Blood Borne Virus Nurse Specialist, Band 6

Job overview

Blood Borne Virus Specialist Nurse, Band 6 (30 hours a week)

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated and experienced Registered Nurse to join the Viral Hepatitis Clinical Nurse specialist team. This role will be central to the provision of a range of specialist services for patients within a unique and cohesive multi-disciplinary environment.

- Provide testing for Hepatitis C (HCV), Hepatitis B (HBV) and HIV infection. Where appropriate make referrals for treatment and support service users to access treatment.

- Reduce barriers to testing and vaccination by providing services in locations easily accessible by the substance users.

- Where necessary provide vaccination for HBV

- Provide information and advice on blood borne viruses, treatment and routes of transmission.

- Raise awareness of BBV’s, transmission, treatment and significance of infection as a key public health issue with service users and professionals.

- Provide community monitoring and support to patients on treatment for HCV.

Main duties of the job

- Provide regular scheduled clinics within service provider bases across the county (VIA, homeless healthcare team, Nelson Trust etc).

- Provide health and life-style advice to enable service users to minimise their risk from BBVs.

- Provide pre-test discussion/preparation for the consequences of receiving positive results and provide & discuss the results of the tests.

- Obtain samples for BBV testing and to enable seamless referral for treatment as necessary.

- Make timely referrals to the Specialist Services for the treatment of HBV, HCV and HIV infection and motivate/support service users to access that treatment.

- Where service users test positive for one or more of the BBVs, with consent of the service user, refer sexual partners & close household contacts of that individual to their GP practice and initiate contact trace.

- Where service user consent has been established communicate individual appointment attendance and intervention status to the referring agency.

- Provide HBV vaccination and or boosters.

- Raise awareness with the service user about the risks of transmission of BBVs to close household contacts and sexual partners.

- Working within the care pathway in partnership with the senior specialist nurse for viral hepatitis and the medical teams to order the necessary investigations, provide clinical advice and provide treatment and care to patients.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Job Purpose and Main Responsibilities

The post holder will be a member of a specialist nursing team responsible for a caseload of viral hepatology patients. The post holder will;

- Manage, treat and support a diverse caseload of patients  throughout the county.  The post holder will work automatously and contribute to the provision of a nurse-led service

- Screens patients for disease risk factors and signs of illness

- See patients with undifferentiated and undiagnosed problems and make a clinical assessment of their health needs

- Order the necessary investigations, make differential diagnosis, provide highly specialised clinical advice and provide treatment and care . This involves dealing with sensitive information and breaking bad news which may be met with a range of emotions including hostility and extreme distress

- Willingness to undertake training for Fibroscan and utilise the scanner during these clinics should the need arise.

- Independent Prescribers: To prescribe and review medication for therapeutic effectiveness, appropriate to patient needs and in accordance with evidence-based practice and national and practice protocols; within scope of practice. (Not an independent prescriber: willing to undertake independent prescriber course).

- See patients on treatment for hepatitis C as clinically required to obtain blood samples, reviewing the results. In patients with hepatitis C make decisions to stop treatment earlier than anticipated in patients who are not responding to treatment – this will involve breaking bad news of treatment failure and discussion of alternative treatment.

- Repeat prescribing.

- Arranging to see patients for post-treatment monitoring. Establishing the outcome of treatment and giving the result to the patient – this may involve breaking bad news of treatment failure.

- See patient on treatment for hepatitis B as clinically indicated but once established on treatment at least once every three months to six months as indicated by clinical need. Monitor for side-effects, complications of ongoing infection, treatment efficacy and drug resistance.

- Venepuncture, often with individuals who have poor venous access and who are infected with viral hepatitis

- Provide ongoing highly specialised clinical advice and support to individuals infected or affected by viral hepatitis. These individuals will include GPs and other healthcare workers, members of the public, the occupational health department and statutory and non-statutory services. Provide highly specialised clinical advice (including issues relating to hepatitis B post exposure prophylaxis) and support to staff occupationally exposed to blood and body fluids which may be infected with blood

- Data entry using the hepatitis C database.

- Involvement in research and audit.

- Demonstrate compliance with the terms of all safeguarding policies and processes relevant to the safeguarding of adults and children in the care of GHNHSFT and to undergo regular mandatory training concerned with safeguarding matters.

- Support the Senior Viral Hepatology Nurse Specialist when necessary in issues relating to the Hepatology Service

-  Make line manager aware of any concerns regarding the quality of service provided in a constructive manner.

- Ensure clinical practice in relation to its evidence base and clinical effectiveness

- Engage users and carers in service development process through patient support groups

- Maintain accurate records and databases (both local and regional) for patients with viral hepatitis.

Contact Details

Rosemarie Verdadero

Matron  Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy

[email protected]

07866 763010

Katie Hayward, [email protected]