Lead Nurse - Critical Care Outreach & Critical Care inManchester inManchester PUBLISHED 3 MAY 2024

Detailed job description and main responsibilities



DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES



Responsibilities for Human Resources and Leadership

• Ensure self and others practice is in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council's Code of Conduct.
• As an ambassador of the nursing profession, ensure self and others practice to the highest professional standards.
• Responsible for the informal and formal appraisal of direct line report staff and for ensuring that they are trained, supported and developed accordingly.
• Ensure that all direct line report staff have clear and agreed performance objectives that support the delivery of the Directorate and the wider Divisional and Trust objectives.
• Participate in skill mix review, workforce redesign and recruitment and retention strategies to develop and modernise the workforce in conjunction with the divisional senior nursing and management team.
• Responsible for the effective management of staff sickness and absence as well as maintaining an overview ensuring absence percentage targets are not breached, acting where required.
• Responsible for overseeing HR management within their areas of responsibility including recruitment, sickness absence, training etc.
• Overseeing and monitoring the quality, timeliness and development of nursing care in accordance with relevant professional standards.
• The Lead Nurse will provide professional advice and support to specialty teams and service line colleagues to ensure the delivery of the highest quality of patient care and service delivery.
• As a member of the senior team within the Division, the Lead Nurse will act as a professional role model to all nurses and will take corrective action to uphold the standards required of the Trust and the profession.
• The Lead Nurse will be required to deputise for the Divisional Associate Chief Nurse as required and appropriate.
• The Lead Nurse will ensure that nursing and relevant support staff are managed and developed to enable them to deliver the highest standards of patient care and service.
• Participate in training and development activities that are relevant to the job role.
• Promote an ethos of joint working, collaboration and mutual respect amongst all members of staff.

Clinical Practice Responsibilities

• To maintain a broad, high level clinical skill set within the team to create an environment that ensures the safe reception, treatment, transfer and discharge of patients, their relatives, and carers.
• Assess and initiate care for critically ill patients using critical care expertise and skills to assist in prevention, identification, and proactive management of current and potential problems.
• To plan and deliver research/ evidence-based care and treatment in partnership with other health professionals; this may include prescribing medication and actively monitoring the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions.
• To request and/ or undertake investigations to augment patient assessment and care.
• To monitor and review the effectiveness of interventions with the patient and colleagues and modify this to meet changing needs and established goals of care.
• To delegate/ refer to other practitioners when this will improve health outcomes, or when risks and needs are beyond own competence and scope of practice.
• To attend and participate, leading where necessary, in resuscitation attempts or clinical emergency situations as part of the team and provide expert clinical advice to the resuscitation team and team leader (where required).
• Provide post cardiac arrest debriefing of staff and relatives.

Be a visible leader who is accessible and assists patients/service users/carers/relatives during incidental contacts.
• Accountable for ensuring the appropriate and effective development, delivery and monitoring of patient care and service across areas of responsibility.
• Monitor the quality and timeliness of nursing care and service provision in accordance with relevant professional and local standards.
• Responsible for ensuring that care is delivered in a safe, efficient, effective and timely manner and that plans for discharge to ward, and department areas and transfer of patients is within acceptable safe parameters.
• Responsible for providing senior nursing advice across areas of the Trust as required, including participation in Duty Manager rota for evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
• Support Lead Nurse colleagues and Ward Managers to ensure the most appropriate distribution of staffing resources to balance risks and to ensure the safe and smooth running of the division.
• Ensures patients and their families are treated with dignity and respect and information is conveyed to them in a timely and understandable manner.


