About this role
Job summary
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to join the established OPAT and Vascular access teams at SWFT. Building on current good practice, overseen by the MDT, delivering a service of clinical excellence, allowing patients requiring IV therapy to be treated in their own home where possible, and providing appropriate vascular access to the adult inpatients at SWFT. The team will work to ensure the BSAC Good Practice Guidelines and the NIVAS guidelines are implemented to ensure optimum care of patients.
The post holder will be responsible for the day to day management of OPAT clinic or home visits on a rotational basis. This involves co-ordination of care, caseload management and appropriate escalation of concerns. The post holder will be supported by the senior OPAT team. They will also cover the vascular access service on a rotational basis.
The post holder will ensure the safety of patients by the appropriate use of delegation and supervision, taking into account the skill set and capability of individual team members and ensuring the working environment is conducive to working and learning. The post holder will work collaboratively with the MDT to identify and address areas of concern.
The post holder will contribute to the ongoing development of innovative practice, standards of care and strategies to ensure practice development and education for other professionals caring for patients within this speciality.
Main duties of the job
Providing OPAT services in the OPAT clinic and where appropriate in the patients own home including administration of IV antibiotics, appropriate assessments including ECGs, bladder scans, observations, vascular access insertion, blood and blood culture taking. Completing wound care when needed, Training appropriately selected patients and relatives to administer intravenous antibiotics safely.
Inserting vascular access devices as appropriate and within competencies to inpatients on wards in line with the trust vascular access policies. Teaching and training of ward staff in appropriate care of vascular access devices.
About us
Come and join a Trust rated Outstanding by the CQC. South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as outstanding following our latest inspection by the CQC and we are recruiting new staff to come and help us improve even further. In addition our staff survey results have placed us 4th in the country for recommended place to work.
We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the county. We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity.Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are 'Trusted to provide safe, inclusive, effective and compassionate care'. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn't matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.
As part of our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion we encourage all applicants to complete a short survey. This can be accessed via the link below:
https://forms.office.com/e/ahWY3eAGM2
We appreciate you completing the survey.
Job description Job responsibilities
Expertise & Excellence in Clinical Practice
Contribute to the delivery of evidence-based personalised and compassionate care which places quality at the heart of specialist practice. Care will be responsive to individual needs and reflect current local protocols and national guidelines.
To work with a degree of autonomy and advocacy to ensure the delivery of appropriate care.
To be aware of and escalate clinical concerns to an appropriate clinician in a timely manner
Contribute to the clinical management of a caseload of patients within speciality and prioritise workload to meet patient and service need.
Use knowledge of the speciality and treatment to support the development of personalised care pathways for individuals and assist with holistic needs assessment, planning and evaluation of care and all care interventions.
Advise on disease and symptom management for patients within the established OPAT governance structure in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Evaluate response to interventions and cascade to relevant colleaguesSupport patients to self manage their condition where appropriate, including teaching and assessing the administration of intravenous antibiotics. Provide education for those who will need guided support to self-manage, including supporting wards with this process.
Co-ordinate patient care in line with clinical need and professional skill set both in clinic and in the community, maintaining patient safety and increasing service capacity.
Act as a resource providing specialist advice and support across service boundaries to ensure optimum liaison and co-ordination of care.
Undertake clinical competencies relevant to this specialist service to demonstrate expertise in extended nursing roles.
Assess and assist in managing individual psychological reactions to treatment.
Management & Leadership
Provide clinical leadership to others across the organisation.
Assist in setting measurable outcomes for the service and continuous evaluation of practice supporting changes where necessary.
Support the implementation of service improvement activities and cascade relevant information to appropriate persons.
Represent the Trust by contributing to and participating in meetings locally, regional and nationally relating to the speciality.
Communication
Take personal responsibility for ensuring effective communication between all service providers.
Act as a role model for excellent communication skills. Demonstrate empathetic interpersonal and communication skills in supporting, informing and advising patients and carers through diagnosis, treatment, disease progression, prognosis and supportive and palliative care where applicable. This will involve supporting patients and carers during and following difficult consultations and sometimes bad news.
Effectively and sensitively communicate complex and sensitive information to emotionally distressed patients and family/carers at key points along the care pathway on a frequent basis.
As a core member of the MDT provide professional advice to OPAT patients and ward based staff, and liaise with the senior OPAT team.
Refer to other health professionals and outside agencies to ensure optimum care and ongoing support for individual patients/carers, and to ensure the seamless transition from primary to secondary care appropriate to patients individual needs and circumstance.
Maintain links with local and national organisations, which support the care of patients within this speciality.
Education
Identify and use educational strategies to deliver information to patients and carers.
Participate in the development of patient focused education including training to support self management and health promotion activities.
Support wards in referring patients to OPAT and with self-administration training.
Assist in the development of other professionals by contributing to Trust wide specialist education and training.
Support the delivery of formal and informal teaching initiatives as part of the Trusts education strategy as agreed with the appropriate senior nurse to ensure practice development, staff empowerment and improved care for patients.
Act as a mentor/clinical supervisor as appropriate.
