Job overview
We are looking to recruit an experienced and motivated individual with a background in emergency care to the role of Junior Sister/Charge Nurse for the Emergency Department.
We are looking for experienced nurses to join our team. You will have strong communication and leadership skills with an eagerness to advance emergency and acute nursing practice. You will be responsible for monitoring patient flow through the department alongside utilising your expert nursing skills.
The ideal candidates will be dynamic and forward thinking with a progressive approach to enhancing patient care and safety within urgent, emergency and acute care services. In addition to excellent clinical skills a good working knowledge of care pathways and the patient journey is required, as is priority focus on communication, safe discharge planning and safe patient transfer.
Main duties of the job
List the key responsibilities and tasks the post holder will be expected to carry out. Use bullet points for clarity and focus on the core aspects of the role.
* Provide and maintain effective clinical assessment to ensure that patient care is planned and evaluated.
* Deliver effective nursing care to patients/clients admitted to the ward/unit.
* Seek supervision to ensure that personal clinical practice is continuously developing.
* Participate in appropriate training to ensure safe competent clinical practice.
* Ensure that all documentation is comprehensively completed in accordance with the NMC and Trust guidance.
* Involvement in monitoring and auditing patient care.
* Act at all times in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct.
* Develop supervisory skills that support the continuous development of team members.
* Participate in the development of operational processes that will ensure timely and appropriate admission and discharge of patients.
* Work towards the development of skills that will contribute to an ethos of nurse led services.
* Participate in the Trust PRDP process to ensure that you receive and give constructive feedback to enhance personal skill set and the promotion of professional development of nursing within the Trust.
* Act as supervisor/mentor to junior staff members and student nurses This job description may be subject to change according to the varying needs of the service. Such changes will be made after discussion between the post holder and the manager. All duties must be carried out under supervision or within Trust policy and procedure
The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) is proud to care for the communities of West Essex, delivering safe, compassionate, and high-quality services. We are part of the Neighbourhood Wavea national programme that’s changing how care is delivered by focusing on prevention, early support, and more joined-up services across health, social care, and the voluntary sector.
This means we’re working more closely with local partners to bring care closer to home and support people to live healthier, more independent lives.
We’re a supportive and inclusive organisation that values its people. We offer development opportunities, flexible working, and a strong focus on wellbeing. As a Disability Confident and equal opportunities employer, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experiences.
Join us and help shape the future of care in West Essex.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical leadership and team working
* As a visible, clinical nurse leader, promote team work within a multi-professional environment.
* Leading and ensuring planning and delivery of care is aligned to the professional values of care, compassion and respect. Demonstrating critical analysis and decision making skills when undertaking, leading and or supervising the delivery of consistent high quality evidence based care. Ensures care is aligned to the professional values of care, compassion and respect. Influencing and facilitate change within the practice setting. Evidence based, clinically effective practice.
* Responsible for carrying out clinical practice within designated clinical area(s) ensuring that high quality, current evidence based nursing care underpins all actions and interactions with patients.
* Act as a change agent, developing clinically effective practice through effective use and integration of evidence base practice, setting implementing and monitoring evidence based standards of care, policies, procedures and protocols through regular audit. Be accountable in ensuring all delegated clinical/ documentation/ activity and audits are completed and submitted in a timely manner, make changes to care delivery as required to sustain and improvement practice standards.
* To achieve and maintain clinical skills and competencies specific to the post / department / role, facilitating the development and achievement of competence in others.
* Advise on the promotion of health and the prevention of illness. Assess educational and information needs of patients, their families and carers and staff and devise plans to ensure needs are met.
* Use professional judgement to intercede and act as patient advocate to clarify plans of care and treatment. Observe changes in patient’s attitude, behaviour and emotional state, physiological observations and report/escalate findings to other the relevant health care professionals.
Patient safety
* Promote a clean and safe environment for staff, patients and visitors by ensuring compliance with legislation / policies and procedures, health care associated infection prevention, clinical governance, including risk management and critical incident reporting. Take steps to act upon and escalate areas of concern or risk.
* Recognise and act to avoid situations that may be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of patients and escalate to senior nursing colleagues, as required.
* Have accountability for the correct administration and custody of medicines according to the Trust Policy to include the safe administration of medicines, controlled drugs, intravenous drugs, transfusion of blood and blood products where this is a requirement in the clinical area.
* Report incidents and near misses promptly and appropriately taking effective action to minimise future risks and document this. Support the Senior Sister / Charge Nurse to ensure that all risk registers are maintained. Support with the provision of assurance that investigations have led to systemic changes where required. Support the Senior Sister/ Charge Nurse to ensure that any changes in practice are communicated, actively monitored and sustained. Contribute to the drawing up and monitoring of action plans to minimise and manage risks. Lead/ support reflective learning from practice, undertaking root cause analysis / clinical and workforce investigations as required. Ensure and undertake the systematic process management of Datix and incident reporting forms.
* Ensure standards of care and record keeping is in accordance with, Trust and National policies, procedures, standards and guidance.
