Gastroenterology Advanced Clinical Practitioner

Job overview

The Gastroenterology team at Mid Cheshire Hospitals Foundation Trust are looking to recruit a qualified Advanced Clinical practitioner to join the Gastroenterology Team.  The post holder will focus upon two elements of care – Haemochromatosis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

This is an ideal opportunity for an established Advanced Clinical Practitioner who wishes to undertake relevant training in the assessment and management of patients presenting to gastroenterology services.

There is full support commitment and drive from the divisional management team to provide and enhance these roles in practice. The successful candidate will have opportunity to gain skills and experience in advanced practice to support their development.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, committed individual who are able to act autonomously and have a passion for delivering excellent quality care. You will have a strong belief in influencing the quality agenda and support the development and succession planning of your nursing and medical colleagues. There is a long-term commitment from the trust to develop a team of Advanced Clinical Practitioners to support emphasis on quality and safety in practice as well as recognising the role of audit and training in developing staff across disciplines.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner. An ACP is an experienced practitioner with decision making autonomy, responsibility and accountability. They will demonstrate a high degree of clinical autonomy and complex clinical decisions within their specialist field utilising evidence-based practice. ACPs will contribute to the leadership, development and supervision of others. The post holder is expected to take responsibility, provide care and make clinical decisions is accordance with agreed clinical pathways of care and proficiency of own skill and speciality set.

The post holder will hold a master’s qualification or undertaken an ePortfolio to evidence working at an advanced level. You will have completed speciality specific competencies for the role.

The post holder must be able to work independently within the four pillars of advanced practice which include clinical practice, management and leadership, education and research.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

CLINICAL PRACTICE

• Works as an autonomous practitioner taking responsibility for assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients presenting within their care.  Evaluate response to treatments and initiate changes as required within scope of competence. Work within own competence and confidence to ensure safe practice for patients and where unsure seeking out senior colleagues or medical team for support. Communicate effectively with patients, supporting people in making decisions, planning care or seeking to make positive changes. Communicate highly complex information to the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT). Work collaboratively with other professionals and refer to appropriate clinicians to ensure the needs of patients and services are met. Request and perform diagnostic procedures and support staff with patients who are unable to obtain these procedures. Request diagnostic interventions, including pathology and radiological tests within own speciality skill set whilst working within own remit of competency. Admit and discharge patients within own competence and utilising pathways, policies, and guidelines. Review of the deteriorating patient and initiation of management plans and escalation to medical team or senior colleagues where appropriate. Establish and maintain effective communication with patients, their families and other relevant agencies and professionals across health, education and social services. Promote clinical excellence and evidence-based approach to care by complying with the agreed policies and procedures. Provide support and advice to other specialities to ensure the correct patient pathway. Take an active role in Health promotion of individuals through appropriate support and education.  Analyse and act on information to proactively manage and maintain NHS standards and targets. Maintain accurate patient records on trust documentation ensuring professional confidentiality is always maintained. Provide expert clinical knowledge to clinical staff, patients, carers, relatives and when applicable community and policy-making organisations/groups.

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Act as a role model by demonstrating effective leadership and expertise by maintaining credibility across the trust, the wider health care community and external agencies, ensuring a positive image of the trust is maintained. Pro-actively initiate and develop effective relationships, fostering clarity of roles within teams to encourage productive working. Act as a clinical role model/advocate for developing and delivering care that is responsive to changing requirements. Involved within recruitment, selection, induction and orientation of Trainee ACPs. Undertake trainee ACP appraisals and clinical supervision (3 years post qualification) and ensure time allocated within job plan to facilitate.   Lead new practice and service redesign solutions in response to feedback, evaluation and need. Continually develop practice in response to changing population. Participate in sharing experience and knowledge to pre and post registered staff to contribute to the development of future advanced practitioners. Work with division and corporate nursing team to respond and feedback on complaints/reports where required and ensure lessons are learnt to enhance and change practice where required.

EDUCATION

Identify and take responsibility for individual learning and development to ensure ongoing professional development and advancement of the ACP role. Ensuring it reflects the breadth of ongoing development across the four pillars of advanced clinical practise. Completion of speciality specific competencies. Support trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioners within their role and share skills, knowledge and experience in order to contribute to the development of future ACPs. Actively maintain a personal portfolio of learning to ensure compliancy with speciality specific competencies and evidence of working at an advanced level. Disseminate learning and information gathered to share good practice and inform relevant staff that provide the service about current and future developments. Act as a role model, educator, supervisor, coach and mentor, seeking to instil and develop the confidence of others. Ensure own compliance with regards to Trust mandatory training.

RESEARCH

Engage in research activity, adhering to good practice research guidance, so that evidence-based strategies are developed and applied to enhance quality, safety, productivity and value for money. Evaluate and audit own and others clinical practice. Develop and implement robust governance systems and systematic documentation processes. Participate in professional and policy-making activities that contribute to the development of the practitioner role. Liaise with other ACPs across the trust to achieve a corporate viewpoint on key professional issues. Support the development and implementation of policies, procedures and guidelines related to area of practice.

See Job Description