University Hospitals Sussex Job Description for Deputy Sister/Charge Nurse (PDF)

Job Description and Person Specification Job Description Job Title Deputy Sister/Charge Nurse Band Band 6 Hours 37.5 Department Chichester Suite Division Specialist Location / Ho...

Job Description and Person Specification Job Description Job Title Deputy Sister/Charge Nurse Band Band 6 Hours 37.5 Department Chichester Suite Division Specialist Location / Hospital Site St Richards Responsible to Ward Manager Accountable to Ward Manager DBS Level Enhanced DBS Barring Children and Adults DBS Workforce Children and Adults Role Summary The Deputy Ward Sister/Charge Nurse will support the Ward Sister with leading the ward team. In conjunction with the ward sister, he/she will be responsible for promoting an environment conducive to individual and team development to ensure the delivery of high standards of patient care in line with clinical governance. Key Working Relationships Matron, Site Manager, Ward Manager, Nurses, Health Care support workers,Trainee Nurse Associates, Domestic team leader, Housekeeping team leader, Private Patient administrators, Overseas administrator, Ward Clerk, Patients and their relatives. Main Duties and Responsibilities This important role will be made up of two parts, including:  Run a shift as the Nurse in Charge, ensuring you keep up to date knowledge of the patient medical plan in order to report back to the Matrons/Site Team.   Keep Safe care up to date with correct staffing ratio’s, dealing with any staffing anomalies in a timely manner.   Ensure staff are well supported clinically.  Keep our audits up to date on a daily basis.   Manage a small team of your own with the support of the Ward manager ensuring their appraisals and training are kept up to date.   Attend regular training to ensure your own development.   Support your team clinically with issues and feed back to the MDT where necessary.   Support the Ward Manager in delivering high standards of care by challenging colleagues and processes where necessary, to achieve this. 2|P ag e  1. Communication  In conjunction with the Ward Sisters, take an active role in the management of issues and concerns raised within the clinical area by patients or their carers/relatives to reduce escalation to more a formal concern.  To work as part of a team ensuring effective communication with all health care professionals within the clinical team and across all disciplines.  Deal with patient / relative complaints proactively to minimise the risk of them becoming formal. Actively investigate any complaints in absence of ward sisters.  Communicate effectively with your team on a timely basis ensuring robust systems exist so that staff feel informed.  Liaise with the clinical site managers to ensure the most effective and timely use of available beds. 2. Analytical and Judgemental skills  Pro-actively ensure that all patients have appropriate and up to date risk assessments and that individual requirements are fully met. Manage your team to ensure this is met. 3. Planning and Organisational skills  In conjunction with the Ward sister(s) ensure that medical supplies, central supplies and equipment are ordered cost effectively, and stored appropriately, adhering to infection control and temperature guidelines.  Ensure that equipment is regularly maintained and serviced in line with hospital policy and manufacturers’ recommendation in conjunction with the Ward sister / charge nurse.  To contribute to a healthy and safe working environment by adhering to health and safety regulations and Trust policies.  Maintain awareness of Trust and National targets, ensuring that within the scope of your role you support their delivery.  Work with the ward sister to ensure infection control procedures and cleanliness are observed on the ward.  Ensure infection control audits such as High impact interventions, hand hygiene audits are completed and that any issues or areas of non compliance raised are dealt with appropriately.  Support the ward sister / charge nurse in ensuring the principles of lean working/ productive ward are embedded into the ward culture and reflected in practice, to ensure most appropriate use of resources both staff and consumables and raise standards of care.  To fully participate in the Trust’s appraisal system. Review appraisal on at least an annual basis.  To manage the teams training needs alongside the Ward Sister(s), to ensure all mandatory training is completed in a timely manner.  Undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with line manager as part of the personal development planning process.  To achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales.  To contribute positively to the effectiveness and efficiency of the teams in which he/she works. 3|P ag e   To undertake any other duties at the request of the line manager which are commensurate with the role, including project work, internal job rotation and absence cover.  Assist in the preparation and evaluation of staffing rosters and adjust accordingly to provide cover with the required skill mix, making best use of resources available with ward /areas budgets.  4. Patient/ Client Care  Ensure that patients/client needs are identified and programmes of care are implemented to meet individual patient and client needs.  