Job Description

: Deputy Ward Manager In-patient Unit

Job Title

Deputy Ward Manager In-patient Unit

Line Manager

Ward Manager

Accountable to

Director of Clinical Services

Primary Location

Nightingale House Hospice

Key Responsibilities

1. Support the Ward Manager and Director of Clinical Services in providing clinical nurse management,


leadership, and expertise in all aspects of service delivery within sphere of responsibility.


2. Delegated operational responsibility for the management of the Unit in the absence of the Ward


Manager.


3. Take the lead on the shift, taking responsibility of staff, patient care and other unit matters as required.


4. Deputise and represent the Ward Manager and Director of Clinical Services at key meetings if required,


ensuring that comprehensive verbal and written feedback provided.


5. Take on the leadership of specific projects as agreed by the Ward Manager/Director of Clinical Services.


6. Be familiar with ward budget and support the Ward Manager and Director of Clinical Services with


budget setting, ensuring the efficient and effective utilisation of resources, both human and financial.


7. Support the Ward Manager and other senior staff in the performance review process, which includes


regular review and annual appraisal, individual personal development plans to monitor staff


performance against agreed objectives, role competencies and behaviours.


8. Manage sickness and absence on a shift basis and in the absence of the Ward Manager manage in line


with policy, in partnership with HR and the principles of safe staffing.


9. Support the Ward Manager in investigating and responding to accidents, concerns and untoward


incidents and other significant events.


10. Participate in the recruitment and selection of staff, including interview panels and formal induction


programme.


11. With the Ward Manager participate and where appropriate lead audits, ensuring recommendations and


implications to practice clearly communicated and actions undertaken.


12. With the support of the Ward Manager, ensure that effective and appropriate educational support


provided to staff at all levels, including the maintaining of training records.


13. Continually develop clinical expertise and act as a positive role model promoting a high standard of care


to fulfil the Nightingale House Mission statement and aims.


14. Deliver evidence-based care to patients and their carers in line with their physical, psychosocial and


spiritual needs.


15. Demonstrate effective leadership skills, promote and maintain continuity of high standards of nursing


care deputising for the person with continuing responsibility.


16. Lead on the planning and organisation of staff delegation and activity for patients, and in discussion


with staff make short-term adjustments to duty rosters.


17. Responsible for ensuring the ongoing assessment of care needs, the planning, delivery and evaluation


of care; and to offer supervision and support to staff in the clinical area.


18. Provide supervision and guidance to staff as appropriate and required within role and responsibility.


19. Work at all times in line with the NMC code of conduct and duty of candour requirements.


20. Able to plan own workload and that of others, prioritising in accordance with the complexity of patients


and their families.


21. Take responsibility for own and others standard of care and ensure care provided holistically, to a high


standard and on time.







Reviewed June 2024 - Ward Manager

Key Relationships

Nursing team


Ward Manager


Director of Clinical Services


Medical team


Hospice Allied Health Professionals


Rehabilitation Team


Family Services Team


Wellbeing Team


All Hospice departments


Primary and Community Care Teams

Note:

The hospice encourages and supports staff aiming to develop knowledge and skills working within a


specialist area of clinical practice.

Clinical

1. Work as a member of the multi-disciplinary team to provide holistic care, integrating nursing care with


psychosocial and spiritual needs.


2. Assist with initial and on-going assessment of patient and family needs and develop skills as a named


nurse.


3. Act as a senior nurse to plan, initiate, supervise and participate in patient and family care, discussing


issues with other senior team members as appropriate.


4. Evaluate and up-date nursing care plans in response to the changing problems/needs of patients and


families, ensuring those completed by other staff are reviewed for accuracy and quality.


5. Monitor nursing practice, encouraging development of colleagues through discussion of current and


proposed care plans.


6. At all times maintain appropriate and adequate records of your work, and ensure other members of the


team maintain same standard.


7. Maintain effective communication with patients and families throughout their contact with the hospice;


providing when necessary: -


Telephone support and advice, ensuring this is both structured, recorded and provides Evidence-based advice Access to nursing/medical staff for conditional information or future planning. Information and access to allied professionals. Bereavement support and access to follow-up support.
8. In discussion with the Director of Clinical Services and Ward Manager identify an area of special clinical


interest in which to develop additional knowledge and skills to act as a link nurse for the rest of the


team. Support other staff to do the same.


