Senior Sister/Charge Nurse

Job overview

The Division of Surgery and Cancer is offering the opportunity for an exceptional candidate to join as Senior Sister/Charge Nurse in our Critical Care.

We are looking for ambitious, knowledgeable, and compassionate senior nurse with a proven record of experience in Critical Care, to provide clinical and managerial leadership. You will act as a role model who inspires, motivates, and empowers staff. Your compassionate and inclusive leadership style will influence keys responsibilities within the Critical Care Unit including nursing workforce and education, patient and staff experience and patient pathways. Governance and risk management is essential to patient safety; therefore, you will need a good working knowledge to be able to support and to advise the team using PSIRF principles.

You will work as part of an established team in a modern purpose built unit, with responsibility and accountability to enhance and sustain high standards and drive the service forward using a positive and proactive approach.

You will work closely with the multi-disciplinary team and will be reporting to the  Matron of the critical care. We will offer you support and direction that will help expand your professional portfolio and own personal development in a highly rewarding role.

Main duties of the job

As nursing lead for the service, you will be influential in leading and managing the critical care team to ensure efficiency and safety, whilst promoting compassionate and supportive team working, team wellbeing together with a safe working environment and culture.

Actively encourage innovative working and promotion of high-quality evidence based care.

Lead on quality improvement, budget, change processes and resource management within the department.

Lead by example be highly motivated and empower the team.

Perform advanced clinical skills in assessment, and treatment, working collaboratively and co-operatively with multidisciplinary team/agencies to ensure that patient needs are met, especially in relation to on-going care needs and discharge arrangements

Provide advice and support for patients, carers and relatives, by being visible and accessible, acting as the first point of call for information and concerns referred on from the unit / ward, liasing with other staff, clinical teams, patient services and external agencies as required

Working for your organisation

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides a full range of hospital and community services for people across East Cheshire (population 399K) and West Cheshire and Chester (population 357K). The Trust provides high quality planned and emergency care, cardiac, critical care, child health, maternity services and intermediate care at Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Victoria Infirmary in Northwich, and Elmhurst Intermediate Care Centre in Winsford.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Role Duties & Responsibilities

1.   development and productive application of professional practices which represent the highest achievable standards to the patient.  Takes prompt remedial action where less than optimum practice is identified.

2.   Identifies and monitors indicators of quality in the assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of individualized patient care in conjunction with the senior multi-professional team.  Recommends, sets and owns relevant nursing standards, policies/procedures for clinical practice within Critical Care.

3.   Leads the organization, supervision and delivery of individualized patient care services to the Critical Care area in such a manner to constitute an example of excellence and ensuring the optimum application of the knowledge and skills of each member of staff.

4.   Recommends, secures and implements agreed changes and/or developments/practices.

5.   Maintains a personal awareness of research findings, trends and development in professional practice and associate matters.  Develops research skills and knowledge of self and others.  Contributes to research agenda of Critical Care and Trust co-operating with external agencies as appropriate.

6.   Recommends and implements change as appropriate in conjunction with the Matron, Critical Care and senior nursing team.  Provides specialist knowledge and nursing advice, expertise and practical assistance.

7.   Maintains the correct policy for the safe custody and correct administration of controlled drugs within Critical Care.

8.   Promotes the concept of professional accountability.  Co-ordinates the efforts of the qualified nursing workforce in securing a productive Professional environment.

9.   Ensures that student nurses’, trainees’ and junior nurses’ progress is      accurately assessed and documented, monitors their supervision and takes appropriate action to improve any unsatisfactory aspects of practice.

10.  Encourage, facilitates and disseminate best practice within and outside       Critical Care.

11.   Ensures safe use of all specialist equipment used within Critical Care.

12.   With frequent exposure to highly unpleasant working conditions.  Adheres to current infection control policies.

13.   Provide clinical expertise, advice and guidance from a specialist knowledge base to improve patient care and the clinical environment by anticipating needs, planning and implementing changes according to service plans and objectives and changing health care needs.

14.   Act as a role model by demonstrating clinical leadership and expertise, by maintaining clinical credibility within the multidisciplinary team.

15.   Maintain accurate patient records by contributing to the development of systems and processes for recording and storing all relevant clinical information ensuring it is securely held, accurate, complete, legible and can be retrieved promptly when required.

16.   Works closely with the Critical Care Outreach Service by contributing professional expertise and guidance across professional and organisational boundaries ensuring optimum care is identified.  Ensure remedial action is identified where appropriate and any sub optimal performance reported according to the Outreach Service and other Trust policies.

17.   Enter data, obtain and collate information from computer systems using agreed software packages in conjunction with other members of the team, supporting staff to use the systems.

