Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical:

1. Carries out a full range of registered heath care professional duties, including assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of the patient’s condition and care with support from the Practitioner in charge. Maintains the privacy and dignity of all patients whilst adhering to Trust and department policies, reporting any difficulties with these duties to senior staff.
2. Works without direct supervision once key learning outcomes of the induction/ foundation or preceptorship programme have been completed; and 6 month probationary period applies to career Band 5 posts.
3. Maintains a safe environment when caring for patients, including those patients requiring frequent levels of monitoring.
4. Monitors all patient care and treatment, maintaining high standards and quality at all times.
5. Documents incidents on Datix in real time and escalates any concerns to the Practitioner in charge. Is aware of trust risk management and policies.
6. Able to prioritise patient care, recognise deterioration in a patient’s condition and alert senior staff immediately.
7. Maintains accurate, contemporaneous and legible written records of care where required and accurately completes the perioperative care plan (ORSOS) and be a signatory for the Operating Register.
8. Uses effective communication, written and verbal with all levels of staff including the multidisciplinary team, patients and relatives, taking into account impairments, levels of consciousness and language barriers.
9. Adheres to the agreed procedures as identified, and promotes by example, a high standard of good quality care within the department.
10. Fosters good relationships with other departments, the multidisciplinary team and visitors to the unit. Helps to achieve and maintain morale for both staff and patients.
11. Participates in the health education and explanation of treatment to patients and relatives. Ensure the delivery of high quality end of life care in line with national pathways, eg WHO Safety Surgical Checklist
12. Provide sound evidence based clinical advice as required to staff and patients
13. Maintain a good understanding and implementation of clinical escalation procedures as required
14. Understand the Trust clinical governance framework, and participate in the promoting and safeguarding of high standards of care, through effective risk management & governance, and adherence to the Trust values
15. Ensure that the team promote, ensure and adhere to the Trust safeguarding polices
16. Monitor quality of standards of care, in line with CQC requirements and Trust and Divisional objectives
17. Deliver and supervise a high quality patient experience
18. Work with manager to collect and disseminate data on quality indicators etc, in line with national and Trust objectives
19. Maintain a safe working environment, including ensuring equipment is safe, and used in line with Trust policy and values
20. Promote and maintain patient safety at all times, including proactively implementing falls prevention

21.Lead role in the detection, management and prevention of safeguarding issues

22. Have an awareness of current professional and clinical developments within their area of practice and promote this to others

2.    Leadership and management:

• Help to manage the day to day staffing arrangements, to ensure safe levels of practice
• Be in charge of a theatre list on a regular basis where appropriate
• Ensure staffs adhere to Trust protocols of care, eg Infection Control
• Take continuing responsibility for the Theatre in absence of Sister or floor coordinator
• Lead and manage their own clinical team within general clinical areas, and of the total team in the absence of the Theatre Sister, in line with Trust values
• Develop and maintain effective communication and working relationships with other professional groups, and staff generally within the Division and the Trust
• Contribute to the effective management of the area by ensuring correct levels of staff are in place to deliver and assist with the planning of off duty rotas
• Assist in the delivery of induction / orientation of new staff
• Act as a role model, ensuring staff work to Trust guidelines and values
• Supervise, under the direction of their manager, the work of qualified and unqualified staff and learners
• Provide clinical support and guidance to staff
• Act as a resource for clinical knowledge to staff
• Initiate action on complaints & incident management and responses, and assist in their investigation and resolution
• Participate in recruitment and selection, and develop effective selection and interviewing skills
• Undertake appraisals of staff, following training
• Chair team meetings as required
• Lead on specific projects, as indicated and agreed by manager
• Have a working knowledge of budget arrangements for area, focussing on cost effectiveness and quality, to ensure maximum use of resource
• Understand and manage local change with team members, including the embedding of new project

• 3. Education & research:

• Participate in the education of all learners within their area
• Actively support and assist in preceptorship and in pre-registration student support, supervision and guidance including mentorship where appropriate
• Identify and respond to learning needs for area
• Develop and deliver or organise local training sessions, mindful of the Trust values
• Facilitate others in the development of informal teaching skills
• Participate in the annual training needs analysis for their area
• Participate in any local or related research projects, clinical trials etc 
• Apply and encourage others to utilise evidence based practice and relevant research findings in practice
• Identify areas of nursing / midwifery research within their area that will be of benefit, and encourage and educate other staff to recognise the importance of research
• Participate in clinical supervision / acting as supervisor