Responsibilities for Risk & Clinical Governance

• Works collaboratively with Divisional Governance team and Quality & Standards team and leads on complex investigations, resolutions and action planning.
• To adhere to the Trust Strategy relating to clinical governance.
• Undertake root case analysis and develop action plans, ensuring this leads to sustainable changes in improved practice.
• Supports patients and staff in the handling of complaints and works to ensure early and satisfactory resolution of concerns.
• The Lead Nurse takes the lead role within their areas of responsibility for ensuring effective patient and family engagement, ensuring that the views and comments of patients, carers and service users are sought and acted upon.
• Be champions for driving the infection prevention and control agenda and challenging poor practice. Ensuring patients are cared for in clean and safe environments taking remedial action if standards are not maintained.
• Where possible, take all reasonable action to address problems, concerns and complaints as near to 'source' as possible, but also understands when to escalate.
• Responsible for implementing effective risk assessment and management within own clinical areas or teams working closely with the divisional quality and governance team.
• To act as Trust expert to ensure trust-wide review, audit and standardisation of resuscitation equipment for patients in conjunction with the Deteriorating Patient and Resuscitation Committee ensuring cost effective use of resources.

Responsibilities for Policy and Service Development and Implementation

• Participates with service/specialty teams in the development of policy, processes and business plans at Directorate/Service level.
• Represent and provide nursing expertise and advice to business and operational discussions, meetings and forums.
• Responsible for recognising service requirements and ensuring these are communicated to the Directorate/Specialty teams and Divisional Associate Chief Nurse.
• Ensuring that all staff practice in accordance with statutory and corporate policies; including those specific to patient safety.
• To be aware of, comment on and/or actively participate in changes on policies, procedures or service developments.
• To embrace and support line management and the department in making service improvements effective within the workplace.
• Participate in National forums for Critical Care, Critical Care Outreach and Resuscitation, presenting and disseminating work as appropriate and contributing to the national agenda.
• Advise and collaborate with other health care professionals and managers in implementing national and local guidelines for improving patient safety.
• Collaborate with other members of the health care team, to maximise learning, reduce risk and improve patient safety.
• Responsible for ensuring that areas for which they are responsible implement the quality audits and any associated or successor initiatives to within agreed/required timescales. Maintains accurate and contemporaneous records.
• Promote an environment where research and development are valued.
• Development of audits and analysis of working practices and trends to support improvements in performance in relation to quality and patient experience.


Responsibilities for Planning and Organising

• Work in collaboration with the clinical teams daily. Monitor and action decisions in relation to clinical areas ensuring nursing skill mix in relation to activity and acuity. Manage and report any risk issues to the Divisional Associate Chief Nurse in a timely manner.
• Organise and plan own day to day workload or activities to meet the demands of the job role.
• Use information obtained from patients, families and staff to make changes to the patient environment and care where appropriate or necessary.
• The Lead Nurse will supervise the assessment, planning, implementation provision and evaluation of patient care; ensuring that nursing and corporate standards are implemented, maintained, monitored and improved upon where necessary. This includes assuming all overall accountability within the directorate for the monitoring, review, improvement and provision of evidence and assurance relating to patient care.
• In conjunction with the Divisional Associate Chief Nurse, the Lead Nurse will contribute to the strategic direction of service lines and specialties through meeting key performance indicators and national and local activity targets.

Responsibilities for Physical and / or Financial Resources

• Within sphere of responsibility ensure self and line-report staff manage pay and non-pay resources efficiently and effectively, and in accordance with corporate standards, procedures, policies and objectives. Include formulating and delivering remedial action plans where adverse variances arise.
• Work in partnership with Divisional Senior Management team, finance, HR and information analysts to lead the service line and specialties in a business-like way and to ensure the safe and effective management and leadership of the specialty teams and resources.

