Hand & Plastic Injury Specialist Nurse

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Plastic Surgery department for a Specialist Nurse in the Hands and Plastic Injury (HAPI) Clinic. The HAPI Clinic is an urgent care facility that provides specialist Plastic Surgery reviews and treatments, including minor operations, to patients across Oxfordshire. HAPI operates daily from 8am to 7pm, including weekends and bank holidays, with Ambulatory Care provided until 8pm.

As a Specialist Nurse in HAPI, you will be responsible for coordinating the care of patients referred to the emergency Plastic Surgery service and oversee the daily running of the urgent clinic. In this hands on role you will assess and provide specialist care to patients with hand and soft tissue injuries, including burns, and assist with minor operations in our procedure suite. The post holder will act as the key point of contact within the Hands/Plastic Trauma Service, coordinating care.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and flexible nurse with a genuine interest in Plastic Surgery/minor injuries. This role requires active problem-solving skills and initiative to ensure high standards of care are delivered. Specialist training / professional development will be provided, together with an induction period to settle into the role. Please note if you have previously submitted an application / applied for this specific role/post in the last 12 months, your application will not be considered for shortlisting.

Main duties of the job

• Coordinate and supervise the daily running of the Hands and Plastics Injuries (HAPI) Clinic, which includes the ambulatory care service and minor operations (HAPI MOPS).
• Work at an enhanced level as a Specialist Nurse in Plastic Surgery, undertaking comprehensive assessments and delivering specialist care to patients with hand and soft tissue injuries.
• Act as a role model within the Plastic Surgery Trauma Service, consistently demonstrating and promoting the Trust values.
• Coordinate and manage referrals to the Plastic Trauma Service in close collaboration with the on-call Plastic Surgery team

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Be responsible and accountable for the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of care for patients and their families/carers attending the Hands and Plastic Injury (HAPI) service.
• Participate in the review of patients with hand, soft tissue and burn injuries, delivering specialist wound care and treatments in collaboration with the Hands and Plastic Surgery team.
• Coordinate and provide ambulatory care to patients in the HAPI service, which will include venepuncture, cannulation, risk assessment and administration of intravenous medication.
• Assist the Plastic Surgery team in providing minor surgical procedures to patient in HAPI. This will include preparing surgical equipment and supporting the surgeon as well as documenting and delivering post-operative patient care to patients undergoing a minor procedure under local anaesthetic.
• Facilitate daily meetings with on-call Consultant/team to review referrals to the Plastic Trauma Service,  actively discussing and managing referrals with the on-call team, in line with established patient pathways.
• Act as a key point of contact for the Hand & Plastic Trauma Service, which includes the co-ordination, scheduling and communication of patient appointments, diagnostic tests and surgical procedures.
• Participate in local clinical governance activities, such as audits, research, staff teaching/training and quality improvement initiatives as required, with support from the Lead Nurse.
• Confidently utilise a range of IT systems, including (but not limited to) the Oxford Acute Referral System (OARS), theatre booking/scheduling systems and Electronic Patient Records (EPR).
• Adhere to local and Trust-wide protocols, policies and guidelines, consistently acting in accordance with the OUH Trust values.