Registered Staff Nurse - Spinal Injuries in Southport

The Northwest Regional Spinal Injuries Centre (NWRSIC) based at Southport District General Hospital is looking to recruit a Registered Nurse to join an award-winning, multi-professional team. If you are a forward-thinking, dynamic, and enthusiastic nurse who is interested in developing a career with patients requiring global rehabilitation following spinal cord injury, the NWRSIC could be the place for you.

Main duties of the job

• To assist in the setting and monitoring of standards of nursing care within the department.
• To encourage the participation of the patient’s carer(s) in the assessment of care needs.
• To encourage the involvement of the patient in the management and evaluation of care.
• To advocate patient involvement so that care can be reflected as individualised.
• To initiate and participate in the promotion of health education.
• To liaise with all disciplines involved with direct care so that all facets of patient care are assessed, planned, implemented, and evaluated.
• To maintain effective communication, keeping the person in charge that has continuing responsibility informed of changes affecting patients and staff.
• To ensure that patient care is delivered as and when required, within the Scope of Professional Practice and Code of Professional Conduct.

KEY DUTIES

• Provides and receives complex information, communicating sensitively and confidentially.
• Communicates information relating to patients/clients (e.g., care plan discussions with patients).
• Communicates in a compassionate and empathetic manner, using persuasion and reassurance.
• Ability to recognise barriers to communication, and ability to modify communication style as and when required.
• Ability to effectively communicate whilst providing training to students.
• Demonstrate effective communications skills with the wider MDT team.
• Maintain appropriate levels of training for clinical skills as needed within scope of practice.
• To maintain safe custody of drugs, ensuring that checking, witnessing and administration procedures are compatible with statutory and trust requirements.
• In the absence of Sister/Charge Nurse effectively respond to complaints/concerns and escalate as required.
• To ensure clinical incident/near misses are managed and reported and escalated in a timely manner.
• To be part of the multidisciplinary team decision making, acting when required as the patient’s advocate in order to support the patient’s pathway.
• Work within the organisational policy, standard operating procedures and guidelines.
• To undertake risk assessments and implement risk reducing measures.
• To report and escalate to the Line Manager any deficiencies in the arrangements for minimizing risk.
• Ensure that privacy, dignity and safety of individuals is maintained at all times.
• To actively participate in the effective and efficient use of the ward/departmental resources and equipment, including stock management and care and maintenance of equipment.
• Handles patient’s valuables, ensuring safe storage and transportation.
• Sign off agency timesheets in order to verify and record the hours worked.
• Liaise with the Roster Coordinator to ensure your personal roster is balanced within the roster period.

Teaching & Training Responsibilities

• To deputise in the absence of the Sister / Charge Nurse.
• To manage own time and that of others, through delegations to ensure high quality service delivery.
• To act as assessor/supervisor for junior staff and students.
• To participate in the setting of yearly personal and professional objectives for self.
• Support the department’s appraisal process for junior staff, by providing feedback.
• To be flexible in the delivery of safe staffing across the Trust and participate in redeployment requirements within scope of practice.

RESEARCH & AUDIT

• To contribute to the collection of data for research and audit purposes.
• To identify audit topics relevant to the ward/department.
• To critically evaluate research before applying to clinic practice in order to enhance patient care.
• To identify areas for self-development, areas of interest and training requirements within individual personal performance planning and development review.
• To maintain a professional portfolio and reflective diary for developmental purposes and revalidation.
• Support the rest of the team by recognising own and promoting self-help and wellbeing.
• Develop a culture of learning and innovation, developing high quality learning environments.
• Adopt a reflective approach to own practice with a view to continually improve.

Person specification

• 1st Level Registered Nurse (degree/diploma).
• Current NMC registration.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Knowledge of NMC professional standards for practice contained within the code.
• Experience of working in a clinical environment.
• Understand requirements for NMC professional Revalidation.
• Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team.
• An understanding of national, regional, and local NHS issues.
• Experience of providing and receiving complex, sensitive information.

Skills & Abilities

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to network and build relationships at all levels.
• Effectively prioritises and co-ordinates own workload.
• Ability to de-escalate complex situations.
• Ability to communicate effectively (written, verbal and non-verbal) with patients/relatives and carers and all members of the multi-disciplinary team.
• Awareness of the need for confidentiality at all times.
• Computer literacy e.g., experience of electronic patient record.

Other

• Frequent moderate effort for several short periods of time such as manual handling of patients and equipment.
• Frequent concentration required for drug calculation and administration.
• Dealing with frequent interruptions and competing demands.
• Ability to work within highly distressing or emotional circumstances e.g., end of life care.
• Ability to communicate distressing information.
• Ability to communicate in a challenging environment.
• Able to carry out direct clinical care as required on ward or department.
• Potential blood or body fluids exposure.

Our Values

• We are Kind.
• We are Open.
• We are Inclusive.