Tissue Viability Nurse in Manchester

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Tissue Viability team, working alongside the Tissue Viability Matron. We are looking for an experienced, motivated and forward-thinking Registered Nurse to work with the current TVN team to support and improve the service. This is a good opportunity to develop your skills in terms of wound care and pressure ulcer prevention. You will have to work autonomously and have an opportunity to develop your profession. The successful candidate will hold the appropriate qualifications to be a current registered practitioner RGN and demonstrate evidence of continuing professional development. You will be committed to delivering high quality care with a desire to further develop your career within this service. You will need to have very good communication skills, be highly motivated, organised and be able to work using your own initiative.

Main duties of the job

• The Tissue Viability Nurse (TVN) will provide a specialist role under the guidance and leadership of the Tissue Viability Matron.
• They will provide expert advice and clinical input into the prevention of pressure ulcers and the management of complex wounds.
• The TVN will support the Tissue Viability Matron in the delivery of education and training of healthcare professionals, including the supervision of clinical practice, and represent the TVN Matron when they are not available.
• They will enable hospital-based staff to become safe, clinically competent, evidence-based practitioners in the prevention and management of pressure ulcers and other complex wounds.
• The TVN will work as part of the multidisciplinary team with the aim of preventing admission, supporting early discharge and providing ongoing support and advice for patients with wounds within the acute setting.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Role model standards of care and behaviour through clinical practice.
• Ensure visibility within clinical areas.
• Manage own workload and co-ordinate investigations and procedures necessary for treatment plans.
• Assess, plan, deliver and evaluate individualised specialised programmes of care and provide support and advice to other staff as appropriate.
• Provide specialised wound management, planning, advice and guidance on a range of relevant topics to influence the practice of all health care professionals within the Trust and externally as/if required.
• Use specialist knowledge to ensure liaison and/or referral to other members of the multi-disciplinary team.
• Provide advice to staff with respect of the appropriateness of equipment required in relation to assessed patient needs.
• Offer and assist in the delivery of education and training to healthcare professionals on pertinent subjects.
• Provide clinical supervision to health care professionals in relation to the prevention of pressure ulcers/wounds and the use of equipment for this purpose.
• Be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work including the management of patients in their care.
• Organise the job role effectively with regard to clinical priorities and use of time.
• Act as a patient advocate through the application of critical and professional knowledge and skills.
• Communicate effectively and work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team to ensure a coordinated service.
• Bring relevant national information, policies and guidelines that may impact on service to the attention of the TV service.
• Promote a better understanding of the prevention and management of wounds to patients, their families and carers, and other agencies involved with the patient through education and support.
• Participate in clinical and other audits as required, including developing, setting and monitoring evidence-based care standards, protocols and audits.
• Participate in the relevant emergency preparedness process for their team.
• Ensure that the clinical standards or guidelines for their area of work are followed and have a good working knowledge of national and local standards for their area of speciality, monitoring their own and others' quality of practice as appropriate.
• Have access to and maintain computerised patient records in accordance with Trust policy.
• Demonstrate the mandatory competencies of the Trust, attending all mandatory updates.

Clinical Governance, Audit, Research and Development

• Work within trust guidelines, policies, and standard operating procedures.
• Utilise incident reporting system and participate in the investigation of incidents.
• Assist as required in the departmental audit.
• Ensure that Tissue Viability databases are accurate and up to date.
• Ensure compliance with policies, procedures and clinical guidelines for self and others participating in the development of the same.
• Continually monitor standards of care and participate in leading the improvement of care, through benchmarking, audit and research.
• Ensure compliance with untoward incident reporting & near misses.
• Promote people’s equality, diversity and rights.
• Assist TVN Matron in the effective use and monitoring of the quality of supplies/equipment.
• Make appropriate use of resources.
• Address deficits in service, by identifying changes to service, in order to ensure that these deficits are resolved.
• Participate in the implementation and delivery of the standards set within the Trust Nursing & Midwifery Strategy.

Finance / Physical Resources

• Comply with best practices in the safe use of equipment by self and other members of the team, i.e. trainees / medical and nursing staff.
• Assist the TVN Matron in maintaining TVS budgets and assist in cost saving projects.

Registered Nurses at The Christie have a responsibility to:

• Maintain Active Status on the NMC.
• Act always in accordance with the NMC Code of Conduct and guiding documents.
• Adhere to Trust Policy and Procedure.
• Maintain up-to-date skills and knowledge and maintain awareness of professional issues.
• Maintain a professional portfolio.

This job description is an outline of the role and function. It is not intended to describe all specific tasks.

Person specification

Qualifications

• RGN Level 1 or 2 Degree or Diploma in Nursing Studies.
• Wound Care Course / Tissue Viability Module.
• Management Course.
• Teaching and Assessing Qualification.

Experience

• Previous experience within wound care.
• Experience of working independently and within a team.
• Experience of managing a caseload of patients with complex wounds, with responsibility for decision making.
• Experience of clinical audit research knowledge and experience.
• Experience of negative pressure wound therapy risks/benefits and application.
• Formal and informal teaching experience.

Skills

• Ability to deliver high-quality care.
• Act with sensitivity and privacy when dealing with patients with life-limiting conditions.
• Ability to work independently without direct supervision.
• Able to demonstrate awareness of professional limitations.
• Able to manage and prioritise own workload.
• The ability to influence across the wider environment.
• Report writing skills.

Knowledge

• Committed to own personal professional development and that of Staff Nurses and HCA’s.
• Knowledge of professional and NHS issues.
• Knowledge of current National pressure ulcer prevention strategy.

Values

• Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours.

The closing date for this post may be extended if there are insufficient applicants or brought forward if there is a high volume of applicants.