Nights Senior Community Nurse

Job overview

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Band 6 Senior Community Nurse to join our Night Nursing Service. Working across Guildford and Waverley, you will provide high-quality nursing care to patients in their own homes during out-of-hours periods, supporting individuals with complex health needs, long-term conditions and end of life care requirements.

You will undertake autonomous clinical assessments, deliver evidence-based nursing interventions and confidently triage and prioritise referrals according to clinical need. Working closely with GPs, hospices, acute and community services, you will play a key role in preventing avoidable hospital admissions and ensuring patients receive safe, responsive and compassionate care throughout the night.

This is an excellent opportunity to develop advanced community nursing skills within a supportive and innovative service advance your career in a forward-thinking community service while making a real difference to patients when they need it most.

Main duties of the job

As a Senior Community Nurse within the Night Nursing Service, you will assess, plan, deliver and evaluate nursing care for patients in their own homes, including those with complex conditions and end of life care needs. You will triage and prioritise referrals across the service, making autonomous clinical decisions and responding promptly to changing patient needs. Responsibilities include symptom control, end of life care and support, catheter care, wound care and coordination of care with GPs, hospices and multidisciplinary teams.

You will maintain accurate electronic patient records using EMIS, contribute to clinical audit and service improvement activities, support risk management and patient safety, and act as a clinical role model. The role also includes mentoring colleagues and students, supporting staff development and contributing to the ongoing improvement of community nursing services.

Post holders will be available to work Monday to Sunday between 8am and 8pm. A full UK driving license and vehicle for business use if required for this post, however reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled individuals in line with the Equality Act 2010.

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification to understand more about the opportunity this role presents you.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Communication

• Communicates effectively with patients, carers, and all members of the multidisciplinary team
• Maintains accurate and legible documentation and clinical records in line with professional and organisational requirements – this includes contemporary paper records and electronic clinical record system, EMIS
• Maintains strong working relationships and communicates effectively with OOH GPs, social services, acute / community hospital colleagues, Hospice

Patient Care / Safety / Quality

• Ensures high quality and effective assessment, treatment, implementation, and evaluation of nursing care to patients and carers within their own home setting
• Responsible for the effective triaging of referrals and prioritising of work in line with clinical/patient need across Guildford and Waverley
• Escalates any deviation from the care plan or change in condition to the District Nurse / OOH GP accordingly
• Responsible for the correct use of aids and equipment supplied for patients and carers and for the security, care and maintenance of equipment ensuring standards of infection control and safety are maintained – including equipment loaned to patients

Service Development

• Actively involved in the development and implementation of adult community nursing service developments and initiatives
• Participates in clinical audit and the implementation of changes to ways of working / clinical practice from audit findings, recommendations, and action plans
• Promoting and supports the implementation of innovation and technology within the workplace
• Actively participates in and contributes to meetings and working groups that inform the adult community nursing service and nursing profession
• Acts as a link nurse for defined area e.g. tissue viability, end of life, diabetes, infection prevention and control

Leadership and Management

Development of self and others

• Accountable for own professional actions in line with the NMC code and local policy and guidelines
• Recognises own limitations in the provision of clinical care and urgency of patient’s needs, referring to other health care professionals accordingly and is accountable for his/her own actions often without direct supervision
• Keeps up to date with professional nursing and regulatory requirements, health care developments, clinical evidence, National Service Frameworks for practice, national and local policies, and guidelines to maintain up to date technical and professional knowledge relevant to the post
• Responsible for the self-development of skills and competencies through participation in learning and development activities and continuing professional development to maintain up to date technical and professional knowledge relevant to the post

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.