Psychiatric Liaison nurse in Luton

The post holder will be part of the Psychiatric Liaison Service (PLS) which serves the Luton & Dunstable Hospital, including the Emergency Department and inpatient wards. The service is commissioned to carry out the following:

• Provide a single multidisciplinary mental health and drug assessment service
• Provide expert advice on the management, treatment and diagnosis of patients to acute hospital clinicians
• Provide support to acute hospital clinicians
• Improve health outcomes for patients
• Reduce length of stay for patients
• Reduce re-attendances to the Emergency Department
• Improve the experience of patients who receive care in the acute hospital
• Reduce direct admissions to care homes

The Service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for people aged 16 years and above who present with suspected mental health, self-harm or drug and alcohol problems. The service maintains focus on identifying, assessing and care planning for older people.

The post holder will be expected to be self-motivating and autonomous, demonstrating accurate formulations of mental state, risk and need for individuals over the age of 16, taking into account medical and social factors, and referring to other disciplines or agencies as appropriate within the given timeframes for the service.

The post holder will provide advice on mental health issues and participate in training programmes for clinical teams on managing a wide variety of mental health problems. They will maintain the highest degree of customer service at all times and work in collaboration with teams and organisations that come into contact with the service.

Key Relationships:

• Assistant Director for Specialist Services
• Team Manager
• Emergency Department staff
• Medical and specialist teams and ward staff
• East of England Ambulance Service
• GP/Primary Care
• Police
• Crisis intervention service
• Home Treatment Team
• Street Triage Team
• Mental Health Court Diversion
• Perinatal Liaison service
• Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
• Mental Health Care of Older People (MHCOP) team
• Community Based Mental Health and substance misuse teams
• Services for Homeless People
• Duty Senior Nurses
• Bed Managers ELFT & Luton & Dunstable Hospital
• Luton Mental Health Acute wards including MHCOP wards
• Out of Area Mental Health Services

Key Performance Areas:

• Be responsible for the full mental health assessment of care needs of patients presenting with a wide variety of clinical conditions within the Emergency Department and the acute hospital.
• Develop, implement and evaluate programmes of care without supervision, unless otherwise indicated.
• Work closely with members of the PLS team and organisations as appropriate to the needs of the patient and within the set timeframes.
• Provide a comprehensive consultation-liaison service to other medical teams and individual clinicians.
• Take an active role in contributing to meeting the PLS key performance indicators.
• Provide independent judgement and advice on complex facts and situations.
• Teach other nursing and non-nursing staff, both in formal and informal settings.
• Assist in maintaining the PLS Teams ward-based patient caseload.
• Be responsible for specific clinical and managerial projects.
• Participate fully in quality assurance initiatives.
• Act as a role model in providing a service for people above the age of 16 years with mental health problems.
• Initiate and participate in audit/research projects associated with the work of the service.
• Act as shift co-ordinator as designated in the absence of the person with continuing responsibility for the Team.

Clinical:

• Have a wide base of clinical skills, knowledge and experience appropriate to the needs of individual patients over the age of 16 years.
• Carry out specialist assessments and develop, implement, evaluate and document specialist management plans.
• Provide a consultation-liaison service to clinicians and clinical teams within the acute hospital.
• Demonstrate a high standard of record keeping and documentation.
• Work with colleagues to develop and promote the philosophy of the PLS.
• Deliver care that is evidence based, reflecting current best practice and research.
• Participate in structured regular management supervision provided by your line manager.
• Demonstrate clinical excellence and high standards of nursing practice to other colleagues.
• Demonstrate a sound understanding of the legal and ethical issues in caring for the mentally ill.

Communications:

• Demonstrate the ability to receive and give complex clinical details clearly.
• Communicate clearly, sensitively and with compassion in emotional situations.
• Demonstrate a high level of interpersonal skills, self-awareness and empathy.
• Negotiate and problem solve in contentious situations.
• Develop and maintain good working relationships with colleagues within the PLS team and staff within Luton & Dunstable Hospital.

Management:

• Take responsibility for agreed clinical, managerial and strategic projects.
• In the absence of the shift co-ordinator, take responsibility for the immediate management of the team and patient care.
• Ensure the promotion of health and safety regulations.
• Follow the Nursing & Midwifery Council Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics.
• Assist the shift co-ordinator and senior management to control the budget for the service.
• Act as change agent to promote innovation and high standards of practice.
• Type reports and discharge summaries.