18.  Contribute to the development of systems and processes to ensure that the Clinical environment is correctly and safely prepared, that the appropriate level of cleanliness is maintained, and that relevant materials and equipment needed for clinical procedures are available and ready for use, including the clearing away and restoring/restocking of equipment/environment afterwards.

19. Promote the individual needs of the patient, acknowledging their personal preferences, rights and choices according to their plan of care by promoting anti-discriminatory practice, privacy, dignity, and respect for personal values and identity.

20. Promote effective communication and relationships, maintaining       confidentiality of information by:

• Involving patients and carers/relatives in the planning and delivery of care.
• Supporting patients/relatives by accurately communicating information in a manner which promotes understanding.
• Dealing sensitively with complex and difficult issues with frequent exposure to highly distressing & emotional circumstances.
• Contributing positively to the investigation and response to patients complaints and concerns.
• Demonstrating effective interpersonal skills when dealing with staff, patients, relatives and the public in person, on the telephone and in writing.
• Establishing and maintaining relationships with other members of staff passing on all relevant information, raising queries and suggestions.
• Participating and delivering team brief, chairing meetings, and updates offering suggestions for improvements to services and team work.
• Communicating effectively within the team, by discussing all relevant details promptly.
• Encouraging staff to contribute to meetings and plans for the future.
• Acting on suggestions made by the team communicating reasons when not possible.
• Influence the development of knowledge, ideas and work practice within the multidisciplinary team.

Governance

Ensure compliance with Trust policies, procedures and guidelines for self and others, by taking action/alerting senior management team if practice appears to contravene policy, or if concerned about any aspect of patient care.

Managerial / Leadership

1.   Ensure a healthy, safe and secure working environment, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, maintaining accurate documentation and reporting any concerns.

2.    Anticipates needs, recommends, plans and implements changes according to policies, business plans and service objectives.

3.   Deploys the assigned nursing staff in a manner consistent with the workload and takes appropriate action to optimize its efficiency.

4.   Evaluates effectiveness of the role using audit, quality standards and service objectives.

5.   Maintains and develops statistical information by which the utilization of the service can be assessed.

6.   Takes appropriate action to improve efficiency and minimize complaints.

7.   Promotes effective, productive working relationships within the multidisciplinary team and facilitates effective communication to a consistently high standard.

8.   Assists in managing the assigned budget for Critical Care.  Responsible for the purchase of signing off of orders at a greater value of £5000 per annum.

9.   Liaise with medical reps re selection of suppliers taking into account cost, quality and reliability.

10. Monitor and manage attendance among the Critical Care workforce

and take appropriate action according to agreed policies.

11. Monitor Health and Safety issues and investigate accidents and

Incidents occurring in Critical Care in conjunction with the Matron, Critical Care.

12. Promptly report any deficiency in Health and Safety systems or

documentation to The Matron Critical Care or manager of the area

concerned.

13. To attend Occupational Health for health, surveillance, vaccination

Following accidents and for monitoring as lain down by Trust policy.

14. Promptly report and investigate all accidents and untoward incidents

as required by Trust policy and statute.

15. Initiate, develop and revise risk assessments and as a result, develop,

implement and monitor safe systems of work in conjunction and

Consultation with the Trust’s Clinical Governance and associated policies.

16.  Review, audit and monitor all Health and Safety arrangements within the Critical Care area of responsibility in conjunction with other Critical Care senior Staff.

Education /Learning

1.   Take responsibility for own learning and development by recognising and taking advantage of all opportunities to learn, including full participation in KSF/appraisal, supervision, action learning and by maintaining a professional/personal portfolio of learning.

2.    Ensures all staff are up to date with statutory/mandatory training requirements including fire, moving and handling, resuscitation and health and safety and any other appropriate Trust agreed training.

3.   Reviews in conjunction with The Matron, Critical Care and senior Nursing team, the personal, professional and learning needs of qualified nurses within the Critical Care area and initiates appropriate action as required.

4.  Contributes to teaching programmes with the Matron and in collaboration with other senior nurses, initiates and monitors new teaching subjects/areas.

5.   Ensures learners’ progress and competence is assessed and recorded, advises any outside teaching agencies of any recognized learning difficulties.

6.   Plans and co-ordinates the induction of staff appointed to Critical Care

in conjunction with the Matron and Senior Nurse team.

7.   Identifies and optimises learning and development opportunities available, both within and outside the Trust.  Actively promotes and supports a positive, proactive learning culture.

8.   Facilitates the efforts of the multi-professional team in securing a constructive educational environment.

9.   Monitors and evaluates existing learning and development Programmes.  In conjunction with senior multi-professional team, makes changes to encompass current relevant research findings, trends and developments.

10.  In conjunction with Practice Educator and the Senior Nursing team allocates mentors/preceptors to new staff members.  Monitors and co-ordinates effective use of mentor/preceptor system.

This job description is an outline of the role and function. It is not intended to describe all specific tasks