Sister/Charge Nurse - Surgical Admissions Unit and Surgical SDEC

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Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a full time substantive band 6 post working across the Surgical Admissions Unit and Surgical SDEC (same day emergency care).

This is an incredibly varied band 6 role where the post holder will have the opportunity to provide direct patient care, co-ordinate SAU and surgical SDEC and to work as the Surgical Triage nurse for all surgical referrals into the division.

The Surgical Triage Nurse role is a great opportunity to develop clinical surgical knowledge and feel empowered to utilise this when triaging patients via telephone call or CareFlow. This role has proven integral to ensuring patients are admitted into the right area (SAU/SDEC) in a timely manner, improving flow throughout the Emergency Department into the surgical division and has greatly improved patient experience on arrival to hospital.

Our surgical SDEC is an ever expanding unit, seeing patients from a variety of different surgical specialties including Upper and Lower GI, Renal, Urology, Vascular, Orthopaedic and Neurosurgery.

The post holder will work alongside the senior team to ensure they and their team uphold Trust values and those of their profession.

Main duties of the job

Working in collaboration with the Senior Sister, the post holder’s main duties will include:

• Leading the nursing team in the delivery of evidence based patient-centered care, which is of a high standard.
• Working in partnership with the Senior Sister and ward team in developing the team and the provision of the service, forming working relationships with all the surgical teams that admit patients into SAU and surgical SDEC, and the bed managers to enable effective flow throughout the Emergency Department and surgical division.
• Being involved in the co-ordination of the ward, completion of audits, and mentorship of junior staff.
• Being a key member in facilitating changes in the needs of the service and play a vital role in the development of the ward team including their ongoing professional development.
• Supporting the Band 7 Senior Sister with managerial tasks including sickness management, appraisals and 1:1’s, and training.
• Providing support and co-ordination for both the Surgical Admissions Unit and the surgical SDEC
• Working as the Surgical Triage Nurse taking referrals from the Emergency Department, GPs, community ACP/ANP's, specialty registrars and other NHS Trusts.

This role will require working both day and night shifts across weekdays and weekends.

Working for our organisation

Our vision is that by enabling our teams to be the best that they can be, we will provide exceptional healthcare, personally delivered.

North Bristol NHS Trust values all people as individuals. We aim to be an anti-discriminatory organisation and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We welcome applicants from all underrepresented groups.

If you prefer country, village or smaller town living, our Trust is also easily commutable from a range of attractive locations in North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and South Wales (such as Portishead or Chepstow).

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Take personal responsibility for the nursing care of patients within SAU and surgical SDEC.
• Ensure that care needs are assessed, and programmes of care are developed, implemented, evaluated and documented contemporaneously for caseload of patients in clinical area.
• Plan, allocate, supervise and evaluate working practices of the team on a day-to-day basis.
• Provide professional advice and support to team members so that they are able to assume responsibility to carry out delegated duties.
• Take responsibility for the timely, effective and safe discharge of patients.
• Lead on planning care and ensure individual plans are in place accordingly to individual patient or family needs.
• Be responsible for implementation and delivery of nutritional and fluid standards including protected meal times.
• Review the effectiveness of treatments and make any necessary modifications, reporting to senior colleagues/medical staff as necessary.
• Ensure the safe storage and administration of intravenous and oral drugs/medication and fluids in accordance with Trust policies.
• Undertake the full range of extended/advanced clinical skills (relevant to clinical area) and supervise/assess others.
• Implement privacy and dignity standards within own sphere of responsibility.
• Respect individuals’ dignity, wishes and beliefs, involving them in shared decision-making with consideration for the vulnerable patient, learning disabilities and child protection issues.
• Be able to confidently complete the required documentation pertaining to:
• DOLS
• Referral to Social Service
• Mental Capacity
• Mental Health Act
• Safeguarding referrals
• On identification of concerns, raise through the appropriate line management structures, if necessary, referring to the Trust’s Whistle-blowing procedure.
• Act as advocate for staff/patients in internal and external forums, constructively challenging clinical teams as appropriate.
• Facilitate and maintain clinical competence skills of self and others in day to day working practices
• On a shift-by-shift basis, be responsible for minimising the risks of infections and for the implementation of the relevant code of Practice for prevention and control of health care
• Report any issues regarding capacity or skill to Senior Sisters

• Maintain effective communication of patient and other essential information with the internal/external members of the multi-disciplinary team
• Be able to communicate difficult, sometimes complex and emotive information e.g. breaking bad news etc.) effectively and, when appropriate, support and coach junior staff in doing the same.
• Communicate effectively via verbal, written and electronic routes and maintain robust processes to ensure the cascade of information to the team and the engagement of team members with Trust plans and objectives
• Accountable for self and team members for accurate and legible record keeping in accordance with local policies and NMC guidelines within own practice and sphere of responsibility

