Specialist Nurse - Day Treatment

Job overview

The post holder will provide nursing input into the eating disorders day treatment service.

The post holder will work with the wider MDT to provide monitoring and specialist nursing to patients with a diagnosed eating disorder within the day treatment service. The post holder will work with patients who are being stepped up from the community eating disorder service due to a need for more intensive support, and also those stepping down from inpatient settings to reduce length of stay and to facilitate reintegration into the community setting. The post holder will carry out specialist nursing assessments, run physical health monitoring clinics, plan and implement care, respond appropriately to crises, and maintain associated records.

The post holder will have responsibility for the day to day delivery of the service to individual clients and their families and carers via a range of evidence based interventions.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will ensure that all organisational systems and processes are adhered to. The post holder will manage and organise competing and conflicting priorities and manage change in complex situations. The post holder will be a resource of clinical knowledge and competence in the service area contributing to staff and service development.

The post holder will provide evidence-based clinical interventions to maximise recovery and independence as required by service needs or complex presentations.

The post holder may be expected to supervise other staff.

The post holder and team will be required to work to the organisation’s agile working policy.

The post holder will be required to under take delegated responsibilities as required.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Be responsible for the assessment of a client’s mental health and physical care needs. In collaboration with the client, develop, implement and evaluate programmes of care to meet those needs.
• Taking part in the implementation of appropriate documentation, providing a nursing assessment and carrying out nursing skills as appropriate to the field of eating disorders. To include ongoing assessment and monitoring of the client’s diet, weight and eating related behaviours.
• Calculate/interpret Body Mass Index and respond as appropriate; ensure tests to monitor the client’s physical health parameters are carried out when required and respond to test results appropriately. Carry out venepuncture and access blood results from the clinical reporting system, reporting results to the medical team, acting urgently when required.
• To provide support to clients who are ready to be transitioned out of the service back to the care of their GP or local community eating disorders service. To liaise with primary care staff to organise regular weighing and blood tests as appropriate.
• Respond to urgent clinical, risk related or safeguarding issues that arise within the context of the day treatment service. To provide support to the wider MDT by responding to urgent issues that arise that do not require referral to a crisis service.
• Provide an ongoing assessment and monitoring of risk, carrying out risk assessment in accordance with trust risk management tools.
• Liaise with other agencies involved in a client’s package of care including the crisis team, co-work with other agencies/teams when appropriate.
• Work in conjunction with other members of the multidisciplinary team to offer nursing assessments and interventions for highly complex clients who require more than one approach. Providing information to other health care professionals to ensure the clients total care needs are being met.
• Advise the full multidisciplinary team of nursing issues relating to clients for whom he/she has continuing responsibility.
• Give first aid in an emergency situation acting within his/her capabilities.
• Maintain a professional and supportive relationship with clients, relatives and carers which would be conducive to recovery.
• Assist in the physical examination of patients carried out by medical staff.
• Advise clients and carers on the promotion of health and prevention of illness.
• Participate in ward rounds and Reviews
• Work within a multi agency approach, developing a wide network of contacts within the community encompassing both statutory and voluntary services and provide consultation/advice when required.
• Apply enhanced clinical knowledge and skills to the work environment.
• Identify and verify factors including contra-indications apparent from patient history.
• To deliver specific interventions in line with the treatment pathway, including complex clients.
• Evaluate potential efficacy of planned intervention, given all available data
• Liaise with colleagues and other clinicians to clarify and resolve any discrepancies or difficulties in the evaluation of patient data.
• Generate options including modification or alternatives to planned intervention to meet clinical need as appropriate.
• Verify suitability and potential effectiveness of planned intervention or suggested alternatives.
• Agree course of action with those responsible for performing the intervention.
• Document key points of agreement, including specific factors which influenced

advice and recommendations.

• Assess and plan care delivery for individual service users within the frameworks adopted by the trust.
• To facilitate transfer between services, sign post and/ or discharge as appropriate.
• To routinely enquire, identify and report through the appropriate procedures any safeguarding issues.
• To report safeguarding issues that are identified via others.
• To perform the role of investigator for matters of safeguarding as directed by the safeguarding manager
• Enable service users to choose and take part in activities that are meaningful to them. These may include self care, education, recreational and work activities.
• Work in partnership with service users in developing their care plan.
• Obtain valid consent from an individual or relevant other for a range of healthcare activities.
• To participate as part of the multi-disciplinary team implementing, evaluating and reviewing all aspects of the service users care.
• Advise, inform and support on the physical health and wellbeing of individuals (services users, their family, their significant other) in a holistic way.
• Liaise, advise and inform service providers to enable them to support services users to access and use services in a way which respects their values and supports their rights.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in relation to supporting the recovery and wellbeing of service users.

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.