Take personal responsibility for life-long learning and personal development through clinical supervision and appraisal. Actively engages with learning and development opportunities needed to work as an advancing practitioner and take appropriate action to ensure these needs are met.
Contribute to promoting educational links with local providers of higher education and deliver lectures on a range of courses.
Quality, Audit, Innovation and Research
Assist in the development of written patient information and use existing appropriate resources to inform users, according to individually assessed need.
Work within the NMC code of professional conduct.
Contribute to the development of policies and clinical guidelines to support the specialist service.
Collaborate with other MDT members to develop and update multi-professional Trust operational policies and guidelines.
Maintain patient records and ensure an effective documentation system to reflect the activity and delivery of specialist nursing care.
Promote the service were applicable.
Use creative reasoning, experience and vision to support advancement of care.
Develop new skills in response to emerging knowledge and techniques.
Supports management of change as required.
Maintain membership and attendance at national and local forums to network and debate issues to inform the specialist nursing role and service delivery where applicable.
Assist with the collation of data to provide evidence of productivity, outcomes and quality through audit and research to identify areas for improvement and work with the senior team to implement change.
Contribute to the identification of patients eligible for trial entry. Provide support to patients considering entry to clinical trials in relation to informed consent and advocacy.
Participate in clinical research relevant to practice area.
Assist in the development of links and system to seek the views of patient and carers to ensure service development is in line with user need.
Additional Responsibilities
To facilitate the safe and appropriate discharge of patients requiring IV antimicrobial therapy from secondary to primary care
To provide on-going support and care for patients whilst receiving IV therapy at home including home visits, OPAT clinic and a weekly MDT.
To be an expert clinical resource to colleagues and service users by keeping up to date with current research and developments in OPAT and demonstrating best or evidence-based practice at all times.
Demonstrate in depth specialist knowledge, skills and innovative practice in the delivery of OPAT.
Support, assist and encourage the multi-disciplinary team in resolving complex patient problems.
To actively participate in the delivery of care to the service caseload where needed
To work in collaboration with local services to assess and make recommendations to improve access to Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy
To work flexibly with team members to provide cover to the service, including cross cover of the South Warwickshire Accelerated Transfer Team (SWATT).
To participate in the placement and management of peripherally inserted vascular access devices including line removal where appropriate.
To promote the use of the right line at the right time and where possible be involved in the education of ward-based staff in issues surrounding vascular access devices.
To assess and review patients in the hospital to assess suitability for the service and to monitor progress of OPAT patients in the outpatient clinic
To teach patients or their families/carers to safely administer their own intravenous antibiotics and provide on-going support and advice throughout their treatment course
To participate in the monitoring of patient care, by ensuring blood tests are appropriately performed and results checked and acted upon.
To visit patients in their own homes when clinically appropriate.
To assist in the upkeep of the clinical database and regular clinical governance audit
General
To provide short-term cover for colleagues during periods of leave
To ensure that all Trust standards are maintained and monitored to improve the quality of care to all whom come into contact with services provided by South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust
Every employee has a duty to take reasonable care of the health and safety of him/herself and of other persons who may be affected by his/her acts or omissions at work, and to co-operate with the South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust to ensure that statutory and Trust regulations are complied with
To participate in appraisals and personal reviews and work to achieve agreed set objectives
To participate in appropriate training and development activities
To participate in team, professional and personal development activities and promote commitment to continuous development and improvement
Ensure that all staff consciously review mistakes, complaints and incidents/near misses as well as successes to improve performance and the level of customer care
All employees will have an organisational and individual responsibility towards safeguarding vulnerable adults, young people and children. Where employees are working with children, young people and families they have a responsibility to cooperate in national safeguarding policy around early intervention activities appropriate to improving health outcomes
To accept responsibility for the provision of effective infection prevention and control within the Trust in liaison with the Trust's Infection Control Team.
To To act as a role model in applying good infection control practice and ensures compliance with all Infection Control policies.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Registered General Nurse, NMC registered First level degree or diploma in related subject Evidence of continued professional development Experience working within an OPAT team
Desirable
Mentors & Assessors or willingness to work towards
Experience Essential
Relevant and up to date post registration experience within the speciality Experience of student supervision and teaching Experience of delivering patient advocacy Experience and understanding of audit and evidence-based care Qualified to administer intravenous medication Competent in inserting and managing vascular access devices Experience in both team and lone working
Desirable
Proven leadership skills Experience of undertaking research
Skills Essential
Clinical, managerial and leadership skills Proven listening and counselling skills Up to date knowledge of current clinical and professional issues Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal and communication skills Managing a caseload Good decision making abilities Understanding of change management process Demonstrate an awareness of the National agenda for speciality Knowledge of quality standards and relevant NICE guidelines, NSF, BSAC guidelines and antimicrobial stewardship Team player Proficient IT skills Presentation skills Ability to write reports and maintain accurate records
Desirable
Undertaken clinical and nursing research
Personal Qualities Essential
Creative thinker Diplomatic
Other Job Requirements Essential
Flexible and positive approach to work Full UK driving licence Ability to work 12hr rotational shifts
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 South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
Address Warwick Hospital
Lakin Road
Warwick
CV34 5LN
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.swft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)