ICU Housekeeper | Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (BFT)

The Intensive Care Unit is looking for a housekeeper to support our busy unit here at North Bristol NHS Trust. The post is for 23 hours per week and will require flexible working to cover a 7 day service. We are a large, friendly and diverse multi-disciplinary team with a passion for providing high quality care to patients and their families/carers.

The successful candidate will ensure a clean, safe and comfortable environment, ensuring that equipment cupboards are stocked up and that patient meals are ordered and distributed at appropriate times.

To contribute to the day-to-day housekeeping requirements of the whole unit area ensuring that it is clean & tidy and that a safe environment is provided for the patients and their families/carers. Tasks include:

• Restocking of all clinical areas
• Cleaning of specific equipment according to local policy
• Assisting the registered nurse in ensuring patients meals are ordered appropriately and delivered to the patient in an acceptable manner
• Restocking, cleaning and tidying all cupboards to ensure that adequate stock levels are maintained, both on the unit and the main store cupboards
• Covering some clerical and reception duties in the absence of the appropriate staff
• Working as part of a ward team by attending and participating in ward meetings as required
• Taking on other such reasonable duties as appropriate by the request of the senior nursing team
• Upholding the unit philosophy
• Working as part of the team to ensure a good patient experience
• Contributing to the provision of a learning environment for staff undergoing training
• Developing organisational skills through planning a workload and prioritising need
• Being aware of cost implications and making effective use of resources
• Ordering and receiving kitchen items according to requirements
• Maintaining the fridge units including temperature recording, cleaning and food storage to comply with the Trust’s Food Safety Policy and standards
• Ensuring that all issues of clinical governance are acted upon as per Trust policy
• Directly supporting qualified staff
• Establishing formal and informal lines of communication with staff, patients and visitors

The atmosphere on the unit can depend on the severity of patient illness or where patients are in their recovery period. It is a supportive environment for patients, families and staff. It is appreciated that staff, patients and visitors can experience a variety of emotions whilst they are on the unit, dependent on their involvement with the patients and their families. Support is always available in the form of experienced colleagues or by other professionals if required.

We are a large nursing team who strive to deliver high standards of care to our patients in their most vulnerable state. We expect staff to uphold and practice these standards, in line with Trust policy and our unit guidelines. Nutrition is extremely important during critical illness, and our housekeepers are all passionate about ensuring that patients receive food that they want to and will eat. Infection Control is also important to ensure that patients remain safe during their admission to ICU. The housekeepers play an important part in ensuring that the clinical equipment is always clean and ready for use. This is beneficial to both patients and staff.