Advanced Paediatric Nurse Practitioner

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Job overview

Advanced Paediatric Nurse Practitioner

Fixed Term - 24 months.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to appoint an Advanced Paediatric Nurse Practitioner to join our existing team of Advanced Paediatric Nurse Practitioners.

The Advanced Paediatric Nurse Practitioner's play a lead role in the running of our established Paediatric Assessment and Observation Unit (PAOU) accepting referrals directly from GP’s, Midwives and from the Paediatric Emergency Department. They are also responsible for providing support to sick and critically ill children and young people, supporting nursing and medical staff to care for these patients.

A full induction a programme will be offered.

An Enhanced DBS Certificate, with the checking of Children’s Barred Lists is required for this post.

This will be a competency-based interview, and applicants will be required to complete assessment tasks as part of this process.

Main duties of the job

The Advanced Paediatric Nurse Practitioner (APNP) is competent at undertaking advanced autonomous clinical practice working across traditional boundaries using assessment, decision making and diagnostic skills. By case managing patients, including independently ordering and interpreting investigations and prescribing, the APNP will safely and effectively provide care for paediatric patients and their families admitted to the Paediatric wards.

The APNP, although clinical approximately 80% of the time, also has a senior clinical leadership role within the Directorate, striving to constantly improve nursing care on the wards through developing new initiatives, undertaking audit and an active role in education, mentorship and supervision.

The post holder will work closely with the Matron and Directorate Manager, Paediatrics and the senior paediatric team to ensure both the Directorate’s local governance agenda and the national agenda for nursing and children is fully met

Working for our organisation

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.

Our Services:

Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018

Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)

National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Undertake history and physical examination to accurately assess the patient’s condition. Critically analyse findings to form a diagnosis and develop appropriate treatment plan and discharge patients safely.
• Order, interpret and act upon relevant diagnostic tests and procedures.
• Interpret, convey and relay complex and conflicting information to MDT members/patients/relatives in possibly stressful situations, which may be delicate or offensive in nature i.e. breaking bad news.
• Act as a clinical expert providing continuous support to the nursing staff and other MDT members within and outside designated area of work.
• Undertake advanced (invasive and non-invasive) procedures pertaining to patient need, in accordance with appropriate training and clinical supervision.
• Act autonomously admitting and discharging patients, referring to appropriate specialists/care agencies as appropriate.
• Prescribe medication in accordance with current legislation and trust policy.
• Maintain comprehensive, contemporaneous and accurate nursing/medical records and documentation, utilising information technology where available to facilitate caseload management.
• Effectively manage acute life-threatening conditions in accordance with current ALS/ATLS/APLS/ALERT guidelines (as appropriate to area of work/need).
• Act as a role model through demonstration of high standards of practice, providing a clinical environment that motivates and encourages effective working partnerships.
• Participate in multidisciplinary ward rounds, case conferences, clinical and audit meetings.
• Gain informed consent from patients for procedures undertaken by self or on behalf of others, both written and verbal, according to trust policy.
• Provide evidence-based specialist knowledge and advice to patient’s, families/carers throughout the patient’s journey to meet their physical, emotional and psychological needs.
• Provide clinical expertise in the management of patients utilising specialist theoretical and clinical skills.

• Personally prioritise and schedule the management of patient caseloads ensuring optimisation of resources.

• Be an agent for change, monitoring and evaluating practice and generating new and innovative solutions to clinical practice problems to enable delivery of a better service and strive towards advancing practice.
• Lead / guide nursing and medical staff in the appropriate and timely care of the patient.
• Act as a resource providing advice, support and guidance to all members of the health care team both within the directorate and trust wide.

• Provide support for senior nursing staff in relation to staff development and complaints including staff appraisals of own nurse team.
• Participate in the recruitment and selection of staff as appropriate.

• Provide evidence-based leadership ensuring that practice is disseminated to the MDT.
• Abide by the Caldicott Principles with regard to confidentiality.
• Act as an effective communicator/negotiator inter-departmentally managing conflict and reconciliation and facilitating change.
• Remain flexible to the needs of patients and the Trust in the provision of quality service delivery.
• Be involved in strategic health planning and respond to trust strategies, initiatives and targets, both regionally and nationally.
• Network locally, regionally and nationally to share and exchange ideas and principles.
• Provide an active leadership role in contributing to own departmental issue pertaining to clinical governance agendas’ and shared governance within the trust e.g. maintaining standards, risk management, clinical audit and research, standard setting, benchmarking, evidence based practice etc.
• Effectively time manage.
• Assist in the development of policy and guideline implementation at local and regional level.

