Associate Practitioner - Transitional Care & Neonatal Special Care
Job overview
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.
Southampton Neonatal Unit is looking for highly motivated, enthusiastic individuals to work across our neonatal services; our Transitional Care Unit, and our new 'Woodland Ward' Special Care Baby Unit. We are looking for people who are dedicated to delivering high quality, family centred care and who strive to make a difference to babies and their families.
Main duties of the job
Attached you will find the person specification document which provides more detail about the essential and desirable skills and experience needed for this role. We highly recommend you review this document and use it when completing your application as these criteria are used by hiring managers as guidance during shortlisting.
For an overview of the main duties of the role please see the ‘Job Description and Main Responsibilities’ section below. To understand the day-to-day responsibilities in more detail please read the full job description document attached.
Working for our organisation
University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.
Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.
We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalizing your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.
At UHS we’re committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.
At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We’re committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities.We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Under the supervision of a registered Midwife/Nurse and working within the Multidisciplinary Team, you will be responsible for the assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of care of babies and their families, supporting the ethos of family-integrated care.
Whilst on Transitional Care you will support new parents and babies to stay together, working alongside the multidisciplinary team to avoid unnecessary admission to the neonatal unit.
We actively support and promote effective communication with parents during admission through their participation in ward rounds, providing continuity and consistency. Nurses and Allied Health Professionals will provide parent craft sessions in a safe, relaxed environment.These are provided with empathy, kindness and understanding therefore empowering them. Feeding progression is supported in conjunction with the Infant feeding team and SALT. We actively promote and support breastfeeding but also support other parent feeding choices Parents are supported to confidently care for their baby to facilitate safe and timely discharge You will be working as part of a multidisciplinary team to deliver a high standard of care.
What experience/skills are needed- Registered Nursing Associate on the NMC register, or an Associate Practitioner with a Foundation Degree in Health & Social Care
- Experience working with newborn babies and birthing people desirable
- A positive attitude to providing family integrated care within a busy environment.
- Good evidence of ongoing personal development and demonstrate a commitment to undertake further training
- A flexible approach to supporting the service in a fast-paced changing department.
- You will need to work well within a team and demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- You will need to be adaptable and able to work a range of shifts across two area to meet the needs of the neonatal services
- A satisfactory DBS is required
Southampton Neonatal Unit is looking for highly motivated, enthusiastic individuals to work across our neonatal services; our Transitional Care Unit, and our new 'Woodland Ward' Special Care Baby Unit. We are looking for people who are dedicated to delivering high quality, family centred care and who strive to make a difference to babies and their families.
As a Band 4, you will be working in both the Transitional Care Unit caring for newborn babies and their parent, and Woodland Ward - a purpose built, nurse-led unit caring for sick and preterm babies due to open October 2024.
The new Woodland Ward will have:
- 16 cots, including 4 family integrated care rooms
- A welcoming, caring and safe environment for all
- An ethos of patients and families come first; Family are at the heart of what we do
- Space for a parent to stay with their baby 24 hours a day, encouraging unrestricted access to their baby
- Family-Integrated Care where we can provide guidance, and advice to parents in a friendly and supportive environment enabling them to care for their baby. This helps them to develop close and loving relationships with their baby and values parents as partners in their care.
Person specification
Qualifications, knowledge and experience
Essential criteria- Nursing Associate on the NMC register.
- OR Assistant Practitioner with a health-related Foundation Degree e.g. Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care
- Passionate about caring for families and their babies
- Evidence of numeracy and literacy – minimum national qualification level 2
- Experience of working under appropriate supervision as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- Experience of providing and receiving complex, sensitive information
- Knowledge of nursing procedures and practices in an acute hospital setting.
- Assessed as competent to administer medications
- Acute apprenticeship units as appropriate to UHS Care Group/Divisional requirements.
- Experience of working with newborn babies/children.
- Extended clinical skills e.g. venesection/cannulation.
Trust Values
Essential criteria- Patient First
- Working Together
- Always Improving
Please be advised that this vacancy may close earlier than stated if we receive a large number of applications. We will not accept any applications or queries via agencies, under any circumstances.
For more information about our Trust
https://careers.uhs.nhs.uk
Getting to work - our travel promise
Getting to work should be as easy as possible and that’s why we have introduced the UHS travel promise – a commitment from the Trust that we will provide reasonable travel options for every member of staff. Every member of staff can apply for a permit to use our park & ride facility.Eligibility for on-site parking is dependent on the nature and requirement of the role. All staff can also access a range of discounted benefits relating to travel including reduced price bus tickets, purchase of salary sacrifice bikes and ultra-low emission cars.
Our commitment to equality
Equality remains at the centre of our policymaking, service delivery, and employment practice, giving all employees equal opportunity to develop, apply for promotions, and have working arrangements that enable them to achieve a manageable work-life balance.
UHS actively promotes a work environment free from harassment and discrimination and provides training for managers and staff to ensure this happens. We also closely monitor recruitment activity, training, development, and employment practices to ensure equality of practice with regard to race, colour, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital status and age.
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