Job Title:
Registered Nurse - Day-care Unit
Work Base: St
Luke’s Kenton Grange Hospice
Hours of Work: 37.5 hrs per week
Responsible to: Senior Sister –
Daycare
And Senior Nurse Manager
Accountable to: Director of
Patient Services
Job Purpose:
This post has been created to work three days a week as part of the
Daycare nursing team. The fourth day will be devoted to nursing
audit, working with the Senior Nursing team across both the In-patient
Unit and the Daycare Unit.
The Registered Nurse is accountable and responsible for delivering a
holistic approach to patient centred care, which is of an excellent
standard and meets the needs of individual patients.
The post-holder will perform his/her duties according to the philosophy
of the Hospice, acting at all times to safeguard the interests of
individual patients and their families/carers.
High priority will be given to:
- the provision of an exceptional level of care to
patients
- the effective use of resources
- high standards of safety and hygiene
- excellent working relationships
- the continuing training and development of staff
The post-holder will be accountable for his/her professional practice
according to the NMC Code of Conduct.
Clinical:
· To provide a relaxed and caring atmosphere
in the Daycare Unit for participants and families allowing adequate
time for discussion of problems, practical, spiritual or
emotional. To provide a varied programme of activities both on an
individual/group basis.
· To participate in the assessment of new
referrals and the regular monitoring and review of patients.
Provide a nursing assessment of patients on a regular basis, ensuring
symptoms are managed, liaising with the medical team re: changes in
treatment.
· Provide support for Daycare volunteers
and Complementary Therapy volunteers who work within the Daycare
unit.
· Stay abreast of professional and clinical
developments so that any implications and/or opportunities for St
Luke’s Kenton Grange are identified.
· Contribute to hospice policies and
procedures and assist in carrying out regular reviews and audit of it.
· Liaise with external agencies (hospital and
community teams), which may contribute to improving patient care.
· Contribute to a climate where team members
openly discuss and challenge the standards of individual practice, and
where decision-making can be ratified as a team.
Audit:
· To contribute to regular audits
in the following areas:
- documentation
- pressure area management
- MRSA and infection rates
· In conjunction with the Senior Sister,
ensure that practice is changed/developed as required as an outcome of
audit results.
· Look at other areas of clinical practice
where audit may help to identify areas that require development.
In doing this, ensuring that evidence based practice is paramount in
our decision-making.
· Ensure all audit work is thoroughly prepared
and available for annual National Care Standards Commission inspection.
· To assist in seeking the views of patients,
visitors and staff as to the nature of services provided and to
constantly seek methods to improve on them. Utilisation of
current Help the Hospices questionnaire results to improve
services.
Managerial:
· To develop and maintain effective
relationships with all members of the multidisciplinary team to ensure
collaborative working for the benefit of patient care.
· Assist in the operational management of
nursing, acknowledging and valuing equal contribution to patient care
and to hospice life generally.
· To ensure effective communication is
maintained within the team, through formal and informal routes.
· To accept responsibility for specific
administrative tasks as delegated by the Senior Nursing team.
· To assist in promoting a healthy and safe
working environment by ensuring compliance with all legislation and
appropriate regulations. This includes establishing and
maintaining systems for the conducting of Health and Safety Audits, the
completion of risk and COSHH assessments and for the updating and
communication of all relevant policies.
· To record and monitor all accidents,
untoward incidents etc. and report to the Senior Sister and/or Senior
Nurse Manager.
Education:
· To contribute to staff induction
programmes. This will cover the immediate training of e.g. fire,
security, equipment use etc, and then a planned clinical education
programme, which will contribute to a knowledgeable team of nurses,
HCAs and volunteers.
· To contribute to an education programme that
consists of a broad programme from up-dating clinical sessions, NVQs,
to conferences, ENB and Diploma programmes.
· To take responsibility for own professional
and clinical growth, whilst seeking to broaden one’s own knowledge base
and skills, whilst maintaining a record of professional development.
· To contribute to the development of St.
Luke’s Hospice as a clinical practice area. To act as a mentor
and assessor for standards of healthcare. This will include NVQs,
pre-nursing courses, Diploma and Degree pre and post registration
students, Return to Nursing and other professional students.
· The post-holder must be prepared to attend
training sessions at the request of the Director of Patient
Services. E.g.: Food Handling Certificate, Moving &
Handling, Health & Safety, Fire Precautions, First Aid and any
other courses for the development of the service and the individual and
for the protection of staff.
OTHER:
The post-holder must at all times carry out his/her responsibilities
with due regard to St. Luke’s equal opportunities policy.
Whilst the post is primarily day-care based, all nursing posts within
the hospice are contractually obliged to work across departments when
the need arises. There may be a need to contribute to the 24 hour
nursing provision; this would be on a negotiated basis.
This job description will be reviewed regularly. The post holder will
contribute to the development of this post, in conjunction with their
line manager.
KJS – Reviewed Aug 2007