Liaison Psychiatry Nurse

Job overview

The Liaison Psychiatry Team at St Mary’s Hospital provides a consultation and liaison service for all patients over the age of 18 years who are referred from A&E, inpatient wards and outpatient clinics within the hospital. The role involves psychosocial assessment, management and review of adult and older adult patients as part of your day-to-day clinical activity.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

Main duties of the job

The work will involve the comprehensive psychosocial assessment of mental health needs in a diverse patient population (including risk assessment and the development of risk management plans).

You will be expected to have the skills to deal with a very broad range of mental health needs as well as undertaking initial mental health assessments with those whose primary problem may be substance misuse.

You will be required to make clear autonomous decisions based on an analysis of the complex presenting problems and judgements based on available treatment options. The options will include the admission and discharge of patients.

Once you have completed the initial extended induction, you will have the authority to discharge from a mental health perspective from the Accident & Emergency Department, the inpatient wards at St Mary’s Hospital, as well as work within other new initiatives within the team such as the Mental Health Emergency Assessment Centre (MHEAC).

• Develop and maintain good working relationships with colleagues within the Liaison Psychiatry Team, CNWL and the Acute Trust. As far as possible act to ensure the continuing safety of all acute hospital colleagues in their interactions with patients displaying difficult, demanding or potentially violent behaviours.
• Interact clearly, sensitively and with empathy to relatives and carers in all situations, especially highly charged situations, which may have come as a surprise or shock to them
• Offer clear information and support to telephone callers, (both colleagues and the general public) seeking psychiatric input or support via the hospital switchboard, and liaison psychiatry department office.
• Use best practice in case recording; especially with regard to data protection. Process data lawfully.
• Network with other psychiatric liaison nurse services, to identify and disseminate evidence-based practice.

• Be responsible for the completion of autonomous psychosocial assessments and reviews of the mental health needs of patients presenting with a wide variety of clinical conditions.
• Provide a comprehensive consultation liaison service to St Mary’s Hospital ward teams and individual clinicians to advise in the development of psychological care plans, and to advise in cases where patients are exhibiting complex psychosocial needs and/or challenging behaviours.
• Be required to teach acute hospital staff in both formal and informal settings.
• Be responsible for providing a broad range of treatments and clinical interventions as appropriate to the needs of each individual patient.
• Within 4-6 weeks of appointment to work to grade 4 competency levels as specified by, A Competence Framework for Liaison Mental Health Nursing (Hart and Eales 2004), within 3 to 6 months to work to grade 5 competency levels (Ibid).
• Be responsible for specific clinical and managerial projects as negotiated with the Team Manager/Deputy Team Manager and undertake all necessary work to

• Be expected to participate fully in quality assurance initiatives, and clinical governance, with particular emphasis on patient first approach.
• The post-holder will act as a role model in providing a service for people with mental health problems for all staff within St Mary’s Hospital.
• The post-holder will initiate and participate in audit research projects (as negotiated with the Team Manager/Deputy Team Manager) associated with the work of the service.
• You may be required to take on a range of non-clinical management duties at the request of, and after discussion with the Team Manager/Deputy Team Manager.
• You may be required to deputise, (in accordance with your level of seniority and experience) in the absence of, and after discussion with the Team Manager/Deputy Team Manager.

CLINICAL:

• Working as an autonomous practitioner, you will promote the health and well-being of patients and maintain a safe, caring and therapeutic environment.
• Provide a specialist assessment (usually working alone) of a patient’s mental/psychological state, (this will include assessment of deliberate self-harm) and initial risk assessment. Arrange referral or follow up as necessary.
• Provide support and information for significant others involved in patient care, or referral to appropriate agencies.
• Utilise a wide variety of clinical skills appropriate to the needs of individual patients and the clinical setting in which they are required to be seen.
• Provide specialist advice and support with decision-making on a range of care, treatment and patient management issues.
• Be available for consultation regarding patient care, and offer information and support, in particular advice on nursing management, ensuring patients with severe and enduring mental illness on wards at St Mary’s Hospital are receiving care that is of a high quality and specific to their needs.
• Work alongside all members of the Liaison Psychiatry Team, and attend and contribute to meetings and ward rounds, presenting complex cases for discussion within the team.
• Liaise with other disciplines (statutory services) working within the community, offer input, education and support regarding patient care.
• Give information/support to telephone callers to switchboard regarding mental health issues, documenting as required.

• Work with colleagues to develop and promote the service’s philosophy, operational policy and strategic objectives, taking responsibility for specific areas of policy and strategy delivery, as negotiated with team leader.
• Work with colleagues to develop clinical expertise and high standards of nursing practice, as defined by the Nursing & Midwifery Code of professional conduct (2012).
• Provide expert advice regarding the pharmacological management of mental health patients to acute hospital clinicians.
• Deliver care that is evidence based, reflecting current best practices and research. Demonstrate clinical excellence and high standards of nursing practice to other staff
• Participate in structured clinical supervision in accordance with Trust policies and procedures.
• Demonstrate sound understanding of the legal and ethical issues in caring for those suffering from mental illness. In particular, advice regarding the use of the Mental Health Act (2007) in acute hospital settings.

Person specification

Training / Qualifications

• UK Registered Nurse (Mental Health) on NMC professional body
• ENB 998 or equivalent
• Evidence of recent relevant professional development post graduating as a registered nurse

• Educated to degree or diploma level Nursing, other courses relevant to Liaison Psychiatry

Experience

• Extensive post qualification work in psychiatry
• Substantial experience working on an acute adult in patient unit
• Substantial experience at Band 5
• Experience in community mental health practice
• Experience in carrying out psychosocial assessments and autonomous practice
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team
• Ability to interpret research and apply to practice

• Other relevant post registration experience
• Audit and research
• Evidence of an active interest in further professional development

Knowledge and Skills

• Clinical skills
• Knowledge of change management
• Ability to prioritise and delegate
• Specialist knowledge of mental health disorders as well as their relationship to physical disorders
• Assessment and treatment of DSH
• High level of communication skills, both written and oral
• Ability to engage with challenging and / or acutely distressed patients in potentially hostile and / or antagonistic situations and use deescalation techniques effectively
• Sufficient clinical knowledge to be able to make autonomous decisions, based on analysis on complex presenting problems and judgement about available options
• Organisation skills that will enable a number of complex activities and clinical work to be undertaken, revising and adjusting these according to the needs of individual patients and the service
• Ability to give professional advice and guidance
• Able to manage personal emotions and stress when under pressure
• Ability to frequently work under pressure and maintain intense concentration, particularly in unpredictable situations where there will be exposure to highly distressed and / or disturbed patients, often exhibiting challenging behaviours and the risk of physical violence
• Ability to meet deadlines

• Computer skills

CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run.

We’re proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.

We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.

We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles. For more information on these and other benefits of working for us, see our Benefits, Reward and Wellbeing page

Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others.

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.

Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible.

Our Agenda for Change employment contracts are subject to a contractual 13 week probationary period.

If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.