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES

• Be able to recognise child abuse and be able to document accurately child protection concerns according to Laming recommendations, differentiating fact from opinion
• Understand which groups of children are at risk of harm or neglect and know who to contact / inform / seek advice from; know how to contact them 24 hours a day, seven days a week, know when to contact them according to Trust and Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards policies and procedures
• Know when and how to act, when and how to refer and the importance of following up a referral.
• Understand the next steps in the child protection process
• Share safeguarding information appropriately – in writing, by telephone, electronically or in person understanding the difference between information sharing on individual, organisational and professional levels.
• Know what to record, how long to keep it, how to dispose of records correctly, and when to feedback or follow up.
• Have understanding of own (and others’) professional roles and boundaries, including the Named professionals, trust managers and social workers.
• Knowledge of the implications of key national document/reports.
• Understand the assessment of risk and harm.
• Understand and support staff with multi-agency frameworks, investigations, working and child protection assessment processes including the use of the Common Assessment Framework / investigation/working, child protection investigation and the basics of forensic procedures
• Present child protection concerns in a child protection conference.
• Work with families where there are child protection concerns.
• Advise other agencies regarding the health management of child protection concerns.
• Contribute to serious case reviews or individual management reviews.
• Aware of Local Safeguarding Children’s Board and its remit

• Ensure optimal and economical use of resources exploring potential for cost improvement, without compromising services.
• Be responsible for providing service within pay and non-pay budget.
• Support Matron and Directorate Manager in providing services within budget – identifying early and potential cost pressures.
• Assist Matron and Directorate Manager in developing capital bids and business cases incorporating finance.

• To be actively involved in the Paediatric Department’s audit programme
• Recruiting patients to appropriate research projects and Liaison with Paediatric Research Nurse

Closing Date - 16th February 2025

Interview Date - W/C - 24th February 2025

Person specification

Qualifications

• RSCN/RN Child
• Evidence of life-long learning
• Degree in Advanced Clinical Nursing, Preferably Paediatric Advanced Clinical Practice
• APLS / PLS certified
• Independent Nurse Prescriber
• Level 3 safeguarding children training
• Masters Degree in advanced Clinical Nursing Practice

• Teaching qualification or equivalent experience
• Management qualification
• APLS instructor
• RN (adult)
• Critical care qualification

Knowledge & Experience

• Significant years recent relevant experience in acute/community paediatrics. (Annex 21)
• Able to recognise and implement appropriate management to a critically ill child aged from birth to 18 years
• Demonstrate ability to lead and develop nursing practice and promote excellence in clinical practice
• Evidence of multidisciplinary / multi-agency working
• Evidence of change management experience
• Safeguarding Children experience and sound working knowledge of and ability to implement the Safeguarding and Child in Need agenda.
• Ability to develop fully staff potential through facilitating training, development and education initiatives.
• Working knowledge of all components of clinical governance, including risk management, audit, research, clinical standards, policies, protocols, education, training and human resources
• Clinical credibility and expert specialist knowledge of children’s and neonatal nursing
• Working knowledge of current national and local legislation/guidance / NSFs / policies in health, professional nursing issues and children’s services agenda
• Advanced knowledge and skills to initiate and evaluate research based practice
• Ability to influence and work together with multidisciplinary / multi-agency teams at a strategic / senior operational level
• Ability to lead and develop nursing practice and promote excellence in clinical practice

• Children’s ITU or HDU experience
• Audit experience

Skills

• Demonstrate ability to practise advanced clinical skills
• Clinical assessment, planning and management skills, able to case manage, including ordering and interpreting investigations and prescribing (if completed NMP)
• Effective communication skills
• Excellent organisational skills
• Quality/excellence focused
• Ability to work autonomously

Thank you for considering an application to work for Mersey West Lancashire NHS Trust. You are part of an exciting and forward-thinking NHS Trust who are one of the best places to work for in England.

Given sometimes we receive a high volume of applications to work for us, please be aware, that we may close a vacancy earlier than stated should a sufficient number of applications be received from which a shortlist can be confirmed. Therefore, you are advised to apply at your earliest convenience.

The Trust may contact you during the recruitment process for your feedback on your experience. We always aim for continuous improvement in our practice.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we commit to offering an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.

If you are having difficulty completing an online application, or require any disability reasonable adjustments, to the application process, please contact [email protected]

We also commit to offering an interview to all armed forces veterans who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.

The Trust operates anonymous shortlisting where no personal information about you, including your name or personal details are shared with the recruiting manager. No equality information is shared at any time during the recruitment process with the recruiting manager or other people involved in the decision-making process.

The equality monitoring information you provide is used in the following situations: to review our recruitment practices; where a job is limited to a specific person to verify their eligibility to apply; and to offer disability reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Following the recent update on UK immigration policy for those on a Health and Care Visa or Skilled Worker Visa, please click here to check your eligibility before applying for this post as we may be unable to provide sponsorship.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

If this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Please note if applicable, applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment.

If you have not already done so, you are therefore encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service to which a small annual fee of £13 per year applies.

Flexible Working

We actively support flexible working patterns throughout MWL. Changes made to the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook mean that:

• All employees have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment.
• There is no limit on the number of requests they can make.
• Employees have the right to make requests, have them considered, regardless of the reason.

At Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, we will consider requests for flexible working. We would also encourage you to also discuss flexible working options at interview stage.

Working for Team MWL

Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.

The Trust is a non-smoking across all our sites. Failure to follow this rule could lead to disciplinary action. For more information, see the Smoke Free NHS website

You must ensure that your application, including personal statements and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

The Trust will not accept applications which are found to be AI generated.

Additional Information

Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trusts Values and Behaviours which are We are KIND, We are OPEN, We are INCLUSIVE, which can be found here.

An applicant guide to help and support you with your application and what to expect during your recruitment journey can be accessed in the supporting documents.

Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team MWL very soon.