for patients identified by Critical Care and acute medical teams.
* Initiate appropriate expert care, treatment and monitoring in ward areas/departments if admission to Critical Care is not available or appropriate including invasive monitoring and care of relevant intravascular devices.
* Function as a resource for ward personnel providing clinical leadership and support.
* Communicate complex and sensitive information to staff, patients and relatives including discussions around ceilings of care and DNACPR decision making.
* Ensures patients views are sought and taken into account in the decision‑making process and ensure due regard is given to patients’ customs, values and spiritual beliefs.
* Establish and maintain effective communications between Medical/Surgical Doctors, CCOT, MET and ward/departments managing conflicting views where necessary.
* Respond to requirements with flexibility and empathy, always ensuring patient safety is a priority.
* Respond to referrals for acutely ill patients and emergency situations throughout the hospital as part of the Trust MET and co‑ordinates best use of MET resources and skills at calls.
* Reviews and analyses blood results and clinical data from Trust database for Sepsis and AKI to highlight at risk patients, ensuring prompt assessment and recognition of deterioration.
* Liaises with patients’ parent Clinical teams to ensure appropriate AKI and sepsis care bundles are implemented, instigating and initiating emergency and follow up treatment when required, recognising the associated complications and how to monitor for and treat these.
* Responds to referrals from Critical Care Medical Team to review acutely ill/deteriorating patients in ward areas.
* Maintain ALS provider status and act as Team Coordinator at cardiac arrest and emergency calls.
* Provide expert advice on the management of the acutely ill patient in relation to NEWS.
* Ensures appropriate handover of deteriorating patients to Medical and Critical Care Teams- attending relevant Clinical handovers.
* Represents CCOT in MDT meetings relating to complex discharges from Critical Care to wards or for discharge planning from ward to home.
* Reviewing the patients Critical Care journey using their patient diary as a starting point for psychological follow up and support.
* Plans care with MDT in relation to rehabilitation after Critical Care and assists with patient reviews and support at Critical Care follow up clinics.
* Take responsibility for own clinical workload. Prioritise work and case load according to clinical need, assessing and treating patients according to their individual requirements following clinical examination, building in flexibility to deal with emergency calls and unforeseen demands on time and resources.
* Ensures that the CCOT always comply with the Hospital Infection Control and Prevention Policy.
Strategic/Leadership role
* Act and lead on service improvements in line with the Trust’s strategic vision.
* Lead and develop the CCOT creating a climate that encourages teamwork, maximises individual contribution and supports innovation.
* Lead CCOT in provision of avoidable mortality reduction surveillance work around AKI and Sepsis.
* Responsible for disseminating information relating to the CCOT to other disciplines at all levels internally and externally of the Trust.
* Support the Critical Care Matron/Coordinator and bed management teams to ensure best use of clinical resources and safe and effective patient flow.
* Responsible for informing, developing and implementing policies in relation to areas of responsibility that impact across the organisation.
* Responsible for CCOT audit data collection and reporting, monitoring team activity and workload, new admissions and readmissions to Critical Care via CCOT/MET and levels of activity and patient dependency across the Trust.
* Assists the Lead Nurse in responsibility for MET audit data reporting.
* Allocate staff in order to achieve the most effective use of resources, identifying manpower needs and regularly reviewing skill mix.
* Monitor and evaluate health, safety and security of self and others and implement best practice in the ward/department areas.
* Act on concerns reported by team members or service users.
* Ensure that any reports of poor practice are reported and managed in accordance with Trust policy.
* Act as a role model for patient safety and support staff to deliver safe and effective care.
Person specification
Qualifications
* Registered NMC Nurse (RN)
* Post Registration qualification relevant to Critical Care
* Educated to 1st Degree level or equivalent experience
* Completion of Clinical Examination and Clinical Diagnostics courses
* Advanced Life Support Provider (ALS)
* Advanced Clinical Skills
* Teaching and assessing qualification
Experience
* Significant clinical experience within a Critical Care setting.
* Experience of leading and managing a team.
* Experience of leading and delivering a clinical service.
* Experience of leading and managing change.
* Significant clinical experience in assessing, planning and delivering patient care autonomously using advanced clinical skills.
* Experience in planning, facilitating and delivering teaching in a variety of settings.
