Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. Communication and relationship skills

• To maintain effective communication systems internally across the team and with external partners.
• Ability to communicate information regarding the patient’s medical condition and individualised
• treatment programmes in an easy to understand, reassuring way, enabling and motivating where necessary, this includes the patient, family and carers.
• To attend and actively participate in unit and service meetings.
• Work collaboratively with other team members, colleagues and services in practice and service development within the context of integrated working.

2. Knowledge, training and experience

• Registered general nurse
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Negotiation and problem solving skills.
• Good analytical skills
• Well developed concentration skills and organisational skills
• Awareness of standards of record keeping.
• Experience of wide range of clinical settings.
• To develop a working knowledge of relevant procedures including (vulnerable adults, mental capacity Act etc.) and other legal requirements.
• To develop a working knowledge of the principles of clinical governance and audit and their application to professional practice.
• Awareness of limitations, personal strengths and weaknesses
• Reflective practitioner
• Flexible, Reliable and organised
• Professional approach and appearance
• To participate in teaching on the ward for both individual staff and groups

3. Analytical and judgement skills

• To assess and deliver nursing and health care needs to patients using evidence-based practice to facilitate timely discharges
• To assess both patient clinical risks and environmental risks, identify mitigating actions and escalating as appropriate.

4. Planning and organisational skills

• To be responsible on a shift basis for a team of support/assistants delegating care needs in a timely way.
• To co-ordinate the discharge planning, including multi agency communications.
• To plan and implement improvements to patient services in the light of results from monitoring processes, audit, patient feedback and complaints.

5. Physical skills

•  Undertake the nursing care of the patient in accordance with care plans.
• Physically carrying out personal care and assisting with mobility whilst encouraging the patient to be as independent as possible and maintaining their privacy and dignity

6. Responsibility for patient / client care

•  From admission, start the assessment process, including clinical risk assessments to develop individual care plans for patients, ensuring information around all aspects of their physical, psychological, social, spiritual needs are covered.
• Able to communicate information regarding the patient’s medical condition and individualised treatment programmes in an easy to understand, reassuring way, enabling and motivating where necessary.
• Undertake the nursing care of patients in accordance with these care plans. Physically carrying out personal care such as washing, mouth care and dressing and assisting with mobility whilst encouraging the patient to be as independent as possible and maintaining their privacy and dignity.
• To be continually evaluating the effectiveness of the care plans/dressings and medications and ensuring that any required changes are carried out and communicated to all parties involved, including the patient.
• To carry out specific clinical roles such as medication rounds, wound assessment and dressings and intravenous therapy as per the organisations policies and protocols.
• Being aware of interactions, side effects and responding appropriately if these are observed. Educating patients and other staff such as nursing students about these.
• To provide a nursing contribution to multi-disciplinary team meetings and family meetings
• To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including the daily management of patients in your care.

7. Responsibility for policy and service development implementation

• To participate in the review of MCH policies and local standard operating procedures
• To participate in the ongoing review of nursing/team/unit processes and systems to ensure safe and effective care delivery
• Actively participate in clinical audit and clinical governance activities.

8. Responsibilities for financial and physical resources

• No budget management, but must have a duty of care in using equipment and disposable goods.
• To work within the team, with given specific delegated responsibilities for the control and ordering of stock, PPE, medicines.
• To ensure that medicines are stored in  accordance with the agreed policy

9. Responsibilities for human resources (HR)

• Maintain a professional manner and act as a role model.
• To integrate and supervise the role and work of support staff as part of the team so that a coordinated patient centred service is achieved.
• Be subject to performance appraisal and be responsible for the development of personal
• objectives, in line with continuing professional development.
• To ensure staff compliance with all organisation polices and employment legislation.
• Ensure all new staff are orientated and participate in induction programmes
• Exercise leadership to assist the team leaders in maintaining high morale.
• To escalate concerns to team leaders in a timely way

10. Responsibilities for information resources

•  To analyse, collect and store information which is relevant to clinical or departmental management.
• To make use of such information in decision making, problem solving and care management. 

Please see the JD attached for further information