Practice Educator Critical Care Unit in London

We are looking for someone with a passion for improving the education, training and support of critical care unit staff. The post holder will be expected to work closely with staff of all bands, supporting and assessing them in clinical practice, assisting the senior team in meeting the nurses' developmental needs. The candidate will plan, organise, facilitate and implement training programmes alongside consolidating university links to post registration pathways.

The Critical Care Unit (CCU) at The Royal Marsden, Chelsea, facilitates the provision of exceptional treatment and care to patients throughout critical phases of their cancer journey and received an outstanding rating from the CQC. The 16 bed CCU is the only level 3 critical care facility dedicated entirely to cancer patients in the UK and boasts some of the best survival rates for critically ill haemato-oncology patients in Europe. We aspire to be compassionate, supportive, personal and open; patient and family experience is central to everything we do.

Main duties of the job

• The post holder will be responsible for delivering high quality evidence-based education to staff within CCU.
• This will include supporting the education and training of nurses to become clinically competent in the care of critically ill cancer patients, facilitating the induction, clinical mandatory updates, and continuing professional development for all levels of nursing and support staff working across CCU.
• The post holder will also be responsible for promoting high standards of care through the demonstration of clinical expertise and the creation of a clinical environment that encourages learning and professional development.
• In this role, the post holder will be responsible for planning and overseeing the workload of the Band 6 CCU Clinical Practice Facilitator.
• The post holder will work closely with the CCU Sisters / Charge Nurses to foster a supportive working environment and maintain staff morale.
• The post holder will work closely with the Trust Lead Nurse for Clinical Education and support the training at Trust level for all staff working across Trust.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Act as a role model and coach in clinical practice, particularly for junior nursing staff.
• Regularly assess and review progress towards competence and give feedback to staff.
• Work clinically alongside staff to ensure clinical competency and development needs are met e.g. Intravenous drug administration.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records on staff training and support.
• Ensure newly appointed staff nurses have been introduced to the information technology available in clinical areas to enable them to access information about relevant Trust policies and procedures.
• Ensure staff nurses are aware of the location of unit-based learning resources and know how to access evidence to inform their practice.
• Support nurses new to the Trust in achieving their competence in Medicines Management (IV/Oral & CD).
• Facilitate teaching throughout the clinical area and ensure all content is up to date and evidence-based.
• Support the HCSW to achieve the Care Certificate and any other formal apprenticeship programme requirements.
• Participate in Clinical Audit and Quality Improvement projects and link outcomes to training and education, and evaluate all education and training.
• Participate in Trust-wide education programmes, study days, courses, meetings or conferences as identified in their Personal Development Plan and deemed appropriate for professional development by their line manager.
• Take responsibility for developing and sustaining their own knowledge, clinical skills and professional awareness in areas such as current advances in cancer treatments, research and nursing practice and use this knowledge to maintain the highest standard of care for patients with cancer.

Person specification

• Education/Qualifications
• RMH Certificate in Intravenous Drug Administration/or to be obtained within three months of appointment.
• Critical Care Qualification.
• Recognised mentoring and assessing qualification.
• First Degree.
• Higher Degree.
• Management Qualification.
• Experience
• Experience in organising and delivering education within a clinical setting.
• Demonstrate clear ability and responsibility for creating a dynamic learning environment.
• Experience in recruitment and retention of staff.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development.
• Experience of dealing with HR issues relating to performance/capability.
• Experience in staff appraisal and development plans.
• Experience in a senior clinical role.
• Experience of clinical governance and investigation of complaints and incidents.
• Skills
• Critical Care Skills.
• Excellent communication skills with particular ability to liaise effectively with multi-disciplinary team members.
• Evidence of good leadership qualities including delegation and co-ordination of teams.
• Ability to innovate and manage change.
• Evidence of commitment to customer care initiatives and incorporation of cultural values into practice.
• Evidence of good understanding of NHS reforms and the contracting process including those affecting cancer and critical care services.
• Ability to manage conflict situations.
• Evidence of good management practice.
• Special aptitudes and disposition
• Good interpersonal skills with particular ability to liaise effectively with multidisciplinary team members.
• Ability to demonstrate motivation.
• Ability to plan and prioritise own and others' workload; making decisions, organising and prioritising time and resources.
• Ability to work as part of the team and in collaboration with others using effective interpersonal skills.
• Aware of quality issues and evidence of commitment to customer care initiatives.
• Commitment to personal and professional development.
• Circumstances
• Ability to work rostered shifts.
• Flexibility to meet service needs and to participate in hospital cover on a rotation basis in 'out of hours' periods.

The Royal Marsden values diversity and is committed to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority groups. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are working to create a workplace that enables all staff to reach their full potential. We are committed to this because we know that greater diversity and inclusion will lead to an even greater positive impact for the people we serve.

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

Flu Vaccination – What We Expect of our Staff: At The Royal Marsden we have an immune compromised patient population who we must protect as much as we can against the flu virus. Each year, seasonal flu affects thousands of people in the UK. Occurring mainly in winter, it is an infectious respiratory disease capable of producing symptoms ranging from those similar to a common cold, through to very severe or even fatal disease. The wellbeing of our staff and patients is of the utmost importance to us, and it is the expectation of The Royal Marsden that all patient-facing staff have an annual flu vaccination, provided free of charge by the Trust.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.