* Experience in the development of Strategies, Policies and Procedures.
Knowledge
* Evidence of continuous professional development.
* Able to demonstrate and apply specialist knowledge gained through clinical experience.
* Knowledge of current professional and local and National NHS related issues.
Skills
* Ability to interpret, develop and propose changes to policy or service development at local level.
* Highly developed problem‑solving, critical appraisal and decision‑making skills.
* Highly developed motivational skills and strong commitment to staff involvement and empowerment.
* Strong analytical and judgement skills, able to handle complex, contentious, and conflicting information and identify the appropriate course of action.
* Able to influence and resolve conflict, overcome resistance through application of advanced communication skills.
* Able to present information to professional groups at all levels.
* Exemplary leadership skills.
* Assertiveness skills and ability to motivate, inspire and enthuse others.
* Able to plan, prioritise and coordinate clinical workload across the team.
* Able to perform advanced clinical skills in patient assessment and treatments.
* Ability to work under pressure, prioritise and meet deadlines.
* Ability to understand and manage the stress of others.
* Good level of IT skills in word processing, spread sheets, e‑mail and power‑point presentations.
* Knowledge of, and participation in, financial management and budget control.
Other
* Willingness to work flexibly and at other sites when required.
* Ability and willingness to undertake further training as necessary.
Please ensure you check the email account (including junk/spam boxes) from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.
Posts advertised to ‘internal staff’ are open to employees of hospitals within University Hospitals of Liverpool Group and you should confirm your employment within your application form.
Note: Under current Home Office Immigration Rules we are currently unable to offer right to work visa sponsorship for Band 2 and 3 roles with a salary of less than £25,000 pa as they do not meet the UK Visas & Immigration criteria.
Only those applicants who demonstrate clearly how they meet our person specification will be shortlisted for interview.
We reserve the right to close any vacancies from further applications when we have received a minimum number of applications for a shortlist. Please ensure you apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role.
The Trust is committed to promoting a healthy work‑life balance and achieve fair, equitable and consistent practice. We welcome flexible working requests and will consider a variety of flexible working arrangements from day one of your employment. Not all roles are suitable for every flexible working opportunity all of the time. Flexible working options may include reduced hours, compressed hours, fixed shifts, time back in lieu and home working.
The Trust is committed to promoting equality and diversity; we value the contribution of individual talent, skills, knowledge and experience and aim for a workforce demography representative of the local community. We encourage applicants from the following groups that are currently under‑represented in our workforce black, Asian and minority ethnic, lesbian, gay, bisexual and Transgender (LGBTQ+), disabled, male and age 16‑24.
Trust policy requires that the cost of submitting & processing the successful applicant/s DBS application be recovered via salary deduction following start in post. The amount of £23 (standard disclosure) or £43 (enhanced disclosure) will be deducted from salary, in manageable monthly instalments for up to 3 months following commencement of employment. Bank posts require upfront payment. DBS applications submitted from 2nd December will be subject to the new DBS fee of £26.50 (standard) and £54.50 (Enhanced).
From April 2017, Skilled visa applicants and their adult dependant(s) will be required to provide a criminal record certificate from each country they have lived in consecutively for 12 months or more in the past ten years.
Applicants requiring sponsorship may wish to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship for this position by assessing themselves against the criteria on the gov.uk website – https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.
This organisation has a zero‑tolerance approach to the abuse of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All staff must ensure they adhere to the organisations safeguarding children and adults’ policy and comply with the Local Safeguarding Children and Adult Board procedures.
Staff should be mindful of their responsibility to safeguard children and adults in any activity performed on behalf of the organisation in line with the requirements of statutory guidance and legislation.
All employees (and volunteers) are expected maintain their safeguarding knowledge and skills by completing mandatory safeguarding training which includes understanding and recognising the signs of abuse and neglect and taking appropriate action.
As an organisation, we have adopted the Merseyside Domestic abuse workplace scheme which supports our staff who are experiencing Domestic Abuse /any forms of sexual violence.
If you have any personal requirements that will enable you to participate in our recruitment process please contact a member of the Recruitment Services by phone on 0151 706 4666 at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable your application for this post.
Please note: new entrants to the NHS will commence on the first pay point of the relevant band.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
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