Clinical Nurse Specialist – Alcohol Liaison Team Lead
Job overview
The post holder with the support and supervision of the Hepatology consultant Nurse will develop and monitor a high-quality hospital alcohol liaison service within Hepatology and the wider University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UPHT).
The post holder will act as an expert resource, leading in the provision of high quality teaching and training to the wider hospital. Delivering staff education programmes and on-going advice and clinical supervision to other health care professionals.
The post holder will provide excellent communication links between UPHT and the Primary care / Community Services operating within the “footprint” of UPHT. This will involve provision of links with local addiction treatment, detoxification, abstinence support services, mental health and other relevant primary care services.
The post holder, with the support of the clinical lead for Alcohol and Hepatology Consultant Nurse, will facilitate and deliver Trust approved alcohol withdrawal protocols with the appropriate educational support for health professional, within the inpatient setting.
The post holder will work within the multidisciplinary team and assist in the assessment and clinical management of patients with complex alcohol related problems, providing appropriate disease related advice and promoting health education in conjunction with the multi-disciplinary team.This will include those related to the admission and discharge of patients.
Main duties of the job
This post will be based within the Southwest Liver Unit at Derriford Hospital and ensure service provision across UPHT clinical services.
The post holder will facilitate and evaluate service delivery and development to ensure that patients with alcohol use disorder receive evidenced based, equitable and high-quality care.
The aim of the post is to reduce re-attendance and bed occupancy for this patient group but with a focus on risk assessment and reducing health related harms.
***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***
Working for our organisation
We are a people business – where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care.The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY.
If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles.
Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams.
It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical leadership and management- Act as lead for the development of services for patients presenting with alcohol related health harms within the trust
- Demonstrate compliance with Trust initiatives - improving care for patients with alcohol use disorders (AUD)
- Act as role model in nursing patients with alcohol related issues. Providing competence, specialist knowledge, developed analytical and decision making skills towards providing efficient, effective quality care to patients with AUD
- Act as the primary source of expertise to consultant all hospital staff in the care and service provision for patients with AUD
- Demonstrate sound understanding of the legal and ethical issues involved in caring for patients with AUD and/or challenging behaviours, including the Mental Health Act (1983, updated 2007), Mental Capacity Act (2005, updated 2019) and its use in an acute hospital setting
- Lead on the implementation of robust systems in the management of patients in alcohol withdrawal, including risk assessment, restraint policy and deprivation of liberty policy
- To undertake non-medical prescribing and ensure continued professional development and competencies to maintain Royal pharmaceutical Society (2022) and NMC competency frameworks and standards
- Act as the primary source of expertise for specialist prescribing for alcohol withdrawal management
- Continually re assess the changing needs of patient treatment needs whilst in hospital, adjusting planned care and prescription changes as appropriate
- Provide specialist assessment, consultation and management for the care of patients with highly complex needs, including the development of individualised risk assessments and care packages
- Provide brief intervention, motivational interview and relapse prevention to patients with alcohol misuse
- Lead on the implementation of care planning for the patients that frequently attend the trust with alcohol related psycho-social and health needs
- Represent University Hospital Plymouth NHS Trust at multi-professional groups such as Plymouth Creative Solution forum and safeguarding / best interest meetings
- To provide clinical supervision to nursing staff caring for patients that have AUD and are at risk of experiencing withdrawal to ensure high standards of care are maintained
- Maintain strong links with community services for a robust continuity of care for patients with alcohol and complex issues
- Close liaison and strong links with social workers, alcohol workers, risk managers, mental health teams, discharge teams and families when providing a plan of care for patients that are ready for discharge from hospital
- Provision of information sharing where appropriate in accordance with information governance structures
- To carry out regular audits as required and maintain data collection regarding patient interactions and service provision, in order to provide appropriate clinical activity data as required
- Deliver care that is evidence based, reflecting current best practice and research
- To provide ‘identification and brief advice’ training to hospital staff on a rolling programme and signposting staff to appropriate training packages
- Provide a positive learning environment to meet the needs of pre and post registration students and multi-agency staff
- To support alcohol champions on all trust wards in relation to alcohol withdrawal, brief advice and brief interventions
- Continual promotion of the alcohol liaison service within the trust and the wider community setting
- Provide specialist education programmes and advice to community agencies
- Provide a consultation – liaison service to clinicians and clinical teams within the general hospital. This will include giving specialist advice on a range of care, treatment and patient management issues
- Provide ongoing rolling programmes for induction doctors and physicians within the trust
- Maintain ongoing involvement of local alcohol policy and strategies
- Maintain own professional development and clinical skills
- Keep abreast of latest developments/guidance in alcohol, substance misuse, mental health and dual diagnosis
- Participate in audit, service evaluation and research projects relating to alcohol related health problems
- To audit practice in relation to referral patterns, reduction of re attendance rates, reduced length of stay, reduction in alcohol related health problems, service provision, assessing outcomes and identifying improvement to quality
- Demonstrate high quality record keeping and documentation with adherence to trust policy