Ensure effective discharge planning, involving the multidisciplinary team as necessary. Be a proactive role model in ensuring the patient pathway is optimised and timely discharge is promoted.  Ensure privacy and dignity of patients and clients is key in provision of nursing care and clinical practise of all staff.  Ensure any safeguarding issues adults are raised appropriately to ward sister(s) to enable investigation in relation to vulnerable adults or children. 5. Policy and Service Development Implementation  In conjunction with the Ward sister develop policies, protocols and procedures necessary to support practice.  Assist in setting ward objectives in line with the Unit and Corporate objectives. 6. Financial and Physical Development (inc. equipment, stock etc)  Support the ward sister / Charge nurse in ensuring necessary systems are in place in order to assist in the population of nursing matrix  In conjunction with the Ward sister /charge nurse, monitor key performance indicators, identify trends and take action to maintain levels of acceptable performance.  Assist in the assessment of current and future manpower needs including a continual review of skill mix and participate in the recruitment and selection of staff according to agreed procedures.  To promote the principles of Improving Working Lives amongst your team ensuring fairness and equity and service delivery. 7. Human Resources (inc. developing and delivering training)  Support the ward sister / Charge nurse in ensuring all nursing staff are working to their required level of clinical competence  Teach and facilitate learning for basic and post-basic nursing students in liaison with the educational bodies  Provide induction and support for new staff members  Ensure newly qualified nurses are provided with a preceptorship period.  Teach & facilitate learning for those Health care Assistants undertaking NVQ training  Act as a role model and ensure effective staff supervision with clinical practice, working with staff and patients in an advisory, teaching and support capacity and maintaining professional competence, authority and credibility  To undertake appraisals for all team members on an annual basis ensuring feedback on performance is given at regular intervals throughout the year.  Recommend the needs for staff development and training where identified by this process. 8. Information Resources 4|P ag e   Maintain accurate and effective record keeping  Report / action any accidents, incidents or undue occurrences reported or witnessed. Undertake appropriate investigation of clinical incidents as indicated in absence of ward sister/Charge nurse.  Ensure that patient activity is monitored and that all patient information is entered into the PAS system at the most timely point. 9. Professional  Ensure that these programmes of care incorporate the Patient First, in order to reflect best practice.  In conjunction with the Ward sister/charge nurse take an active role in Risk Management in line with Trust’s policy, report risks appropriately and assist in ensuring controls in place  Be responsible for the control and custody of all medication and drugs in accordance with University Hospitals Sussex policy and statutory regulations  To be self directed in maintaining own professional development Provide professional leadership within the ward ensuring that all staff use evidence based practice and adhere to the NMC Code of Professional Conduct.  Undertake Root cause Analysis of any clinical incidents as required and working with the ward sister/charge nurse ensure that any actions form that analysis is embedded within the clinical area.  To have responsibility for risk management and health and safety in the workplace. Learning and Development  Attend mandatory training updates as required.  Undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with the line manager as part of the personal development process.  Achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales.  Identify own learning needs and jointly plan training requirements with your line manager  Participate in the Trust’s appraisal process to discuss how your role will help deliver the best possible care to our patients and help to deliver any changes in service. This job description is an outline of the role and responsibilities. From time to time due to the needs of the service, we may ask you to flexibly undertake other duties that are consistent with your role and banding, including project work, internal job rotation and absence cover. The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the department and the organisation. Mission and values The mission of University Hospitals Sussex – what we are striving to achieve – is to provide: ‘excellent care every time’ All our efforts to do this put the interests of our patients first and foremost, and are underpinned by our values:  Compassion  Communication  Teamwork 5|P ag e   Respect  Professionalism  Inclusion These values were selected by our staff, patients and public when we were talking about the merger and the sort of organisation, we want University Hospitals Sussex to be. Our mission and values are extremely important to us, and we expect everyone who works at University Hospitals Sussex in any capacity to share and uphold them. Patient First  Patient First is our Trust-wide approach to improving the quality of care for patients and to build and embed a culture where staff can be confident that their views matter and will be heard.  