About this role
Job summary
The purpose of the job is to provide information, advice, support, assessment, interventions, andfollow-up for patients with spinal cord injury. The post holder will be required to continually develop and monitor the effectiveness of the spinal cordinjury services provided by the Trust. The post holder will be required to liaise and communicate effectively across multi-disciplinary teamsto ensure seamless and effective care for patients with spinal cord injury.
Main duties of the job
The Spinal Acute Outreach Practitioner will link the Northwest Regional Spinal Injuries Centre(NWRSIC) with patients and Multi professional teams in the three Northwest Major Trauma Centres(MTC), Intermediate Care Services, Primary, and Secondary Care. They will provide expert adviceon spinal cord injury management, education, and research at every level within the organisation aswell as having a strategic overview of patient need and bed capacity in all parts of the system.To take a lead role in each individual patient pathway for those referred to the NWRSIC.To assist in the development, implementation and monitoring of programmes of speciality-basedteaching ensuring learning objectives are achieved for all staff of the NWRSIC, carers, family, andexternal agencies.
About us
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.
Our services
Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Achievements
- Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
- Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
- National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- CLINICAL1.
- Ensure nursing care is delivered in an expert and professional manner compatible with currentresearch-based protocols and be responsible for maintaining accurate, effective andcomprehensive written nursing records by regularly evaluating nursing documentation inaccordance with the NMC / HCPC guidelines.2.
- Provide support and assessment for in-patients/day case/acute outreach patients.3.
- Provision of information, advice and support to in-patients and out-patients and their relatives andcarers.4.
- Provide support to ward staff, liaison between services.5.
- Develop and manage nurse-led services in assessment, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up ofpatients.6.
- Act as Key Worker to patients undergoing investigations and diagnosis of spinal cord injury.7.
- Provide support to services to ensure timely and appropriate pre-admission care, in-patientinterventions, and discharge planning.8.
- In conjunction with the Multi-Disciplinary Team, provide support to patients undergoing spinal cordinjury surgery and treatment.9.
- Ensure effective liaison and referral processes with other specialities for example the threeNorthwest Major Trauma Centres, Intermediate Care Services, Primary, and Secondary Care.2Page 2 of 410.
- Act on concerns raised by team members or service users taking appropriate action according toTrust Policies and Guidelines.11.
- Demonstrate and monitor competency in clinical skills including clinical examination required forthe post and work to define protocols and guidelines for example clinical examination, non-medicalprescribing.LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT12.
- Maintain professional competence, authority and credibility through clinical practice, acting as arole model and leader, providing supervision, support and mentorship to nursing staff.13.
- Contribute to the service development of Spinal Cord Injury services within the Trust.14.
- Promote and disseminate best practice within the Trust and external networks.15.
- Assist in the development, implementation and monitoring of evidence-based nursing practicestandards, guidelines, protocols, policies, and care pathways.16.
- Support Trust managers and NWRSIC leads to achieve appropriate targets for Spinal Cord InjuryService.17.
- Actively participate in peer review, clinical and managerial supervision.EDUCATION AND TRAINING18.
Identify and provide support, advice, and teaching to nursing/AHPs and junior medical staff in thecare and management of patients with spinal cord injury.19. Contribute to in-house clinical skills programmes.20. Act as a mentor/supervisor for nurses/AHPs undertaking higher educational awards within thespeciality.21. Contribute to the pre-registration nurses educational experience, acting as a mentor for practiceplacements.CLINICAL GOVERNANCE22.
To develop and implement clinical audit of own practice, protocols and procedures to demonstrateclinical effectiveness.23. Act on concerns raised by team members or service users taking appropriate action according toTrust Policies and Guidelines.24. Record and report incidents, accidents, or complaints to the Head of Nursing and act inaccordance with Trust Policy.25. Participate and lead in clinical research.26. To introduce and apply research findings to nursing practice where relevant.27.
Act in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Code of Conduct/Professional Body at all times.28. Undertake appropriate mandatory training in infection control and comply with all Trust InfectionControl policies relevant to the post, particularly with regard to the Hand Hygiene Policy.29. Ensure compliance to all Trust Risk Management, Research Governance and Infection ControlPolicies and Procedures and abide by the Standards for Better Health.30.
Responsible for ensuring own continuing professional development and identifying developmentneeds within the Trust knowledge and skills development review process.31. Contribute to the Trusts programmes for monitoring and ensuring adherence to ClinicalStandards, for example NICE Guidelines, Quality Surveillance Programme and National ServiceFrameworks
Person Specification
Our Values
Essential
- We are Kind
- We are Open
- We are Inclusive
Qualifications
Essential
- First level registered nurse / HCPC Registered Allied Health Professional
- Degree in health related area
- Post registration qualification in specialist area
- Teaching and mentor qualification eg. Level 6: Mentoring in Practice
- Advanced communications skills
Desirable
- Recognised counselling qualification eg Level 3: Diploma in Counselling Skills
Experience
Essential
- Clinical experience in specialty or Spinal Cord Injury related area
- Experience of ongoing continuing professional development
- Understanding of professional priorities and issues
Desirable
- Participation in service development and implement of change
Skills
Essential
- Ability to communicate unpleasant/sensitive information to patients in a variety of settings
- Able to influence and overcome resistance through application of communication skills
- Able to analyse data and provide written reports
- Intermediate IT skills in word processing and spreadsheets
- Able to prioritise, meet deadlines, use initiative and make decisions
- Knowledge of professional and NHS issues and policy relating to specialist areas
- Able to present information to professional groups
- Able to perform assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of nursing care
- Able to participate/undertake clinical audit and research
Other
Essential
- Frequent sitting or standing in a restricted position, occasional moderate effort for short periods
- Walks, stands most of shift, occasionally maneuvers patients
- Ability to drive to all areas within the Northwest Region daily (Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Cumbria)
- Frequent concentration, work pattern unpredictable. Concentration for patient clinical work
- Occasional distressing/highly distressing or emotional circumstances. Deals with patient complaints, conveys unwelcome news, complaints, concerns arising from incident communicated to patients and relatives
- Occasional/frequent unpleasant conditions. Conditions relating to carrying out clinical/technical duties
- Extensive travel required across the Northwest
- Lone Worker
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Address
Southport Hospital
Town Lane
Southport
PR8 6PN
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.merseywestlancs.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)