Job overview
Our Emergency Department has an exciting opportunity, we are looking for a band 6 Deputy Sister/Charge Nurse to help drive through improvement and service redesign. We are looking for staff to join us who are enthusiastic, hardworking, dedicated and have a passion for delivering the best care to all our patients. We are a dynamic, friendly, and supportive team rising to the challenges of working in a busy department.
Working with the multi-disciplinary team, you will need to have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and the ability to motivate and manage, adapting, driving, and leading rapidly changing situations.
The role includes leading and managing a team of nurses in all areas of the Emergency Department. You will lead an individual area as part of your daily role including Ambulatory Majors, Rapid Assessment Treatment area for arriving ambulances or the Acute Zone (Resus and Majors) To take charge of the Emergency Department in the absence of the Band 7 Sister/Charge Nurse and ensure patient flow to meet the four-hour target. The role also includes identifying any staff performance/capability issues in accordance with the relevant polices.
To promote ideas, and initiate evidence-based change management issues/projects for the department. Acting as an advocate for the patient, providing them with information and directing them to the relevant support services where appropriate. Be an active link nurse, communicate and act upon any change in service.
Main duties of the job
- Lead and manage a team of nurses in an allocated care of the Emergency department.
- Supervise, direct, and coordinate nursing and multidisciplinary care.
- Take charge of the Emergency department in the absence of Band 7 charge nurse/Sister.
- Advocate for patients, providing information and directing them to support services.
- Address and escalate issues or risks identified by patients and staff.
- Respect patient dignity and involve them in decision-making.
- Collaborate with carers, healthcare professionals, and other agencies for patient-focused care.
- Ensure prescribed treatments are carried out and inform the team of patient condition changes.
- Ensure safe and timely patient transfers and discharges.
- Act as a link nurse and communicate service changes.
- Deliver care based on current evidence, best practice, and research.
- Ensure effective communication with staff, patients, visitors, and external agencies.
- Ensure timely and accurate patient documentation.
- Provide patients with access to relevant health and social care information.
- Maintain patient confidentiality and professional boundaries.
- Educate patients and their carers as needed.
- Act as a preceptor/practice supervisor/assessment for staff and students.
- Collaborate with practice educators to develop Band 5 staff and HCAs.
- Participate in staff appraisals for Band 5s and HCAs after completing appraisal training.
- Contribute to and undergo annual appraisals and personal development planning.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Personal and People Development
- Educate patients and their carer(s) as required where a need has been identified
- Act as a preceptor/ practice supervisor / practice assessment for staff and students
- Work with practice educator to develop band 5 and HCA’s as part of supervised practice
- Once completed staff appraisal training, participate in staff appraisal for band 5’s and HCA’s following discussion with band 7 appraisal lead
- Be appraised at least annually and contribute to own personal development plan (PDP)
- Successful completion of band 6 development programme within 12 months of being in post
- Take part in reflection and appropriate learning from practice, in order to maintain and develop competence and performance
- Maintain a suitable learning environment
- Co-ordinate and maintain accurate records of all nurse and health care assistant training and development
- Ensure effective communication between staff, patients visitors and outside agencies.
- Work collaboratively as required to ensure effective and efficient provision of health care services
- Use communication skills in order to convey complex and sensitive information effectively to patients, carers and other staff, overcoming any barriers to understanding and providing support during distressing or emotional events
- Ensure that patient documentation is completed correctly, appropriately and in a timely manner by all members of the nursing team
- Ensure patients are able to gain access to health and social care information and support relevant to their needs
- Provide information which enables patients to make choices about adopting a healthier lifestyle
- Ensure patient confidentiality is maintained
- Maintain professional boundaries and working relationships with patients and colleagues
- Communications and Engagement
Health, Safety & Security:
- Work with team members to ensure maintenance of a clean and safe environment that is conducive to therapeutic and ethical practice
- Be accountable for and ensure own competence in practice
- Identify potential patient safety risks including falls, pressure area, absconding risks and take action as required and adhere to relevant incident reporting procedures
- Work within mental capacity act and mental health act to ensure patient safety
- Identify and manage safety risks to staff, patients and relatives considering the environment, contamination of infection and risk of violence
- Ensure the safe custody and administration of drugs in accordance with local and Trust policy and legal requirements
- Handle and dispose of all body fluids in accordance with universal precautions
- Comply and enforce information governance standards in the clinical setting
- Ensure mandatory training is kept up to date
- Ensure equipment is in safe working order and educate staff to ensure competence in its use
- Take action to avoid incidents and complaints, complete Datix should incident occur, escalate as appropriate and assist in investigations / root cause analysis
- Fully competent to recognise and rescue a deteriorating patient
- Fully competent in resuscitation and trauma, acting within latest guidelines.
- To assist and act as fire warden in absence of band 7
Service Improvement & Quality:
- Promote ideas, and initiate evidence based change management issues/projects for the department
- Be an active link nurse, communicate and act upon any change in service
- Ensure care delivered is based on current evidence, best practice and validated research when available
- Contribute to research and development programmes within the ward/department
- Participate in audit processes for monitoring and reviewing nursing quality
- Act as an advocate for the patient, providing them with information and directing them to the relevant support services where appropriate
- Take the appropriate action to address any issues or risks identified by patients and staff, escalate to lead nurse as appropriate
- Respect people’s dignity, wishes and beliefs; involve them in shared decision-making and obtain their consent before undertaking nursing procedures
- Promote and maintain a patient focused multidisciplinary approach to care in collaboration with carers, health care professionals and other agencies
- Ensure that treatments prescribed by the medical staff are carried out, and that multidisciplinary team members are informed of changes in the patient’s condition
- Ensure safe and timely transfer of patients in accordance with ASPH policy
- Ensure safe discharge of patients in accordance with ASPH Discharge Policy
- Provision of Care to Meet Health and Wellbeing Needs:
People management:
- Lead and manage a team of nurses in all areas of the Emergency department. Supervise, direct and co-ordinate nursing and multi-disciplinary care.
- Take charge of the Emergency department in absence of band 7 charge nurse / Sister, ensure patient flow to meet four hour target.
- Identify any staff performance / capability issues, in accordance with relevant ASPH policy. Provide initial management of staff, followed by reporting issue to band 7 Sister / Charge nurse or Matron
- Identify any disciplinary issues, take immediate management of situation and report to band 7 Sister / Charge nurse or Matron
General responsibilities
- To support the department and organisation by carrying out any other duties that reasonably fit within the broad scope of a job of this grade and type of work.
