District Nurse / Community Nursing Sister

Job overview

Do you hold the District Nursing qualification or are willing to work towards it?

Do you have extensive community nursing experience?

Are you able to work twilight and night shifts?

If so, then come and work with the CPFT Countywide Out of Hours Community Nursing Service as we are currently recruiting dedicated and motivated nurses within our Cambridge, Fenland and Peterborough bases. Full and part time vacancies are available.

We are an unplanned care service that operates seven days a week working twilight and night shifts. As part of the role, you will be responsible for triaging calls and managing the shift of a small team of nurses.

You will have opportunity to develop your skills and career and we will support you fully in this.

Main duties of the job

Main duties of the job

• To work as an autonomous practitioner.
• To be responsible for triaging patients calls  and undertake assessment of patients with complex and multiple pathologies using specialist clinical reasoning skills.
• To keep the patient at the centre of care.
• To supervise junior staff and students overseeing patient intervention and ensure that a high standard of care is delivered and staff achieve set competencies

• To prioritize all referrals according to clinical lead and allocate or signpost appropriately
• To identify patient needs, agree goals and to provide appropriate holistic nursing interventions, to refer to other services and provide or order equipment
• To have line management responsibilities for a small team

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please note for this role you will be required to travel independently around the county meeting strict time deadlines. You will need to hold a full UK driving licence* and have use of a vehicle. You cannot use public transport for this role as this is not a reliable form of transport and will not allow you to meet service needs. Please confirm in your application that you meet the specified criteria.

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities.

• To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects for your own and delegated work.
• To work within codes of practice and professional guidelines.
• To undertake holistic assessment (including those with complex presentations and multi pathologies) making use of clinical reasoning skills.
• To use evidence-based practice, to ensure clinical care is effective and appropriate.
• To promote independence and wherever possible to avoid hospital admission and reduce inpatient length of stay to ensure those patients receive the appropriate care in the most appropriate setting.
• Organise and manage own time, delegating work appropriately.
• Contribute to risk assessments and health and safety assessments and including immediately reporting any changes/newly identified risks.
• To demonstrate the importance of gaining patient and carer consent in all interventions.
• To effectively communicate verbally with patients, carers and colleagues using tact and persuasive skills. This may involve using skills where patients have difficulties in communication, e.g. hearing loss, diminished sight, depression, speech problems, cognitive impairment, behavioural problems and pain.
• To contribute to and work towards the service/organisational aims and objectives of the Neighbourhood Teams and the new model of care.
• To work effectively within the neighbourhood team structure and liaise appropriately with members of the MDT and other agencies by attending MDT meetings, case reviews.
• To ensure that accurate and timely written records are kept which comply with the Trust policy and NMC guidance, reporting on any issues as appropriate.
• To inform/update all members of the multi-disciplinary team, service users and appropriate others, of changes involving current care plans, patients progress and other relevant matters that pertain to the care of the patient.
• To support the Community nursing team with day to day planning and delivery of a high quality care.
• To support the neighbourhood team with case management model.
• To provide skilled nursing care of a high standard as delegated by the district nursing sister/ charge nurse.
• To support, educate and advise formal and informal carers with the nursing care which they can provide.
• To act as a patient advocate, providing information, health education and support to facilitate patient choice with regard to nursing care, promoting independence.
• To ensure that medications are stored and recorded according to the rules relating to the drugs policy of CPFT.
• To administer immunisations and vaccinations to adults in accordance with agreed protocols for patients on the current caseload.
• To participate in regular supervision in accordance with good practice guidelines and Trust policy.
• To participate in the Trust’s annual Appraisal process.
• To attend all relevant mandatory training as and when required to do so.

*DVLA have a number of reciprocal arrangements with overseas countries, for further information please visit the DVLA website