Senior Sister/Charge Nurse - Adult Critical Care

Job overview

We are looking to appoint enthusiastic, motivated individuals to lead a team of nurses to deliver high standards of nursing care in a unique, complex, multi-speciality critical care unit.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a senior nurse to advance their existing knowledge and skills, as well as being an excellent managerial learning opportunity.

Main duties of the job

Candidates must be able to demonstrate their ability to support the management of the unit, manage an allocated team of nurses, support all staff within the challenging critical care environment, and have knowledge of the complex systems within which we operate. Possessing exceptional interpersonal, communication, and organisational, skills is essential to this role to in order be able to provide excellent leadership, you will bring with you a proven track record of managing people, and have substantial experience at a band 6 level in a critical care environment.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To have advanced Critical Care expertise to use their knowledge and skills in an holistic approach, so that clinical decision-making leads to prompt and appropriate action in the best interests of the patient
• To be strongly visible in the clinical area and act as a resource for all staff and students
• Good verbal and written communication skills so that professional advice or care guidance and instructions are well understood by patients, their relatives and/or carers, and members of the multi-disciplinary team
• Ensures continuity of patient care through effective staff deployment
• Ensure safe patient flow within the units, working closely with duty consultant and the Critical Care bed manager as well as outreach team.
• Ensures good discharge planning so that step down areas and the wards are fully prepared for the patient arrival and that the patient and their families are fully informed.
• Regularly checks patient care documentation to see that all aspects of care have been considered, individual patients’ needs identified and that an appropriate care plan exists in relation to meeting the identified needs.
• To work in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct, and Trust Policies and Procedures.
• Communicates effectively with patients, their relatives and carers, colleagues and students.
• Works effectively as part of the multi-professional, inter-disciplinary team.
• Is clinically credible and professionally up-to-date with current trends and developments in the clinical specialty.
• Functions as an effective role model in the clinical setting in demonstrating the application of breadth and depth of nursing knowledge, skills, behaviour and in advising and supporting members of the multi-disciplinary team
• Facilitates and supports the professional development of other nurses.
• To facilitate the cascade of information ensuring awareness of the Care Group, Trust and NHS initiatives, supporting staff discussion and responding to feedback
• To ensure compliance with the Trust's EDI Policy, supporting the delivery of the Trusts Race Equality Scheme and the Trust's duty to positively promote race equality and equality of opportunity for disabled people ensuring services are responsive to the needs of equality groups.
• To have full knowledge of the Trust Major Incident Plan and your role within it.

Education and Training

• To be a resource to staff, responsible for their orientation, supervision and ongoing development, working collaboratively with the Practice Development team
• To have oversight of, and be responsible for, completing competency documents for staff within agreed timeframes. To contribute to the wider educational activities within the service – ensuring attendance at and contributing to the delivery of educational activities to the multi-disciplinary team within Critical Care.
• To promote, support and encourage the application of research and of evidence based practices.
• To ensure all staff are engaged in the units clinical governance process, and to contribute to improvement strategies, disseminate them, and assist in their implementation
• To be have own portfolio of responsibility including areas of clinical guidance, audit, research, and service development.

People Management and Performance

• Participate in regular performance appraisal meetings and ensure each member of the team has a clear set of objectives and development plans.
• Ensure the team is compliance with all statutory, mandatory training together with any professional training requirements, ensuring they are up to date and fully compliant.
• Manage team absences including sickness in line with Trust policy ensuring the appropriate return to work meetings occur, the roster is updated, and productivity is kept to the highest possible level.
• Identify and fill any vacancies that arise within the team in line with the Trust’s recruitment policy and process.
• Identify talent and support the internal talent management process in order attract and retain and succession plan for your people.
• Review skills mix at regular intervals in order to identify any potential opportunities to maximise resource utilisation / allocation, ensuring job descriptions are kept up to date.
• Ensure overall wellbeing of the team is maintained. Continuously support in improving the morale of the team and implementing a culture of zero-tolerance for bullying and harassment.

• Lead, coach and manage the performance of the team in line with good people management practices. Ensuring excellence is recognised and underperformance is addressed.