IV nurse- Heart Failure Virtual Ward | Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

An exciting opportunity to join our Integrated Heart Failure Service at NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group to support the heart failure virtual ward on a 37.5 hour basis over 7 days. The role involves delivering intravenous diuretics in the patient’s home to enable hospital avoidance and support the delivery of the heart failure virtual ward. It requires working within both acute hospital and community settings, case finding suitable patients as well as assessment and management of patients with heart failure. The successful candidate will work closely with the heart failure MDT, requiring an autonomous practitioner who can undertake clinical examination and assessment. Skills in patient education, symptom reduction and prevention of unnecessary hospital admission are essential, with a focus on maximising patients’ quality of life.

Main Duties

• Review and assessment of patients with heart failure
• Reconstitution of intravenous medication
• Administration of intravenous medication using elastomeric pump
• Care and maintenance of vascular access devices
• Peripheral cannulation
• Performing point‑of‑care blood tests
• Checking daily weight and assessing if leg swelling has reduced and symptoms improved
• Signposting/referring to other community or acute services
• Ordering, taking and reviewing blood samples/investigations
• Communication within the MDT and outside organisations
• Stock/consumable management
• Manage and organise referrals
• Input to service databases

Clinical Practice

• Perform specialist assessment of patients’ care needs, plan, implement and evaluate care delivery using clinical knowledge and clinical skills.
• Provide emotional and psychological support to patients and their carers.
• Perform point‑of‑care bloods, review and interpret results and raise concerns when necessary.
• Be a specialist in the clinical procedure of peripheral venous cannulation.
• Practice at an advanced level when managing intravenous treatments & VADs.
• If appropriately qualified as a Nurse Independent Prescriber, prescribe for patients safely & effectively.
• Identify opportunities and provide health education and promotion for all patients and their carers.
• Identify opportunities to promote informed choice and control for patients. Support patients and their families and ensure that they receive the required information to enable them to self‑manage, lead or participate in their care delivery.
• Maintain accurate and legible patient records in accordance with Trust policy and nursing and midwifery council (NMC) guidelines.
• Be aware of the limitations of ones knowledge, skills and competencies.
• Recognise changes in patients’ condition that require the intervention of others and refer on as appropriate.
• Support, assist and encourage the multi‑disciplinary team in resolving patient problems by providing new and innovative models of case management.
• Work within the NMC’s Scope of Professional Conduct.
• Deliver training to patients/carers, medical and nursing staff in hospital and community settings regarding IV therapy and IV access.