Mental Health Specialist Nurse

Job overview

This is an exciting opportunity for staff to build upon existing skills and gain experience in a role combining mental health in an acute hospital setting.

These posts are unique across acute trusts and are newly developed, meaning successful applicants will be   contributing to the development, implementation and embedding of the role within the acute setting, providing a different perspective and breadth of experience typically found in mental health posts. Staff will be supported by an established mental health leadership team.

Opportunities to develop and further learning and skills within the role are encouraged to promote staff to develop advanced specialist clinical expertise within the scope of the role.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide specialist clinical mental health nursing triage, assessment and engagement within the acute hospital setting. The post holder will primarily be based in the emergency department, however during periods where the ED does not require Mental Health Specialist nurses but other clinical areas such as the wards do require support from enhanced care nurses the expectation is that staff will be deployed to the areas with the greatest demand for their skills.

Specialist nurses will be expected to deliver expert high-quality, compassionate and evidence-based care to patients experiencing mental health difficulties, behavioural distress, cognitive impairment, emotional crisis, self-harm risk, psychological trauma, or complex mental health needs alongside physical illness using a range of skills to engage, stimulate/de-escalate patients requiring additional support to stay safe in the hospital.

The role combines direct therapeutic patient-centred care, day-to-day operational oversight, risk management, and staff support to ensure safe, and responsive across acute clinical areas. The primary base is the Emergency Department, but depending on demand and patient needs, the post holder may be redeployed to the acute wards or paediatrics at the discretion of the Trust Mental Health Team/ED Matron/ED Nurse in charge/CSP team.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will act as a visible specialist mental health and complex behaviour specialist practitioner, supporting acute teams in managing complex patients, leading mental health interventions, coordinating enhanced care, promoting safe, least restrictive practice and ensuring the appropriate following of relevant mental health and mental capacity law. acting as a senior clinical point of contact for mental health advice and escalation during shifts, in line with established Trust escalation pathways.

• Provide specialist mental health triage, assessment, formulation and therapeutic intervention for patients presenting with acute mental health needs within the acute hospital setting.
• Undertake ongoing mental health risk assessments, including risks relating to self-harm, suicide, aggression, absconding, vulnerability, delirium/dementia, cognitive impairment and emotional distress.
• Deliver direct therapeutic engagement to patients requiring enhanced support, one-to-one observation or behavioural intervention.
• Support patients experiencing psychological trauma, distress, confusion, agitation or challenging behaviour using trauma-informed approaches and de-escalation skills.
• Develop, implement and review person-centred care plans that address behavioural, physical and mental health needs.
• Promote recovery-focused care that preserves dignity, autonomy, cultural needs and least restrictive practice.
• Actively participate in discharge planning to ensure safe onward care and reduce delays.
• Support families and carers by providing information, reassurance and involvement in care where appropriate.
• Respond promptly to deteriorating mental health presentations across wards and departments.
• Support management of patients detained under relevant legal frameworks including Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
• Mentoring students and providing supervision to junior staff.
• Providing practice‑based education and clinical teaching to ward teams to support safe and effective patient care, to raising awareness and understanding of patients with mental health, neurodiverse, learning disability, dementia, delirium and any other impairment of the mind and how these conditions can impact on their behaviour and access to appropriate care.
• Adhere to Hillingdon Hospital’s CARES values.

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for a full list of role requirements and main responsibilities.