Band 6- Nurse/Paramedic Islington Urgent Community Response

Job overview

The post holder will work in the Islington Urgent Community Response Team (IUCRT) as part of the multi-disciplinary team working across the Rapid Response and Hospital at Home pathways, supporting hospital discharges and admission avoidance. The post holder will primarily be working in Islington borough but may be required to see patients in other NCL boroughs. Key partners are Whittington Health and North Middlesex University Hospital Emergency Departments, assessment units, acute wards, community teams including district nurses and long term condition teams, London Ambulance Service and GP’s within the Boroughs of Islington and Haringey

Main duties of the job

Provide specialist, high quality, expert nursing/paramedic care and support for patients who are suitable for Urgent Community Response (Rapid Response and Hospital at Home) care in liaison with the multidisciplinary teams (MDT) through assessment and care planning.

• Initiate agreed range of diagnostic tests.
• Refer to other disciplines/professions when required.
• Support patients to self-manage, monitor their condition and make informed choices.
• Act as a named nurse for designated patients within the service
• Ensure that nursing documentation is maintained to required standards and to be a competent user of and participate in the ongoing development of the Trust’s planned Electronic Patient Record
• Promote the development of evidenced based practice.
• Participate in clinical supervision to agreed standard.
• Ensure high standards of care are given to all patients.
• Advise patients on the promotion of health and the prevention of illness.
• Be responsible for gaining intravenous access and administration of prescribed medication for patients requiring short-term antibiotics and for monitoring their care.
• Collaborate with medical colleagues in ensuring that appropriate investigations and procedures are performed to complete the patients’ treatments and that patient and their families are fully informed and understand the purpose for these.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Promote the service and support clinical staff to facilitate the safe, effective and appropriate transfer of patients identified as suitable for  care from ED, wards and the community.
• Work with and be responsible for the case management of patients identified for Rapid Response and Hospital at Home.
• Attend multidisciplinary meetings and participate in cascading information from these meetings to relevant parties.
• Record data and support the collection of data for performance monitoring and reports.
• Understand the protocols and pathways for IUCRT and work with the MDT.
• Advise and recommend appropriate discharge options to patient, family and MDT in relation to any further care needs following discharge such as community nursing.
• Provide a follow up process of contacting patients being case managed, for example following up test results
• Manage and co-ordination of patient care
• Develop patient condition specific management plans with medical staff to improve patient clinical management
• Attend appropriate internal and external meetings as representative of the Trust in relation to the IUCRT role and responsibilities.
• Actively participate in the development of the IUCR service.
• Assist in the development of IUCRT pathways, associated protocols and relevant patient group directions.
• Gain real time feedback from the users of the service to ensure that they are benefiting and that the service delivery is the best possible.
• Contribute to a summary report and clinical audit of the service and evaluate its effectiveness on patient outcomes.
• Act within the NMC/HCPC code.
• Undertake further educational qualifications and training in order to increase professional knowledge and remain updated.
• Assist in ensuring that clinical risk is assessed and managed in line with professional Whittington Health standards.
• Ensure that comprehensive risk assessment and management strategies are incorporated into all patient assessment and care
• Ensure that the information contained in any Comprehensive Risk Assessment is responsibly shared with members of the Multidisciplinary team, Social Services and other agencies in order to appropriately manage and reduce risk.
• Always adhere to Whittington Health and Safety guidance and to lead by personal example of good practice.
• Ensure accurate, contemporaneous records are kept that facilitate safety and continuity of patient care. This is to include both paper and electronic records kept within the office and in the patient’s own home.
• Ensure accurate statistical data is promptly submitted in line with Whittington Health Guidelines.

Work within Whittington Health Quality and Assurance Standards including the monitoring and reviewing of quality standards, policies and protocols as required within the service.

• Take the service lead in areas where there is a specific need as agreed with Leads.
• Ensure that the care given meets the standards and policies set by Whittington Health. To inform line management of constraints that will prevent these standards from being met.
• Respond promptly to any incident where service quality has fallen below an acceptable standard and report to the Lead Matron. To investigate such incidents and set action plans to ensure that identified weaknesses are resolved.
• Investigate complaints and clinical incidents as delegated by Team Leads, making recommendations about changes to practice and service that may result.
• Participate in research projects, clinical audit and/or innovations following agreed policy and protocol, leading on these in certain areas as agreed with Team Leads.
• Contribute to the development of the IUCRT by participating in working parties, committees and planning and discussion groups as agreed with supervisor and Team Leads.
• Submit timely information relating to service performance indicators and balanced score cards to Team Leads and the Quality and Assurance Department.