• Take charge of SAU and surgical SDEC on a daily basis.
• Work competently and confidently as the Surgical Triage Nurse taking all surgical referrals via phone and CareFlow for the surgical division.
• Assist the Senior Sister and support cascade of information and key messages to team in a timely manner.
• Adhere to the Trust’s complaints PALS procedures with regard to written and verbal complaints and escalating cases to the Senior Sister or higher when required. Where necessary, develop remedial action plans for designated clinical area and evidence the implementation of action plans.
• On a daily basis allocate workload and, where appropriate, delegate responsibilities amongst the team.
• Working with the Senior Sister, be responsible for the effective use of e-rostering to ensure optimum skill mix for the acuity of patients. Support the Senior Sister in identifying staffing projections for the forthcoming 6 and 12 month periods.
• Accountable for the monitoring and initial management of sick absence for own immediate team and escalating cases as appropriate in accordance with Trust policy.
• Tackle poor performance and standards of behavior and, where necessary, initiate ad-hoc meetings for staff to discuss performance. Matters to be escalated to Senior Sisters when necessary.
• Ensure all staff in their area work to the Professional Code of Conduct and/or Trust standards.
• Act as directorate/service/clinical representative at meetings in the absence of the Senior Sister or Matron.
• Where necessary, instigate the relevant HR processes to deal with any breaches e.g. Equality and Diversity, Bullying and Harassment etc.
• Ensure all Annual Appraisals and Personal Development Plans are completed annually for staff within reporting chain.
• Assist with the interview, selection and recruitment process for staff for their own designated areas and wider when requested by the Senior Sister or Matron.
• As a shift co-ordinator, have responsibility for health and safety within own sphere of responsibility (e.g. fire, COSHH, violence and aggression, mental capacity act etc.), leading by example ensuring a working culture of the team which is conducive to good health, safety and security practices.
• Report all accidents and/or untoward incidences as per NBT’s clinical risk management procedure.
• Contribute to security of working environment and orders.
• Ensure the safe handling and storage of patients’ valuables and property.
• Act as an ambassador for the area of responsibility and contribute to wider directorate and Trust objectives and continuous improvement opportunities.
• Be responsible for the supervision and checking of specialist equipment on a shift to shift basis.

• In collaboration with the Senior Sister, manage staffing levels for designated area across 24 hour day according to patient dependency/acuity, including forward planning for public holidays etc.
• Monitor and report to the Senior Sister any issues regarding capacity or skill mix.
• Assist the Senior Sister to maintain efficient control of the ward/department budget.
• Be an authorising signatory for area of responsibility to order resources and authorise financial payments, linking with e-rostering.
• Formulate action plans for own designated area to overcome deviations within agreed budget for both pay and non-pay for approval by Senior Sisters.

• Manage the training and further development for staff working in SAU and surgical SDEC for their assessment and continual professional development.
• Assist staff to develop action plans for their own personal learning and development.
• Guide and coach junior staff assigned to area to develop and strengthen leadership skills to meet 24 hour accountability of sister role.
• Contribute to the facilitation of a suitable educational environment in which to support the development of learning of team members and students on placement.
• Participate in the teaching and supervision of the clinical team including trainee nurses and others under training who are allocated to the areas.
• Have personal responsibility for own attendance at mandatory and statutory training.
• Maintain own portfolio and record of continuing improvement.

• Take the lead for delivery and embedding the productive ward programme for SAU and surgical SDEC.
• As part of the productive ward programme, ensure activity measures for SAU and surgical SDEC and other appropriate data is used to inform future project activity.
• Assist the Senior Sister with the implementation of any local service programmes and to ensure they are consistent with Trust objectives and any other quality indicators/targets.
• Assist with the promotion of local, Trust and national targets and quality indicators for designated area. Promote and lead on the spread of good practice amongst team members.
• As delegated, be responsible for the effective collection and interpretation of saving lives audit data and, when necessary, take corrective actions for area to ensure Trust standards are met.

• Work and undertake duties as delegated by the Senior Sister.
• Be responsible for patient care provided on a daily basis for designated area.
• Work at all times within specialty, directorate and Trust guidelines, policies and procedures.
• Supervise work carried out by other team members.

Person specification

Qualifications

• NMC Registration
• Teaching/Mentorship qualification

• Completed/ willingness to undertake additional courses at Master’s Level

Skills/Personal Qualities

• Competence with surgical clinical skills
• Motivation to develop and support development of current services

• Ability to lead others

Experience

• 18 months experience at Band 5 level
• Recent experience working in surgical setting

• Recent experience triaging surgical patients
• Experience working at Band 6 level

If you apply for this vacancy and have not received a communication from North Bristol NHS Trust within three weeks of the closing date, please assume that on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful.

Please note that North Bristol NHS Trust does not reimburse travel expenses relating to interview attendance.

If you feel you meet the requirements of the Disability Act / Two Ticks scheme and require further support/advice, please contact us on tel 0117 414 1151.

North Bristol NHS Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The successful applicant(s) will normally commence at the minimum of the scale unless they have previous NHS service at the same band. Progression through the scale is by annual increments.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are currently underrepresented in NBT’s workforce at Band 8a and above. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people and LGBTQIA+ people.

Please note that stringent pre-employment checks are undertaken on all successful applicants prior to commencement in post.