Band 6 Charge Nurse - Ashdown Ward - Salisbury

Job overview

Fountain Way Hospital are currently looking to recruit experienced, innovative, enthusiastic nursing staff into Band 6 Charge Nurse positions on Ashdown Ward.

Ashdown is a 6 bedded male psychiatric intensive care unit that cares for individuals experiencing severe mental illness of a functional nature. We support men between the ages of 18-65 years and are situated in the same building as our mixed gendered adult ward.

Main duties of the job

You will manage a small case load as a named and or associate nurse and regularly take responsibility as shift coordinator.

As a key member of the management team for the ward you will support the Ward Manager in the operational management and clinical practice development for Ashdown, alongside other members of the multidisciplinary team. You will provide leadership and supervision to staff members and be active in the continued development and recruitment of staff.

They will also demonstrate an ability to support and motivate a staff team through line management and clinical supervision in order to maintain the strong team approach that is currently a feature of our work. The successful applicant will be required to work within a range of shifts and will be expected to participate in rotation onto nights.

Working for our organisation

We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust): a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.

We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.

Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.

At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.

1. Clinical Practice Management

Objective:

To carry out clinical practice within the designated clinical areas, ensuring that high quality evidence-based nursing assessment, care planning, interventions and evaluations for patients is provided. This will include:

Undertaking a comprehensive, patient-focused, nursing assessment and prepare care plans in consultation with the service user to provide the best nursing care.

Carry out clinical audit to evaluate and improve clinical services in partnership with service users.

Ability to administer medicine within relevant Trust and legislative guidance e.g. NMC Standards for Medicines Management 2010, the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, MHA 1983. Ensure all others apply these, to support safe practice.

Demonstrate a working knowledge of the key elements of relevant mental Health legislation.

Be familiar with the NMC's 'The Code': Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics for Nurses and Midwives. Recognise own competencies and to address any limitations to ensure safe practice.

To implement and encourage others to implement research-based practice.

Supervise junior and unqualified staff.

Implementation of care and rehabilitation programme.

1. Teaching, Education & Health Promotion

Objective:

To use own specialist skills, knowledge and resources to provide mentoring opportunities for staff within designated areas and promote positive attitudes towards mental health. This will include:

Regular provision of advice and mentoring to staff.

Function as a preceptor and mentor to new staff enabling their full integration into the service.

1. Continuing Professional Development

Objective:

To maintain and develop professional knowledge, skills and expertise to ensure that practice reflects best practice, remains evidence based, is current and responsive to meet changing patient and NHS service needs, as outlined in the NHS Plan (2000).

Implement the legal rules, statutory regulations and professional responsibilities relating to practice as outlined in the NMC "Code of Professional Practice". Change to: the NMC's 'The Code': Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics for Nurses and Midwives.

Take responsibility for post-registration education and for continuing professional development as outlined in NMC Standards.

To receive clinical supervision in accordance on a contracted and regular basis from an identified Senior Practitioner, as per trust Clinical Supervision Policy.

To be aware of the need for appropriate management support and supervision from the people manager, and to maintain records of these meetings.

Maintain Health and Safety in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974).

Maintain up to date knowledge of relevant medicines, related medication management issues and act in accordance with the appropriate NMC standards and Trust policy.

1. Finance and Workforce

Objective:

To make best use of available workforce resources based on agreed staffing model ensuring provision of best care possible.

Implement and abide by Trust and Service Policies in regard to the security of the building/clients, to ensure safe practice and protection of clients, staff, visitors and members of the general public.

To take part in environmental risk assessments as requested so that best use is made of resources.

Undertake appraisals for staff at Band 5 and below to identify training and development needs and to ensure best practice.

Implementation of managerial and clinical supervision to small team of nurses, ensuring best and safest practice is fully undertaken at all times.

Manage temporary staffing resources in line with AWP best practice guidance.

Ensure that service provision is both safe and therapeutic within span of knowledge.

Effective organisation of own time, and that of others to ensure safe and efficient running of ward.

Utilize electronic rostering systems (Rosterpro).

Participate in education and training opportunities to develop self and others.

To take charge of the Ward in the absence of the Ward Manager or Clinical Team Leader.

1. Record Keeping and Administration

Objective:

To maintain and enforce standards of record keeping and associated administration in accordance with AWP Trust Policy and local joint arrangements, and professional guidelines. This will include:

The upkeep of contemporaneous, chronological and accurate mental health records in accordance with relevant NMC Guidelines and Trust Policy.

To work under the direction of ‘Essence of Care’ lead.

Contribution to the achievement of Controls Assurance Standards relating to Records Management within their span of control.

1. Evidence-Based Nursing, Practice Development & Clinical Audit

Objective:

To be involved in practice development activity and evidence-based mental health nursing. This will include:

To take part in a rolling programme of audit.

To comply with activity as outlined in “The Essence of Care”, and ensure direct reports are compliant.

1. Professional Nursing Advice

Objective:

To contribute to providing professional nursing advice within the post-holder’s area of responsibility and span of knowledge.

Person specification

Qualifications

• RN3: Mental Health Nurse Level 1
• Mentorship qualification

• Evidence of continuing professional development over the past 2 years

Experience

• Able to demonstrate experience of effective risk assessment and management planning
• Experience of working in an acute setting as a Band 5 for the past 2 years
• Experience of undertaking supervision for junior staff

• Experience of working in an older adult acute setting as a Band 5 for the past 2 years

Skills

• Ability to plan, implement, and evaluate care and act accordingly to any changes required.
• Excellent documentation and communication skills including writing reports and IT
• Excellent verbal communication skills

Knowledge

• Good understanding and implementation of the Mental Health Act 1983/2007
• Good understanding and implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005
• Safe practice around the administration, management and disposal of medications

• Understanding of Deprivation of Liberty (DOLS)

This includes people with a variety of disabilities and neurodivergent conditions (for example autism, ADHD, sensory, physical and learning disabilities).

We encourage applications from people who wish to work on a flexible basis, recognising that flexibility may mean a range of different working patterns and hours, we do our utmost to work with our staff to meet their needs and the needs of our service users.

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Please apply to join us, we would love to hear from you. Any personal details you supply to us are kept safe in line with the General Data Protection Regulations.

Adverts normally close for application a few minutes before midnight on the closing date and we will let you know if we are offering you an interview by email via our recruitment system ‘TRAC’. We contact all applicants within 4 weeks after the closing date, so please check your emails regularly once you have submitted your application; you are welcome to contact us, via the TRAC system, if you have any queries about your application.

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