Clozapine & Depot Clinic Nurse

Job overview

We are seeking an experienced and enthusiastic Band 6 Community Psychiatric Nurse to lead our Clozapine and Depot Clinic, also known as the Merton Holistic Wellbeing Hub. The role sits within community services in the borough of Merton for South West London and St Georges NHS Trust, within the Merton Integrated Recovery Hubs.

This is an opportunity for a passionate nurse who is versatile to support patients who are receiving clozapine and intramuscular (depot) medication in the community. If successful you will have overall responsibility in providing this essential clinic to patients within the London Borough of Merton and therefore must be organised, proactive and have excellent communication and documentation skills.

You will need to have experience of providing physical health expertise of monitoring side effects and demonstrating parity of esteem therefore the postholder will be required to have a strong knowledge of physical health monitoring and outcomes. Lastly, The postholder should have a strong knowledge around medicines, in particular antipsychotics, Clozapine and the contraindications with other medicines.

Main duties of the job

Successful applicants will work as part of a Multidisciplinary Team however primarily be supported by Nursing Associates and the Borough Advanced Clinical Practitioner. You will not hold a designated caseload however are responsible for ensuring the patients attending the clinic are risk assessed, receive their medication and any urgent concerns are immediately escalated.

Applicants should have experience working within a mental health setting post qualification; ideally a community mental health team and should have a strong knowledge of antipsychotics and administration in the community. You will need to be flexible energetic have a positive attitude and demonstrate an ability to work autonomously.

You should be able to demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills and an ability to work collaboratively with individuals sometimes adopting a creative / problem solving approach to working practice. You should be committed to MDT working and partnership working, establishing good networks with our Recovery College and a variety of voluntary, statutory and independent agencies.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. To take blood samples from patients ensuring consent is obtained before undertaking the procedure.

2. Ensure that blood samples are analyzed using the PocHi and where required sent to the laboratory within specified time scales.

3. Managing blood results and take actions needed when results are outside normal parameters, following policy and national guidance.

4. To escalate concerns around service users’ physical health to the GP, MDT, and onsite pharmacist.

5. To escalate any concerns regarding IT failure and or the running of the clinic.

6. Managing clozapine applications like ZTAS and reporting issues to IT or managers when systems fail.

7. Ensure venipuncture is undertaken safely and in line with Infection Control Procedures.

8. Assess the general wellbeing of patients attending the clinic and discuss any concerns with relevant practitioners including pharmacy.

9. Provide physical and mental health monitoring and interventions in line with NICE guidelines such as ECG’s.

10. Maintain regular contact with the pharmacy dept ensuring they are aware of patients who have not attended clinic.

11. Ensure that the clinic is fully stocked with the necessary forms, consumables, sundries and equipment.

12. Take responsibility for checking the cleaning, of all equipment and medications used in the clinic.

13. Ensure all equipment is safe and in working order.

14. Ensure that service users and carers are treated with dignity and respect.

15. To provide teaching and training to student nurses allocated to the Community Team.

16. To respond, sometimes at short notice, to requests to see patients either individually, or jointly with other team members (e.g. when a patient who is unwell or non-compliant with medication).