Clinical Charge Nurse

Job overview

Are you a positive, proactive, and experienced RMN or RLDN looking for a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference? We invite you to become part of our exceptional team, Luther King Ward, where we provide high-quality, recovery-focused acute inpatient care. All inpatient wards in Lambeth Hospital will be moving to our new location at Maudsley Hospital, in New Douglas Bennett Hospital, soon. Our new spacious and thoughtfully designed ward prioritise patient safety while promoting meaningful connections between staff and patients.

Our multi-disciplinary team is dynamic and diverse, consisting of RMNs, Clinical Support Workers, an Occupational Therapist, Psychologist, Doctors, and an experienced Consultant. Together, we work collaboratively to support patients on their journey to recovery. We also offer patients access to psychology and art therapy, enriching their therapeutic experience.

Main duties of the job

To have management responsibility for the delivery of Quality care in accordance with Trust policies and procedures.

The Clinical Charge Nurse role is suitable for Registered Nurses who have successfully completed preceptorship and have registered as an approved NMC mentor.

The post holder will deliver, or advise on the delivery of, high quality safe nursing care, ensuring consistently high standards of practice and clinical excellence which comply with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) code of professional conduct.

As a Clinical Charge Nurse, you will promote and develop clinical leadership and clinical practice and be a positive role model to junior members of the team through the practice of evidence-based care.

You will be expected to support professional development through clinical appraisal and supervision and contribute to the ongoing educational programme for staff, fostering a positive learning environment. Your professional and personal development will include further postgraduate study, and you will be encouraged and supported by your line manager to undertake master’s programmes.

The post holder will carry out nursing procedures to a standard that ensures safe and effective care and complies with The Nursing and Midwifery Council's Code of Professional Conduct.

There is an expectation that the post holder will place the needs of service users at the centre of care delivery.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical Skills

• Working autonomously within the parameters of the role leading and supporting junior staff and wider care team to implement the delivery of quality nursing care, contributing to the physical, psychological, social, recreational and spiritual care in a recovery-focused way through therapeutic engagement and activities, and taking steps to address any issues that arise.
• Leading on and undertaking activities to ensure that the fundamentals of care are met - nutrition, hydration, hygiene, comfort, emotional and social support:

Co-ordinating and evaluating collaborative patient centred care; getting feedback and improving plans with the multi-disciplinary team (MDT).

• Providing accurate information about care in an accessible format to patients and their relatives / carers.
• Liaising and working positively with members of the multi- disciplinary team and partner organisations.
• Administering, and monitoring the side-effects of, medication; monitoring service user compliance.
• Safety; safe custody of medicines, sharps, clinical equipment, report all incidents following trust policy.
• Leading and supporting/teaching junior staff on risk assessment and risk management that involves making decisions based on knowledge of the research evidence, knowledge of the individual service user and their social context, knowledge of the service user’s own experience and clinical judgment.
• Supporting and supervising junior staff to develop the management of care needs through:
• Initial data collection
• Monitoring of individual service user / patient progress
• Feedback and discussion
• Producing reports and in-care reviews
• Devising a plan of care and interventions in partnership with service user, carer and MDT
• Coordinating junior staff and the wider care team in providing hands-on care to service users and evaluating processes of care delivered. This will include:
• Undertaking 1-1 engagement with service users in an honest, open and nonjudgmental way.
• Recognising and valuing service users as individuals, acknowledging the importance of maintaining the service user’s respect and dignity at all times and ensure that the care provided respects equality and diversity.
• Developing care plans that reflect service user needs and relevant patient care documentation working in partnership with service users, wider MDT and family/carers.
• Ensuring the monitoring and recording service user clinical observations are undertaken, such as physical observations and vital signs and treating or escalating as appropriate any signs or symptoms of deterioration or that does not fulfil the personal parameters to the relevant professional for treatment. Promote healthy lifestyles and give health promotion advice and support.
• Implementing the principles of ‘recovery’: encouraging and supporting service users to engage with healthy lifestyles, facilitating psychosocial activities and other activities of their interest. Where appropriate contributing to psychological interventions.
• Escorting service users, as required, in line with Trust policies.
• Advocating for service users’ needs and rights within Trust policy. Encouraging and empowering service users to have an optimum level of responsibility for their individual programme of care.