The aim is to empower all staff to lead change, raise issues, concerns, identify and implement areas for improvement within the workplace and find solutions collectively as part of a team.  Staff will be equipped with skills to identify improvement opportunities and supported to see those through  It encourages all staff to be innovative and drive forward quality improvement and positive changes in their areas.  The philosophy behind this is centred on:  Standardisation, system redesign and the improvement of patient pathways to eliminate error and waste and improve quality  The patient being at the heart of every element of change  Embedding cultural change across the organisation, where everyone is passionate about delivering exceptional quality every time and “where better never stops”.  Continuous improvement of our services through small steps of change  Constantly testing the patient pathway to see how we can develop  Encouraging frontline staff to lead the redesign processes  Equal voices for all  Engagement of staff is a big factor in job performance.  Good engagement leads to improved quality, mortality and safety measures Safeguarding Children and vulnerable adults UHSussex is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults and to protecting them from the risks of harm. The Trust recognises its responsibility to ensure that safe working conditions and systems are in place for staff working with children, looked after children, adults, and families in their care. Staff are required to comply with Trust policies on Safeguarding and to undertake the appropriate level of mandatory in-service training in this area. 6|P ag e Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Inclusion and respect are core values at UHSussex, and we are committed to diversity and equality. This means treating colleagues and patients with professionalism, ensuring everyone feels welcome and included, valuing different backgrounds and experiences, and challenging inequalities. Having all our staff feel safe, supported, included and valued will lead to better care and outcomes for our patients – our True North Objective. All staff have a duty to report any behaviours which contravene this to their managers. Workplace and Environmental Factors  Working in uncomfortable/ unpleasant physical conditions  Working in physically cramped conditions  Lifting weights, equipment or patients with mechanical aids  Lifting or weights/equipment without mechanical aids  Moving patients without mechanical aids  Making repetitive movements Physical  Climbing or crawling  Standing/sitting with limited scope for movement for long periods.  Kneeling, crouching, twisting, bending or stretching.  Standing/walking for substantial periods of time  Heavy duty cleaning  Pushing/pulling trolleys or similar  Controlled restraint i.e. jobs requiring training/certification in this  Caring for the terminally ill  Dealing with difficult situations/ circumstances  Designated to provide emotional support to front line Emotional staff  Communicating life changing events  Dealing with people with challenging behaviour  Arriving at the scene of an accident  Operate equipment/machinery Mental  Attend meetings 7|P ag e   Inclement weather  Excessive temperatures  Unpleasant smells/odours  Noxious fumes  Unpleasant substances/non-household waste Infectious Material/Foul Linen  Dust/dirt Working Conditions  Humidity  Contaminated equipment or work areas Daily / MRSA. Infectious areas  Fleas or lice  Exposure to dangerous chemicals/ substances in/not in containers  Exposure to aggressive verbal behaviour where there is little/no support. Person Specification Requirements Level required How Level required How assessed assessed Essential Desirable Application Application form (AF) form (AF) Selection Selection interview (I) interview (I) Assessment Assessment (A) (A) NMC Registered & degree AF Professional qualified. Registration Substantial experience. AF Working towards AF Masters level Experience of mixed Experience/ speciality surgical nursing. AF/I ILS AF Qualifications Experience in Discharge planning AF/I Extended clinical skills, AF Teaching AF cannulation, phlebotomy, qualification. Practice male catheterisation, NGT assessor & Practice insertion, blood supervisor. Skills administration. Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve 8|P ag e  understanding of equalities issues People Some experience in AF/I Knowledge of AF/I Management managing a small team of appraisal process. and people. Development Evidence of having AF/I Equality, championed diversity in Diversity, and previous roles (as Inclusion appropriate to role). Able to use IT to support AF/I Ability to work AF training regularly throughout autonomously. the year and when updates Ability to think are require. “outside the box” in a crisis. Knowledge on Trust’s IT clinical system (Patient Trac, Knowledge and AF/I EPMA, Careflow, SafeCAre) experience of Health Roster. Willingness to adapt into pre-operative role when Knowledge of ward AF/I Specific required and attend relevant based Audits. Requirements trainings Knowledge of Private AF/I patient service. Knowledge and AF/I experience of Pre op assessments. Awareness of AF/I budgeting and resource. Ability to work without I supervision. Able to lead specialist in I Freedom to their field. Act Able to seek guidance/advice I Open to have work I checked/monitored/assessed 9|P ag e 10 | P a g e