9. As necessary or required develop awareness and experience working on the unit during all shifts and


also within other services across the hospice i.e. family support, days services and rehabilitation, to


extend knowledge and skills in this specialist setting.


10. Lead patient case reviews, discharge planning and team meetings.


11. Actively participate in all aspects of the patient experience of hospice care from initial assessment and


admission through to discharge planning and placement.


12. Work at all times within the policies and guidelines appropriate to your role.

Management:

1. Regularly take the lead on shift, being responsible for other staff, patient and family care and other unit


matters as appropriate.


2. Monitor and respond to incident, accidents and concerns ensuring corrective action undertaken.


3. Liaise with multi-professional agencies within the hospice, community, primary care, and hospital to


provide continuity of patient care.


4. Responsible for maintaining high standards of nursing care, when in charge of the team and unit, and


help to create and maintain positive relationships between all groups involved in the welfare of


patients.


5. Responsible for the co-ordinating of all activities when in charge of the team supported by the Ward


Manager and Head of Clinical and Patient Services.


6. Ensure the promotion of safety, well-being and the interests of the patients, staff and visitors to the in-



patient area as directed in the hospice guidelines, policies and procedures.


7. At all times follow the Code of Professional conduct and to ensure that all staff within their sphere of


responsibility also follow professional requirements.

Education and Development

1. Assist with working groups and projects through active participation and skills input.


2. Identify own and others learning objectives and attend relevant study/shadowing opportunities


following discussion with line manager/nurse management team.


3. Maintain records of supported study and provide evaluation of study attended, (for inclusion in own


and others personal files).


4. Adhere to NMC revalidation requirements at all times.


5. Participate in feedback (verbal and written) to colleagues throughout the hospice regarding study days


attended.


6. Actively participate in personal review and objective setting at initial 6-month review meeting and


subsequent PDR meetings with line manager/senior nurse.


7. Develop and maintain up to date knowledge of relevant hospice policies and the impact they have on


individual practitioners including: -


Fire policy Moving and handling policy Health and Safety Policy Confidentiality Policy Complaints Policy

Audit and Research

1. Be aware of and disseminate to colleagues current best practice knowledge as appropriate to role.


2. Work in partnership with the Ward Manager to develop appropriate tools to monitor effectiveness of


services /area of special interest in care provision at Nightingale House Hospice.


3. Participate or if appropriate lead in the completion of service audits in an appropriate and timely


manner and feedback to colleagues, making recommendations regarding implications (if any)

Clinical Governance

The post holder will cooperate with other team members to maintain compliance with relevant elements of


the clinical governance framework.


Risk management Service User participation Staff and Staff Management Continuing Professional Development Information Governance and Management: Clinical Effectiveness and Audit:

General Requirements

This post is subject to the Terms and Conditions of employment of the Hospice as specified in the staff


handbook

Health Practitioner

As an individual working within a health care environment, you are expected to maintain high standards of


care and practice as required in professional guidelines and relevant codes of conduct.

Competence

You are responsible for limiting your actions to those that you feel competent to undertake. If you have any


doubts about your competence during the course of your duties you should immediately speak to your line


manager / supervisor.

Risk Management

It is a standard element of the role and responsibility of all staff of the Hospice that they fulfil a proactive


role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations,


the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards.




It is a requirement that you adhere to Nightingale House Hospice Policies, Procedures, Protocols and


guidelines at all times.

Health and Safety Requirements of the Hospice

All employees of the Hospice have a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others


who may be affected by their acts or omissions. Employees are required to co-operate with management to


enable the Hospice to meet its own legal duties and to report any hazardous situations or defective


equipment.

Data Protection and Confidentiality

The post holder must treat all information, whether corporate, staff or patient information, in a discreet,


secure and confidential manner in accordance with the provisions of the current data protection legislation


and organisational policy. Any breach of such confidentiality is considered a serious disciplinary offence,


which is liable to dismissal and / or prosecution under statutory legislation and the hospice's disciplinary


policy. This duty of confidence continues after the post holder leaves the organisation.

Records Management

As an employee of the hospice, the post holder is legally responsible for all records that they gather, create


or use as part of their work within the organisation (including patient health, staff health or injury, financial,


personal and administrative), whether paper based or on computer. The post holder should consult the IG


Lead if they have any doubt as to the correct management of records with which they work.

Professional Reputation

All employees are expected to behave at all times in a manner which upholds and promotes the professional


reputation of the hospice.

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