Knowledge and Frameworks:

• Demonstrating an enhanced understanding of Mental Health signs and symptoms and an understanding of how these may present in practice including recognition of impact on patient presentation and behaviour including risk factors. Supporting and teaching junior staff to develop understanding of mental health signs and symptoms and develop appropriate responses to these in practice.
• Recognising and responding appropriately to challenging behaviour in line with Trust policies and training. Leading and coordinating junior staff and the wider care team in the management of difficult situations and deescalation and developing resilience and strategies to manage, including on leading staff and patient ‘debriefing’ sessions.
• Demonstrating a depth of knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty and other legislation applicable to the practice area and how they are implemented in practice ensuring adherence to legislation at all times. Teaching junior staff to understand the legal frameworks that support their practice.

Communication:

• Contributing to an effective communication process with appropriate and accurate information to patients, carers, family, friends and colleagues.

Engaging and listening carefully and actively and responding using appropriate language and accessible communication methods and skills. Developing communication skills to enable and support difficult conversations, acknowledging cultural differences and professional boundaries.

• Demonstrating effective clinical communication and documentation to internal and external stakeholders ensuring effective verbal and written handover of relevant and objective information. Demonstrating ability to determine key information, ability to recognise and describe effectively symptoms of mental illness, distress or of a deteriorating patient, and ability to escalate issues of concerns effectively and in a timely manner.
• Contributing towards the on-going quality of service and care by managing the patient caseload, organising care including delegating tasks and duties appropriately to staff with relevant competency, identifying and mitigating any risk issues in relation to the service users’ health and social care. Informing the relevant Health care professionals if there are any significant:
• Changes in the service user’s physical or mental state
• Factors relevant to the service user
• Incidents related to the service user
• Maintaining timely and accurate service user written/electronic records in line with Trust policy. Use care plans, pathway documents and Information System progress notes appropriately and in a timely manner.
• Reporting, without delay, any safety or security concerns to maintain the safety of service users, carers, staff and others in line with Trust policy.
• Understanding and contributing to the Trust risk assessment policy, including being aware of the need to follow all safeguarding procedures; being aware of the necessity to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults at all times when working with service users. Supporting junior staff to respond appropriately if there are any significant factors, or incidents relating to the safeguarding service user.
• Maintaining confidential information in accordance with Trust Policies.

Teamworking and Professional development:

• Protecting service users, self and others by maintaining a clean and healthy environment in accordance with health and safety and infection control policies.

Ensuring safe working practices and working environment including monitoring and maintaining cleanliness of the service area and report, without delay, all hazards - real and potential. Leading audit and compliance activities and reports.

• Working in ways that support shared responsibility within the team: demonstrating support, respect and courtesy towards colleagues; working in a professional manner and with Trust values always in mind, respecting the boundaries of the relationship with service users/patients, carers and staff.
• Leading, attending and participating in team meetings and contributing ideas to multi-professional team discussions.
• Leading sessions on reflective practice for the wider care team to ensure effective patient care is based on evidence-based practice and with Trust values in mind. Leading staff training and meetings including reflective practice groups and activities including the development of reflective portfolio.
• Participating in supervision by nominated senior staff member, including annual review of performance as part of the appraisal (or PADR) system. Providing and coordinating and overseeing the supervision to Bands 2 – 5 nursing staff.
• Demonstrating and promoting a clear leadership role to others and acting as role model to others at all times in accordance with Trust values.
• Undertaking mandatory training as required by Trust policy plus support junior staff to complete Care

Certificate, Trust Level 2 Apprenticeship if appropriate and other CPD training related to the role or area of work.

Leadership and Management:

• Developing the clinical practice of junior members of staff, including newly qualified band 5 nurses.
• Acting as a point of contact for all enquiries, working in partnership with the team manager and the wider MDT to coordinate the activities of the unit.
• Deputising for the team manager in their absence and be accountable for the nursing care and management of team, including maintaining communication with the modern matron and senior nursing staff.
• Assisting the team manager in ensuring the team is safely staffed, prioritising and deploying resources within budgetary parameters and escalating concerns to senior nursing staff where appropriate in accordance with HR policies and procedures.
• Supporting the team manager to investigate incidents and complaints: compile reports and disseminate this information to senior management.
• Recognising nursing practice that needs improvement and to work in partnership with the team manager to ensure appropriate action is taken to address it.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.