See attached for full details


Person specification



Qualifications



Essential criteria

• NMC Registered Nurse
• Degree in Healthcare related subject
• Master's Degree or working towards, or equivalent experience
• Evidence of continuing personal and professional development
• Advanced Adult Life Support Instructor
• Leadership/Management course or working towards
• CCU post-graduate qualification
• Recognised mentorship/teaching course

Desirable criteria

• Advanced Communication
• Oncology post-graduate qualification
• Level 7 clinical skills course
• Non-medical prescribing course
• Good Clinical Practice

Experience



Essential criteria

• Significant clinical experience in critical care at a senior level
• Experience of successfully leading and implementing change
• Proven ability to analyse complex problems and to develop and successfully implement practical and workable solutions to address them
• Ability to think and plan strategically, operationally and creatively and to prioritise work programs in the face of competing demands
• Evidence of proactive involvement in the development of nurses and nursing practice
• Leadership of clinical governance and patient safety
• Leading teams to achieve high-quality patient care through evidence based clinical practice

Desirable criteria

• Experience of implementing research into clinical practice
• Experience of implementing complex change management programs

Skills



Essential criteria

• Well-developed leadership and influencing skills with the ability to enthuse, motivate and involve individuals and teams, and have them understand the Trust's and your performance expectations
• Ability to be intellectually flexible and to look beyond existing structures, ways of working, boundaries and organisations to produce more effective and innovative service delivery and partnerships
• Effective written communication skills including analysis and presentation of reports
• Able to give effective oral presentations when expressing ideas to groups or individuals
• Ability to analyse complex issues and make decisions
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Able to work independently and as part of a team
• Able to offer encouragement and support to others to foster both personal and professional development

Desirable criteria

• Ability to manage conflicting views and reconciles inter and intra professional differences of opinion

Knowledge



Essential criteria

• Wide knowledge of developments in the NHS impacting on Trust including Comprehensive understanding of current NHS initiatives and targets
• Confident with HR policies and procedures and demonstrable evidence of managing significant numbers of staff
• Accreditation (CQC) and revalidation knowledge and experience
• Evidence of extensive expert professional/clinical knowledge in area supplemented by specialist clinical training and CPD

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of quality improvement tools and methodology

VALUES



Essential criteria

• Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours

OTHER



Essential criteria

• The post holder will be required to exert occasional light to moderate physical effort
• Excellent inter-personal and communication skills with good listening skills
• High level of work organisation, self-motivation, drive for performance and improvement, and flexibility in approach and attitude
• Strong sense of commitment to openness, honesty and integrity in undertaking the role
• Able to work with staff at all levels across the Trust
• Able to work a full range of hours including some weekend working, where indicated.
• To exert frequent concentration - responding to frequent changing needs in the clinical area and to deal with service issues

The closing date for this post may be extended if there are insufficient applicants or brought forward if there is a high volume of applicants.

We want to ensure that everyone who works at the Christie or uses our services is welcomed, valued and treated with dignity and respect. The Christie values diversity and is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all and fair representation across the organisation at all levels. In support of these commitments, we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people and people with disabilities for this post. Appointment will be only on merit.

We are committed to creating a balanced and diverse workforce. As such we welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Together we will foster inclusion and tackle inequity and health inequalities in cancer care.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy

All positions within the Christie are subject to the receipt of satisfactory written references, medical clearance and evidence of your Right to Work in the UK. Some roles will require a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. Please note if you are successfully appointed to a post with this Trust, you will be required to pay for your own DBS Disclosure.

By applying for this post you are agreeing to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.

If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, I regret that on this occasion your application will have been unsuccessful.

The Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and will form part of the recruitment process. In the event that you are successful following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current / most recent employer.

Overseas candidates wishing to apply for this position and who would require immigration sponsorship, may wish to self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for the post on the UKVI website.

You should be aware the Trust operates a No Smoking Policy and therefore employees are not permitted to smoke at work.


Employer certification / accreditation badges



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.


Documents to download

• Job Description & Person Specification (PDF, 448.4KB)
• The Christie Vision (PDF, 45.9KB)
• Strategy Brochure (PDF, 1.0MB)
• Hospital Parking (PDF, 116.3KB)
• Trust Membership - Christie Talent (PDF, 23.0KB)
• Travel to The Christie (PDF, 3.8MB)