Staff Nurse - Surgical Assessment unit inPlymouth inPlymouth PUBLISHED 23 DEC 2023

PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Clinical

• Providing and delivering a high standard of nursing care by initiating and co-ordinating the assessment, planning, implementing and evaluating of individual patients needs based on evidence. This includes all aspects of care from admission to discharge including complex discharge planning where there is a need to liase with other agencies and developing of care packages

• Reporting and documenting all relevant nursing/patient needs, communicating changes with other health care professionals in the multi-disciplinary team with ongoing responsibility for patient care as they occur.

• Engaging and interacting with carers and family, encouraging them to be actively involved in patients care planning as outlined in ward / unit philosophy.

• Promoting and delivering health education within the clinical area and advise patients family and/or significant others in health promotion issues.

• Demonstrating and undertaking evidence-based practice playing an active part in the introduction of this evidence to improve patient centred care.

• Assisting other clinical areas within the trust if the clinical situation or staffing levels demand. Within NMC code of professional conduct particularly regarding the safety of patients and clients as per section 8 of the code published November 2004.

• Supervising and directing Health Care Assistants with their daily workload.

• Communicating with patients, relatives and outside agencies as appropriate, within the confines of the Data Protection Act and Patient Confidentiality.

• Implementing and sharing good infection control practice.

• Undertaking manual handling assessments and ensuring identified actions are met.

• Requires highly developed physical skills and accuracy for intravenous injection, syringe pumps and infusions, insertion of catheter and removal of sutures

Manageria
l

• Initiating the reporting of an untoward incident such as complaints, clinical emergencies, and injury or drug administration errors and taking immediate actions as appropriate.

• Demonstrating an awareness of and compliance with Health and Safety regulations / Procedures that apply to staff, patients and visitors within the trust premises, reporting any deficiencies in equipment, furnishings or matters of hygiene.

• Contributing towards maintaining the set standard of clinical practice. Participating in Audit and quality monitoring.

• Managing the Clinical risk relating to individuals or a group of patients care, reporting issues to appropriate senior staff.

• Efficient and effective use of available resources.

• Following Preceptorship period, mentor Health Care Assistants and other learners

• Attending Ward, Directorate and Trust meetings as appropriate.

• In exceptional circumstances take charge of the ward in the absence of more senior staff.

• Maintain good stock controls of essential supplies, signatory for agency staff time sheets regularly handling patients valuables.

Professional

• Maintain active NMC registration.

• Maintaining and developing your clinical competence in care of patients and specifically those within your area of specialist practice.

• Development of knowledge to be able to provide clinical advice when requested and as appropriate.

COMMUNICATIONS & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

• Maintain good relationships between all members of staff, thus developing professionalism through the unit.
• Ensure good communication both verbally and via formal documentation with all members of the nursing and multidisciplinary team.
• Work in partnership with the patient and family and other health care professionals in care planning and providing and receiving complex or sensitive information where there may be barriers to understanding.
• Accept responsibility; be aware and able to locate all policies relating to good working practise within the clinical area and able to adhere to both by self and colleagues, and to challenge staff about their location.
• Ensure carers/family and visitors are aware of policies, standards/guidelines relevant to the patients care or clinical area.
• Day to day use of the PIMS system.

OTHER

To include any other non-standard terms:

• Newly qualified nurses will undergo a period of six months perceptorship, to include 2 weeks of supernumerary status.

Do you want to work as a Registered Nurse within a team where care, compassion and communication are the highest priority? Then come and join us........

SAU is a mixed gender 24 bedded ward with a dedicated triage area and our own ultrasound facilities. We assess and treat patients for general, hepatobiliary, colorectal, urology and vascular surgery.

As an assessment and in-patient area, we accept patient referrals from G/P's, Emergency department, Outpatient departments, specialist nurses and direct referrals via the ambulance service every day of the year.

SAU is a busy and fast paced working environment and we are an excellent team to be part of. Whatever skills you have when joining us, will be used and appreciated. If you have any skill or knowledge gaps, we will support you with training and mentorship until you are at a competent level. The ward provides in house training and a preceptorship programme.

Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as 'Priority' and 'At Risk' status including NHS at Risk staff throughout Devon who is able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.

1. Under the direction of the Nurse-in-Charge you will co-ordinate, and deliver effective quality nursing care by assessing the needs, planning, implementing & evaluating the care for a group of patients.
2. Work as part of a multidisciplinary team
3. Following a period of Preceptorship take responsibility for the supervision of Health Care Assistants and other learners.
4. To work within the NMC code of practice and professional guidelines