Clinical Practitioner Virtual Ward - Band 6

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our Medical Hub Virtual Ward and be part of a friendly, supportive and dynamic multi-disciplinary team.

In Gloucestershire, our Virtual Wards provide specialist led care for a variety of patients with pathways currently for frailty, heart failure, respiratory, General Medical and work closely with our Surgical Virtual Hub team.

We deliver care acute level care in patient homes using an advanced personal remote monitoring technology where required, enabling them to safely leave hospital sooner (or not come into hospital at all). Our service is forward thinking and innovative, but not delivered as a remote service. We work with a Hospital at Home community team.

The Virtual Ward Hub team work together to assess and provide support enabling early discharge from hospital or avoiding admission to hospital.  Come and be part of a newly established, forward-looking service Work with a range of health and care professionals Support providing care to patients in their own homes-use innovative digital technology Be part of an integrated model working across community and acute services

Main duties of the job

The Band 6 Clinical Practitioner will provide clinical care and ensure that evidence- based practice is inherent in all aspects of care and treatment. You will work as an integral part of the multidisciplinary team, working closely with acute and community practitioners, taking referrals from Primary and Secondary Care across Gloucestershire localities, and reviewing patients who can be managed at home. The role offers an exciting opportunity to be part of a developing service model, working in the virtual ward hub providing acute care within the community. This role is flexible and across key services including SDEC, Frailty Assessment Service, Respiratory, Heart Failure and community SPCA services. The post holder will work collaboratively with the virtual ward consultants, operational leads, GP's and wider Multi-professional Teams taking part in a rota that currently covers a seven-day service during the hours of 8am and 6pm.

The role is not a remote post as a requirement to work within the main bases and visit patients for clinical assessments, care and decision making.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Practice in compliance with your code of professional conduct and within your agreed scope of practice, being responsible and accountable for your decisions, actions, and omissions at this level of practice.
• Use proficient clinical knowledge to independently assess, diagnose, plan, implement and evaluate treatments and interventions for patients presenting to the specialty with complex undifferentiated or undefined presentations.
• Undertake physical examination as indicated by the patient’s condition, autonomously analysing complex clinical signs and investigation results to consider differential diagnoses, and initiating treatment as required.
• Perform clinical procedures appropriate to the history and physical examination of the patient including further invasive testing and treatments requiring proficient skills and precision.
• Request a range of investigations and laboratory tests in accordance with local policies.
• Manage clinical events often requiring unpredictable and high levels of mental and /or physical initiation and leadership and exercise professional judgement to manage risk appropriately.
• Prescribe and review medication (as an independent prescriber) for therapeutic effectiveness appropriate to patient need and in accordance with evidence-based practice and national and local protocols, within the role’s scope of practice and legal framework.
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of your broadened level of responsibility and autonomy and the limits of your own competence and professional scope of practice including working with complexity, risk, and incomplete information.
• Act on professional judgement about when to seek help, demonstrating critical reflection on your own practice, self- awareness, emotional intelligence, and openness to change.
• Work in partnership with individuals, families, and carers, using a range of assessment methods as appropriate (history taking, holistic assessment, identifying risk factors in mental health assessments, requesting, undertaking, and interpreting diagnostic tests, including radiology requests
• Demonstrating effective communication skills, supporting people in making decisions, planning care, or seeking to make positive changes, using HEE framework to promote person centered approaches in health and care, including the need for supporting challenging and sensitive conversations around end-of-life care and advanced planning.
• Initiate, evaluate, and modify a range of interventions including prescribing medicines, therapies, lifestyle advice and care.
• Work collaboratively with an appropriate range of MDT and interprofessional resources, developing, maintaining, and evaluating links to manage risk and issues across organisations and settings.
• Evidence the underpinning core Advanced Practice competencies as well as specialty specific competencies, knowledge, skills, and behaviors relevant to the role, scope and demonstrate application of the capabilities to these in an approach that is appropriate to the individual role, setting and scope.
• Ensure clear and effective documentation using the Electronic Patient Records System in line with Trust policy.