Substance Misuse Nurse Associate

Job overview

The Registered Nurse Associate role is an essential role for the Secured Services environment, and the post holder will work alongside a multi-disciplinary team to provide highest quality patient-centred care.  Within Secured Services, the Nurse Associate role is to contribute to the work of the team in providing the highest quality of physical health care and participate in on-going assessment process of health needs and the implementation of planned and emergency care over the 24/7 period that meets the needs of the patients.

The post holder will be working in an integrated multi-professional inpatient team that includes Head of Healthcare, Clinical Matrons, Service Managers, ACP’s, GP’s, Registered Nurses, Healthcare Support Workers, Pharmacy Technicians, Administrators, Mental health and Substance misuse staff and wider trust colleagues.

Please note this post is subject to security vetting. To be considered for this post you will need to have continuously resided in the UK without any breaks for a minimum of 3 years prior to this application and be able to evidence your years of residency. Please note without sufficient evidence your application may not progress.

Main duties of the job

Working as part of a multidisciplinary healthcare team, including Physical Health, Mental Health and Substance Misuse pathways.

Supporting the safe prescribing of medication, including acting as a 1st signatory under the supervision of a registered nurse.

Supporting emergency responses and coded calls

Managing own caseload, under indirect supervision of a registered nurse.

Supporting delivery of the overall service delivery model for the pathway

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Registered Nurse Associate role bridges the gap between the Healthcare support workers and Registered Nurses.  The role is professionally regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.  Holders of this qualification will be required to register and re-validate as per NMC registration requirements to practice as a Nurse Associate in England.

Examples of specific care that the post holder will carry out may include developing, planning, implementing and evaluating the care, medication administration, clinical observations, wound care, supporting in medical emergencies, carrying out assessments using clinical tools on system one such as supporting in releases, secondary health care screens and triage of both minor illness and minor injury with a clear plan of escalation to a registered nurse as needed.

Good communication skills are required to liaise with patients and other colleagues and documenting care provided. Clinical skills include recording patient’s physical observations and ECG recordings, assessing patients’ conditions through observations and test results, assess comfort of patients and instigate any emergency procedures as required.

In the Secured Services setting the roles provides rotational cover with the expectation to cover day shifts, night shifts, weekends, bank holidays and holiday periods.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities:

Contributing to the assessment of needs, planning evaluation and review of individualised programs of care.

Maintaining own caseload of patients under the indirect supervision of a registered nurse, provided patient-centred care.

Accurately updating electronic patient records in line with Trust expectations

Undertaking and recording patient assessments, including physical observations, ECGs and venepuncture, as well as using clinical tools such as COWS, CIWA and alcohol AUDIT

Using professional judgement to deliver and modify interventions and treatments for individual programs of care including on a 1:1 and group basis.

Working independently and as part of a team, organising a varied workload and meeting competing demands.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, communicating effectively and supporting junior members of staff.

Delivering high quality physical and psychosocial care to a diverse group of patients.

Managing patient concerns and applications in line with Trust policy.

Safely managing and administering medication as required by the service area, following supervised practice and medication competency sign-off.

Facilitate induction programs for newly appointed junior colleagues. Assist the senior staff in the development of team members, undertaking staff appraisals and developing appropriate objectives. Providing regular supervision for a variety of team members.

Actively engaging in pathway complex-case and multidisciplinary meetings, handovers and training sessions. Remaining up-to-date with supervisions, appraisals and mandatory and role-specific training as required by the Trust.

For further information on the advertised role, please refer to the job description located under the Supporting Documents heading. The full person specification can be accessed under the ‘About You’ Section of the document.