ACP and Nursing Clinical Lead - UCRT and Hospital at Home in London

Are you an experienced ACP with a passion for delivering high-quality patient care in the community? Or an ACP trainee in the last year of the MSc? Do you want to play a key role in shaping the future of urgent care services across Islington?

We are seeking an enthusiastic ACP to join our Urgent Community Response Team. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference by supporting residents to remain safely in their usual place of residence, reducing avoidable hospital admissions and improving patient outcomes. The team also leads on the Islington Hospital at Home pathways which help get patients home sooner, improving their experience and recovery through acute hospital-level care in their own homes.

The successful postholder will have community experience and demonstrate specialist clinical skills and knowledge in advanced clinical assessment. The Advanced Clinical Practitioner will offer clinical expertise, guidance, management plans, clinical decision making, and discharge planning to acutely unwell patients. Develop differential diagnosis and work in collaboration with primary care, community services, acute trust, and the wider multidisciplinary team to agree what services need to be put in place; what clinical and medical support will be needed to manage and mitigate risk to ensure safe and supportive care in their usual place of residence.

Main duties of the job:

• To deliver and participate in clinical care of patients.
• Provide a level of advanced and comprehensive assessment, based on a specialist body of knowledge, under supervision.
• Direct responsibility for the management of patients within own caseload and for the supervision of junior members of the multidisciplinary team.
• To appropriately assess, examine, investigate, diagnose and treat patients, resulting in the safe management and appropriate referral or discharge of patients with undifferentiated and undiagnosed presentations.
• Order and interpret investigations, laboratory tests, X-rays and act on results as appropriate.
• Initiate drug therapy/medication within the parameters of agreed clinical guidelines, in line with Whittington Health Hospital at Home Medicines Management SOP and in accordance with present legislation supply and prescribing of medicines.
• To contribute to the development and improvement of systems and processes that facilitate patient flow.
• Maintain own clinical development by keeping abreast of new treatments and technologies.
• To improve the quality of the patient experience by identifying and meeting the individual clinical needs of patients.
• To rigorously review all aspects of the patient’s plan of care and identify and address issues that may result in a sub-standard service.
• Contribute to the review and development of integrated care pathways and clinical guidelines to ensure a standardised approach.
• Under supervision practice with confidence and competence within NMC professional guidelines and code of conduct.
• To ensure that accurate documentation and records of patient care are kept.
• To assist in the development of assessment systems, processes and tools within the clinical setting and adjacent clinical/assessment areas.
• Ability to adapt specialist clinical knowledge and skills to different clinical settings and influence service delivery and patient care.
• Actively implement effective systems and processes for infection control management and relevant audit within their clinical area.
• Utilise and demonstrate sensitive communication styles, to ensure patients are fully informed and consent to treatment.
• Communicate patients’ conditions verbally and in writing to other members of the health care team and contribute to the decision-making processes in patient management, acting as an advocate for patients and colleagues.
• Ensure awareness of sources of support and guidance e.g., patient liaison service, and provide information in an accurate format to all patients.
• Be able to anticipate barriers to effective communication and take action to improve communication.

Management and Leadership:

• To develop own leadership skills within the Advanced Clinical Practitioner role.
• Contribute to the development of a specialist service and act as a change agent and facilitate the change process whilst encouraging others to be innovative and adaptable in the approach to change.
• Contribute to evidence-based policies and procedures specifically required by the team.
• Contribute to the development of clinical competencies for junior staff working within the team.
• Develop and maintain effective communication with the multidisciplinary team to ensure high standards of care.
• Work collaboratively with representatives of other clinical areas, disciplines and services to provide a seamless pathway of care.
• Participate in the recruitment, selection and retention of staff.
• To be conversant with all Trust policies and procedures and ensure they are correctly implemented.
• Adhere to confidentiality at all times with sensitive personal data.
• Prioritise, organise and manage own workload in a manner that maintains and promotes quality.

Education and Training:

• To help identify, plan and assist in the implementation of goals for clinical development of staff working within the designated clinical setting and adjacent assessment areas.
• To develop and maintain a positive learning environment for the team by providing support, ensuring developmental requirements of junior staff are addressed.
• To assist in the provision of clinical supervision and provide the opportunity to reflect and discuss areas of practice.
• To participate in teaching programmes for nursing in the care of patients with a range of clinical presentations as defined by the clinical area of practice.

Audit /Quality Improvement and Research:

• To identify and lead on quality improvement projects in the team.
• Contribute/assist in the development of multidisciplinary research and clinical audit in the clinical setting and adjacent assessment areas, implementing effective and evidence-based practice.
• To share best practice through publications and attendance/presentation opportunities at conference level.

Resource Management:

• To apply sound financial evaluation to proposed service developments.
• Maintain accurate records in relation to equipment used and maintained.
• To ensure that systems are in place to manage, reduce and prevent clinical risk to self and others.
• To monitor incidents highlighted by members of the team and communicate to appropriate areas to address risk issues.
• Promote best practice in health & safety, utilising unit and Trust policies.

Person specification:

• Current NMC registration
• MSc ACP or within last year of course
• Non-medical prescriber

Skills and abilities:

• IV cannulation and phlebotomy
• Administration of IV medicines
• Advanced physical assessment skills
• Well-developed communication skills (verbal and written).

Knowledge and Experience:

• Experience of working in a community urgent response team
• Knowledge of multidisciplinary working with integrated Hospital and Community settings
• Demonstrate clear understanding of acute and community services and associated pathways
• Management of long term and acute conditions
• Knowledge of NHSE Neighbourhood Health guidelines
• Able to lead and manage change
• Able to prioritise workload
• Management of stress in self and others

SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND ADULTS:

To comply with the Trust’s Safeguarding Children and Adults policies, procedures and protocols. All individual members of staff (paid or unpaid) have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This will require you to:

• Ensure you are familiar with and comply with the London Child Protection Procedures and protocols for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people.
• Ensure you are familiar and comply with the London Multi-Agency Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Pan London Procedures.
• Ensure you are familiar and comply with local protocols and systems for information sharing.
• Know the appropriate contact numbers and required reporting lines.
• Participate in required training and supervision.
• Comply with required professional boundaries and codes of conduct.

Whittington Health is committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.