Registered Nurse (IPU) in Hereford

Working in the In Patient Unit you will have the option of applying for one of the following set shifts permanently or going on a rota which will include a mixture of all:

• Long days: 7.30am - 8:00pm
• Nights: 7:30pm - 8:00am
• Earlies: 7:30am - 3:00pm
• Twilights: 4:00pm - 10:00pm

Main duties of the job:

We are looking for a Registered Nurse to join our incredible team on a permanent basis. Based in the beautiful village of Bartestree, approximately 5 miles east of Hereford city, St Michael's Hospice has been providing the highest quality care to the local community for over 40 years. At St Michaels we are not just offering a job, but the chance to make a real difference in people's lives. You will work within our multi-disciplinary team providing physical, psycho-social and spiritual care to patients and their families. You will be able to organise your own time effectively, adapt to changing demands and conditions, remain calm under pressure, and communicate in a clear and engaging manner. We offer support with revalidation and ongoing CPD through both in-house and external education. Range of flexible and part-time working patterns. This post is conditional to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check.

About us:

St Michael's Hospice is nestled in the stunning Herefordshire countryside, in a state-of-the-art facility. We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, a transferrable NHS pension or you can enrol onto our own Hospice pension. We offer Life Assurance, a superb working environment and facility, generous study leave allowance, discounts with local suppliers, individualised training needs analysis, advanced communication skills training, employee counselling service, free tea & coffee, a friendly & welcoming work environment and 30 days annual leave (pro rata if applicable), plus bank holidays. We are one of the top 100 best not-for-profit organisations to work for and have been caring to make a difference to patients living with a terminal illness and their families, across Herefordshire and beyond for over 40 years.

Job responsibilities:

To deliver high quality palliative and end of life nursing care to patients and their families.

Responsibility Areas:

• Care Provision: Using clinical judgement to plan, implement and evaluate holistic care for patients with complex palliative needs. To ensure nursing practice is evidence based. Administer medications adhering to NMC and hospice policies. Verify death, complete care after death and orchestrate the removal of deceased patients from the Hospice. Provide specialist advice on symptom management to GPs or other professionals, patients and families within sphere of competence. To act as a link nurse in selected specialism e.g. diabetes. To understand the breadth of Hospice services and those offered by external agencies and signpost patients and families appropriately. Ensure and maintain patient dignity and confidentiality at all times in line with NMC Code of Conduct and Hospice policy. Promote a rehabilitative palliative care approach enabling people to live fully until they die.
• Planning: Delegate activities for Health Care Assistants and Senior Health Care Assistants for specific patients on a shift by shift basis. Manage and prioritise own workload according to patient and family need; in the absence of senior nursing colleagues co-ordinate and manage workload across the team. Undertake risk assessments, document these and implement risk reducing measures escalating to senior colleagues as appropriate. Is proactive in ensuring hospice skills, expertise and professional resources e.g. multi-disciplinary team discussions and review meetings, are used to best effect to ensure the appropriate and timely response to patients. To participate in the admission and bed allocation process in the absence of senior nursing colleagues. To plan timely patient discharge from admission.
• Communication: Communicate and liaise with relatives and carers regarding patient status, understanding the sensitivities and complexities of each situation. Provide accurate written and verbal holistic reports in line with the Hospice and Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) guidance to colleagues during handover on patient condition, including any concerns or changes. Encourage patients/relatives/carers to express what is important to them, to identify their needs, to ensure that this information is recorded and informs the care plan. Promote collaborative working and effective communication between all members of the multidisciplinary team. Ensure the nursing voice is represented in ethical decision making. Recognise own limitations when offering emotional support. Respond to complaints in line with Hospice policy, escalating as appropriate. Promote awareness of child and adult protection issues policy and guidelines.
• Professional Leadership: Act as a role model in all aspects of clinical and non-clinical nursing practice. To provide formal and informal clinical supervision, support and mentorship. To deliver informal and formal training sessions for staff and others. Provide volunteers with information required to enable them to give appropriate care to patients and their visitors. Deputise in the absence of the senior nursing colleagues.
• Quality, Improvement, Audit and Research: To contribute to audits and evaluation of work in order to develop and improve palliative/end of life care for patients and their carers. To embrace quality improvement initiatives and to deliver evidence-based service development projects. Facilitates and participates in reflective reviews of palliative care. Ensure clinical incidents/near misses are recorded and managed in a timely manner and take action to minimise risk.
• Health and Safety: Act at all times to promote the safety and wellbeing of patients, visitors and volunteers. Ensure the environment is free from hazards and all nursing equipment is clean, in good working order, safely and appropriately used and stored. Responsible for the timely disposal and documentation of clinical waste and laundry. Safe storage and use of hazardous substances according to COSHH regulations. Checking building, ensuring that environment is clean and tidy. Be aware of own limitations and when to seek advice and help. Adhere to the Infection control practices on the Inpatient unit. Adhere to the safe storage of medicines and hazardous substances policy and processes.

Person Specification:

• Specialist Knowledge and Experience:
• Essential: Registered Nurse, Experience and broad knowledge of general nursing care, Knowledge of national and local health initiatives, Keyboard basic IT functions.
• Desirable: Advanced Communication Skills course attendance, Experience and knowledge of specialist palliative care, Specialist palliative care qualification, Teaching and mentorship qualification.

• Skills and Behaviours:
• Planning and organising: Organises own time effectively and creates own work schedules. Prioritises and prepares in advance. Sets realistic time-scales.
• Interpersonal sensitivity: Sensitive handling of difficult information and situations. Respects and works well with others. Demonstrates active listening.
• Communication: Speaks clearly, fluently and in an engaging manner to both individuals and groups. Writes in a clear and concise manner, using appropriate style and language for the reader.
• Personal motivation: Shows enthusiasm and commits to work hard.
• Problem solving: Analyses issues and breaks them down into their component parts. Makes systematic and rational judgements based on relevant information.
• Flexibility: Successfully adapts to changing demands and conditions.
• Resilience: Challenges culture, practice or attitude. Maintains effective work behaviour in the face of set-backs or pressure. Remains calm, stable and in control of themselves.

• Special Conditions:
• This post is conditional to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check.
• Requirement to work shifts including rotation/unsocial hours, weekends and Bank holidays.
• Requirement to work flexibly in order to cover shifts according to the needs of the service.
• Able to meet the moving and handling requirements of the job with any aids or adaptations that may be required.

Our values:

• Respect, dignity and the privacy of our patients and families always come first.
• Compassion and respect towards each other.
• People are at the heart of everything we do.
• Transparency and candour.
• Collaborative working and a common-sense approach.

Equal Opportunities Statement:

At St Michaels Hospice we are committed to an equal opportunities approach in everything we do. This means that we seek to ensure anyone connected with St Michaels, from patients and families through to donors, supporters, volunteers and staff are treated fairly, appropriately and with dignity and respect.