- To participate in Quality Assurance and the Clinical Governance strategy across the trust
- Keep up to date with current issues concerning patients / service users with alcohol issues by attending meetings, forums and working groups as appropriate
- Facilitate and maintain strong links with other hospitals in the south west within the South West Peer Group meetings
- Make appropriate referrals to statutory and non-statutory agencies for longer term interventions such as counselling, psychological interventions and family therapies
- Record workload and monitor outcomes using the appropriate Information technology systems: IPMS, Halo, Nerve Centre, SALUS, System one
- To support Hepatology Advanced Care planning and other systems of plans of care
- To provide line management to the Alcohol Liaison Nurses and ensure compliance with training and appraisals
- Possess effective time management and personal organisation skills
- With support from the Consultant Nurse for Hepatology ensure the ALN team can demonstrate appropriate clinical competencies
- To undertake clinical supervision / peer observation from the Consultant Nurse for Hepatology
- Recognise and work within own competence and professional code of conduct as regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
- Take every opportunity to expand one’s practice in line with the principles contained within the NMC’s Code of Conduct. Identify personal career development pathway as part of formal appraisal system
- Ensure that all elements contained within the NMC’s Code of Conduct are adhered to and, in particular, those relating to professional accountability and revalidation
- Through supervision and mentorship, identify personal learning needs; participating in personal continuing education and other activities to promote one’s own personal growth
- Develop and further clinical knowledge and professional skills through relevant training and study
- Adhere to occupational health guidelines at all times
- Work on own initiative, independently and as a team. Read and interpret policy documentation, sometimes of a clinical nature requiring periods of intense concentration.
- Ensures that privacy, dignity and confidentiality is maintained in all aspects and levels of communication especially pertaining to patients, carers and staff
- communication between patients, their relatives and the multi-professional team both within the organisation and with external stakeholders that results in clear responsibilities being identified and ensures that care is delivered both effectively and efficiently
- Actively involves patients, their relatives and carers in their treatment and encourages others to enable individuals to assist in their own recovery
- Communicates highly complex information and subsequently supports patients, relatives, carers and colleagues as appropriate. Imparts highly sensitive and distressing news to patients/relatives in considerate and professional manner
- Communicates proactively with all staff on the clinical condition and treatment/discharge plans of patients and ensures accurate records are maintained by self and all other staff. Supports others in co-ordinating the discharge process and ensures written and verbal advice is available to patients, their relatives and carers
For further details please see attached JD&PS.
Person specification
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria- Demonstrable experience in managing patients with AUD and liver disease
- Demonstrable knowledge of the needs of patients and key issues relating to AUD
- Involvement with governance processes
Qualifications
Essential criteria- NMC registration
- Non-medical Prescribing qualification / working towards
- Prepared to undertake formal qualifications at advanced level eg. Degree level, MSc
Aptitude & Abilities
Essential criteria- Effective inter-personal skills & demonstrable experience in supervising & mentoring.
- Ability to undertake a comprehensive alcohol assessment
- Budget awareness and priority setting
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY INCLUDING YOUR JUNK FOLDER.
If you need support with the online application process or require reasonable adjustments with the application and/or interview process please contact the Recruiting Manager for this post.
We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants about less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. We recommend contacting the manager of the role prior to applying and we commit to giving requests full consideration.
We welcome and encourage applicants who identify with all protected characteristics to apply for our roles. We believe that diversity strengthens our teams and improves our patients' experience. At UHP we aim to create an inclusive workplace and hospital where everyone feels they belong and included.
It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.
Providing false information is an offence & could result in the application being rejected or summary dismissal/police action if an applicant is successful.
Please note that if you are successful in your application & accept the position you agree that the Staff Health and Wellbeing Department can access your health records from your current/previous employer in order to check the status of your inoculations & screening tests.This is an automated process & the information will only be used for these purposes prior to your taking up the position with us.
For Doctors Roles:
Unsolicited CVs and Candidate Profiles/Details
University Hospitals Plymouth has a commitment to sourcing candidates directly and as such we do not accept speculative CVs from agencies.
We do, however, work with a defined list of preferred HTE Framework suppliers who may be invited to support us in sourcing candidates for particular roles.
In line with our preferred supplier list, we only pay agency fees where we have a signed agreement in place and an agency has been instructed by a member of the Trust’s Medical Workforce team.
We do not pay agency fees where speculative and unsolicited CVs are submitted to the Trust or Trust employees by any other means than the official route above. Where this is not observed the Trust reserves the right to contact these candidates directly and initiate discussions without payment of any agency fee.
Any candidate details (whether written or spoken) or CVs that are referred directly will not constitute an introduction. The Trust will under no circumstances be responsible for any recruitment fees in relation to these contacts.
Submission of any unsolicited CVs, candidate’s details and/or proposals to the Trust will not be considered further and will be deemed evidence of full and unlimited acceptance of this Agency Protocol.
In order to establish and maintain good working relationships with the Trust’s agency suppliers, we ask that this Protocol is adhered to and thank you for your co-operation.