* Utilise the clinical and workforce dashboards in practice to support service improvement initiatives Use and promote the understanding and use of patient outcome metrics / measures and nurse sensitive indicators to sustain and improve practice with a range of practice areas which include, care delivery, effective clinical.
patients experience Co-ordination of the patient journey
* Ensure effective and efficient patient’s journey by supervising the planning and coordination of the admissions / discharges, outpatient review of the episode of care including the smooth transition to other settings, promoting safe, timely and effective discharge and optimising communication with multi-professional and interagency teams as required where appropriate.
* Ensure effective handover of patients between shifts / health care professionals using a range of communications aids such as verbal handover/written documentation/referral letters and requests.
* Ensure patients feedback is encouraged and utilised to improve patient experience. This role may be undertaken for one department or as part of working practice across a number of wards / departments ie: the Emergency Department and Clinical Decisions Unit / Critical Care Clinical Expertise
* Co-ordinate nursing interventions and advise on clinical decisions and monitor the quality of patient care and experience through using expert clinical knowledge relevant to own field of practice, underpinned by theory and experience. Promote a culture of person centred care.
* Within a multi-disciplinary team environment support the development of a culture of person centred care. Act as advocate for patients within the area, to ensure a patient focused compassionate approach to the delivery of care.
* Be highly visible within the ward / department, communicating regularly with staff patients, relatives and or carers to promote transparency of services for patients and staff, promote a caring environment which respects individuals values and beliefs and promotes, equality and diversity, ensuring patients are enabled to be partners in their care, management and treatment.
* In conjunction with the Senior Sister / Charge Nurse use patient and carer/ family feedback to develop and as required change care and services in response to, feedback, patient experience, complaints and comments. Ensure that staff are aware of concerns and complaints which relate to service provision and learning points/ actions are disseminated.
* Ensure people are treated as individuals and uphold their dignity; listening to and responding to their preferences and concerns, respecting the right to privacy and confidentiality whilst ensuring people are treated equally.
Managing the practice setting
* In the absence of the Senior Sister / Charge Nurse manage the practice setting or an area within the setting, sign staff time sheets, manage and coordinate nurse staffing rotas and demonstrate effective use of resources. Comply with Trust standing financial instructions and understand trends and expenditure, taking steps to support the local pay controls in place for all resources.
* Ensure the department has adequate resources / equipment to provide an effective service. Ensure equipment is safe and in working order by ensuring where required proactive and reactive maintenance contracts are in place i.e.: medical devices aligned to Medical Engineering Department.
* Support workforce planning and staff deployment by interpreting and monitoring trends, and through efficient staff rostering. Plan and maintain appropriate staffing levels and skill mix in line with the agreed funded establishment, taking into account role and competence of staff when planning and delegating work. Understand and mitigate any workforce risks associated.
* Utilise the clinical and workforce dashboards in practice to support service improvement initiatives with maintaining a safe practice setting being mindful of the patient dependency and acuity.
* Ensure registered health care professionals uphold and maintain professional standards of practice and behaviour and dress according the Trust dress code.
MANAGEMENT, SUPERVISORY, TEACHING, TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES.
* Act as a visible role model setting and maintaining expected standards of personal behaviour and appearance and ensure effective communication with all members of the multidisciplinary team, patients carers and relatives. Practice in a consistent manner which demonstrates clinical practice skills of the highest standard.
* Lead by example, develop yourself and other staff, influence the way care is provided, and be open and responsive to the needs of others. Work alongside staff to support their development in practice.
* Ensure that the nursing team take responsibility for the care they provide, communicate clearly, work cooperatively with others, share skills knowledge and experience with others in a manner which meets the requirements of organisational policies, procedures and guidelines.
* Undertake staff appraisal and when required and support staff to develop personal development plans which are effective. As required support staff to undertake professional revalidation processes.
* Support the Senior Sister / Charge Nurse in ensuring and maintaining robust communications process within and external to your team. Participate in and, as required, lead team meetings at an appropriate frequency. Where required record and circulate minutes of these and encourage the exchange of ideas and allow staff to contribute to the agenda. Take steps to ensure all minutes actions of meetings/ emails and circulars are read and communicated widely. Take all reasonable care of health and safety at work for you, your team and others and undertake delegated tasks required by the departmental manager in relation to Health and Safety record keeping, risk assessment and aspects of procedural compliance.
* Be proactive in risk assessment, management and mitigation whilst maintaining accurate records. Manage clinical incident reporting, ensuring staff are fed back to.
* Report and raise concerns about Safeguarding, accessing advice and support at the point of need. Be conversant with Trust policies, procedures and systems for safeguarding including the assessment of Mental Capacity, the process for consideration requests for Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) and application of the principles of Prevent (counter terrorism awareness).
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
* Motivate, develop and support the learning and development of all staff including support staff, including mandatory and statutory training and education.
* Support the Senior Sister / Charge Nurse in creating a learning environment that supports effective learning for staff / students including provision of clear induction and orientation programmes for newly appointed staff.
* Utilise a range of support strategies, including mentoring, coaching and supervision to facilitate staff development and capability. Support the ongoing monitoring of training records for the team in conjunction with the Senior Sister / Charge Nurse.
* Participate in a training needs analysis to support standards of care and practice.
* Teach and supervise practice as required using proven and credible methods. Contribute to/ lead on the development of teaching materials as required.