Physical Health Clinic Nurse - Clozapine

Job overview

Are you an experienced registered mental health or general nurse with a passion to improve the physical health of individuals with a mental illness?

Are you looking to further develop your skills and progress or gain experience at a senior band?

We are looking to recruit a senior nurse with a genuine interest in physical health working with service users within the mental health service. The successful candidate will be able to work in a fast paced environment and be able to work autonomously and as part of a well-established team within the health and well-being clinics.

Previous experience of working with service users prescribed Clozapine is desirable and an ability to act as a senior clinician within the Clozapine clinics.

Main duties of the job

The role will require the oversight and management of a very busy clinic, providing monitoring for the physical health of patients being prescribed Clozapine, there will also be times where you are required to carry out home visits so access to transport to complete duties of the role essential.

Extensive knowledge of running a clinic and managing clozapine medication is required, alongside physical health monitoring such as ECG's, Venepuncuture, Pochi Machine operation and escalation of physical health concerns to the appropriate teams.

This is a very busy area and part of a growing team.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To coordinate the physical care of service users titrated and maintained on Clozapine and Lithium. To manage blood results and actions needed when results are outside normal parameters by following policy and national guidance. To escalate concerns around service users physical health to the MDT and primary care services if needed.

To offer ECG’s and Venepuncture to all service users using the clinic or referred into the clinic using the policy guidance.

To ensure that the service user’s physical health care plan is developed to meet the assessed need of the individual and that other staff are delivering care as laid down in the care plan. To ensure that all relevant information with regards to a service user’s care and treatment is documented accurately and legibly into the health record. Supervise and monitor the entries made by junior team members, through performance management and audit.

To liaise significant others when completing the assessment and treatment of care to the service user.

To direct other staff in order to ensure delivery of a high standard of physical care to service users.

To participate in setting physical health standards for care based on sound evidence based and research findings.

To participate in the systematic monitoring and evaluation of service users that you have responsibility for with guidance from a supervisor. To communicate with other members of the multi-disciplinary team to ensure the communication of any relevant information that has an impact on the service user’s physical care.

To use verbal and non-verbal communication skills gained through training or experience to impart sensitive information.

To check understanding of information where there are often barriers to effective communications due to distress, psychiatric symptoms or where English is not the first language.

To use skills gained through training and experience to give and receive information to other individuals with regards to a service users care in the reviews and multi-disciplinary meetings. These individuals may be external to the Trust.

To provide and co-ordinate the provision of a range of therapeutic activities for service users and monitor their effectiveness.

To take responsibility for the safe administration of medication to service users ensuring that the Trust policies and procedures and the Nursing & Midwifery Councils regulations are adhered to.

To ensure that all relevant information with regards to a service users care and treatment is documented accurately and legibly into the health record. To supervise and monitor the entries made by unqualified staff.

To under the guidance of a supervisor provide reports both in written and verbal formats as requested e.g. for a service user multi disciplinary team meeting or CPA review.

To contribute to teaching sessions in order to pass on knowledge and skills.

To ensure that all incidents or near misses are documented as per Trust policy and that any follow up action is taken.

To actively participate in service user reviews ensuring that service user needs are met and that the team has all the relevant information on which to base their clinical decisions.

To develop care plans that enable service users to reach and maintain their optimum level of health and wellbeing to help them to obtain their optimum health.

To react pro-actively in cases of service user physical health crisis and put in place immediate plans to resolve the situation with supervision and guidance as appropriate.

To assist in the assessment and supervision of nursing and other students.

To assess and monitor the physical health of service users, seeking advice and support from medical staff as appropriate.

To actively participate in team meetings in order to positively influence team working and the development of research based practice.

To participate in the induction of new staff.

To maintain safe custody of medicines, sharps and other clinical equipment.

To manage own time and workload, prioritising work appropriately.

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.