Senior Health Care Support Worker (SHCSW) - PD Team
Job overview
Are you looking for a new challenge? Would you like to develop your knowledge and skills? Would you be interested in becoming a valued member of our Peritoneal Dialysis team?
We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic Band 3 to join our friendly and highly skilled nursing team. This role involves training patients and their carers to undertake peritoneal dialysis and visiting patients homes to set up their APD machines.We are situated approximately 1 mile away from the main Derriford site and we located in Estover. There is parking on unit’s grounds which are free of charge.
Plymouth Dialysis Unit it’s a light, spacious purpose build unit which opened its doors to patients and staff in July 2011. We are a Nurse Led unit and we take great pride in offering patient centred care to all our patients from Devon and Cornwall.We are fully committed to providing a supportive learning environment for all of our staff.
We aim to provide a friendly and professional working environment. Good verbal and written communication skills and good time management is essential. Previous experience in renal is desired but not essential. It is essential that the successful applicant has completed the Level 3 HCA training or NVQ 3 equivalent
Main duties of the job
Take part in peritoneal dialysis in the community/unit and haemodialysis at the unit
To assist in the delivery of care, planned and assessed by the Registered Nurses.
To carry out care / other duties under indirect supervision.
To supervise junior health care assistants contributing to their training and development.
To undertake specific extended skills.
To undertake home visits as part of the assisted PD program
Support care on a day-to-day basis for all patients in the community and clinical area under indirect supervision.
Working within the dialysis team to assess patients prior to dialysis session.
Setting up the peritoneal dialysis machines
Connection of patients to Peritoneal dialysis machines, perform CAPD exchanges
Contribute to resource management.
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
PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY- Provide and deliver a high standard of care, recognising and meeting the specific needs of renal patients, to include peritoneal dialysis parameters and pre and post haemodialysis.
- Commencement and termination of peritoneal dialysis
- Commencement and termination of haemodialysis dialysis,
- Care of exit site for Peritoneal dialysis patients
- The preparation of highly complex machines.
- Interpret any machine alarms and correct when appropriate, informing the Registered Nurse.
- To undertake home visits to strip and reline APD machines and review patients
- To manage, under indirect supervision, own workload within the community and/or clinical area and competencies of the post.
- To carry out clinical observations on patients, recognising, recording and reporting all changes in patient’s condition, including the early recognition and intervention of dialysis side effects.
- To recognise the importance of health education and teaching of patients and carers, and to be able to advise and refer patients on where to access information.
- Document and sign for all observations and care given with counter signature from a registered practitioner.
- To maintain his/her own professional development, attending courses/further training to enhance and optimise his/her role within the work area.
- To participate in the training and development of junior staff on the unit and participate in the supervision and support of trainee Health Care Assistants.
- Act as a mentor to new Health Care Assistants & HCA Trainees, participating in induction programmes, and on-going development of their practice.
- To promote and safeguard the well-being of patients, their families, and colleagues.
- To participate in the development and implementation of Unit area policy and nursing strategies.
- To supervise and share responsibility in the care and maintenance of all equipment and stock control within the unit and/or community for peritoneal dialysis patients
- Participate in unit research and audit work to include data collection
- To respect confidential information, in line with Trust policy Data Protection Act.
- To be familiar with and adhere to Trust and Departmental policies and procedures, mindful of responsibilities to self, colleagues, and patients.
- Report untoward incidents, complaints, clinical emergencies to senior staff.
- Following patient assessment by registered staff, undertake extended skills specific to individual competence under the indirect supervision of registered staff.
- To be familiar with Trust infection control, decontamination and cleanliness polices.
- To undertake the decontamination and cleaning of department equipment and community machines.
- Work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team
- Ward Sisters/Charge Nurses and all ward-based nursing staff
- Modern Matron
- Educational staff
- Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nurse Consultants, Nurse Practitioners.
- Infection control team
- Consultants in area of responsibility.
- Patients and their support network
- Housekeeping and domestic staff
- Dieticians
- Bank/Agency Nurses and Healthcare Assistants
Person specification
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria- • Demonstrable Experience of providing care in a healthcare or social setting
- • Demonstrable Experience of time management and prioritising work
- • Be able to work as a member of a team
Qualifications
Essential criteria- • One of the following o Level 3 (SCQF – 6):
- City and Guilds 3 o NVQ 3 o BTEC National Diploma o Experience equivalent to the above qualifications
- Level 2 Functional skills in English and Math’s, or equivalent
- • Equivalent Demonstrable experience
- • Completion of Level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Support (that maps to the Apprenticeship Standard for Senior Health Care Support Worker)
Aptitude and abilities
Essential criteria- • Effective and appropriate communication skills both written and verbal
- • Demonstrate an awareness of healthcare work and policies and procedures
- • Able to complete appropriate documentation accurately
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.