Job Description

CORE BEHAVIOUR AND SKILLS Leadership and management skills Effective communication skills Teaching and assessing skills Preceptorship skills Organisational skills Time management skills Quality improvement skills Understanding of evidence based practice research conscious Team player Learns from incidents and complaints Conflict resolution Managing stress Uses initiative to resolve issues within their own control Remain professional at all times Able to deliver feedback effectively CORE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING Understands the business of the ward Understanding of the local and national nursing agenda Understanding of relevant national service guidance pertinent to the service Awareness of Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust guidelines and policies Understanding of organisational structures Commitment to clinical audit, research and evidence based practice Awareness of budget management Awareness of Human resources policies and guidance as pertinent to the management and leadership of the clinical team Knowledge and understanding of current issues in health and social care PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY Leadership Support Senior Sister / Charge nurse in providing leadership to the clinical team Support and inspire staff to provide efficient, effective, safe, quality care to patients Deliver a positive patient experience Promote the building of effective teams and collaboration between teams Anticipate problems and take preventative or mitigating actions, or have contingency plans available Assist in the line management of the nursing team, including individual and team performance, attendance, management and workforce planning Help to ensure the effective deployment of staff is mapped against the flow of patients to provide safe and effective care Support and participate in local and trust-wide recruitment events Help to manage the use of bank and agency Support the senior sister / charge nurse to Investigate and respond to accidents, complaints, untoward incidents and other significant events Support in the delivery of an effective, safe, quality service within budgetary envelope Raise and respond to concerns with regards to risk, danger, malpractice or wrongdoing by following the LTHT whistle blowing policy and supporting processes Deputise for Senior Sister / Charge Nurse in their absence Clinical Act in accordance to the Nursing and Midwifery Councils Code: Professional Standards Practice and Behaviour (March, 2015) Fulfils the requirements as directed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council to maintain and revalidate registration Supervise ward staff with regards clinical practice and patient experience to promote the delivery of excellent clinical standards Provide a visible clinical lead and role model to the nursing and wider team by delivering high quality compassionate care as an expert practitioner Ensure that documentation standards are maintained in accordance with NMC and LTHT guidelines, whether written or computerised. Promote and maintain positive working relationships between all staff, internal and external to the Trust, involved in the care of patients Help to set, monitor and seek to continuously improve standards and the quality of patient care, including those standards defined in local and national guidance Maintain a safe working environment Ensure the safe use and efficient management of equipment and supplies Promote compassionate evidence based practice, wherever possible Work with Senior Sister / Charge Nurse to ensure that clinical governance processes at ward/dept level encompass measures to ensure the quality of the fundamental and essential aspects of care Balance clinical risk and clinical decision making against context Work with the Infection Prevention and Control Team and Facilities to monitor the environment to maintain and raise standards Undertake duties on other wards or departments as and when required by the service Act in such a way that safeguards the health and wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults at all times. Is familiar with and adheres to the LTHT safeguarding policies. Quality Improvement Has a responsibility to improve the quality and safety of our services.



It is expected that in fulfilling a clinical leadership role you will be proactive in promoting and using the Leeds Improvement Method. Contribute to quality improvement programmes as required Keep up to date with and communicate service developments, advances and research. Through the use of audit, local research, metrics and feedback continually seek to identify practice that needs improvement. Implement and evaluate any resultant improvement plan.



Actively promote patient involvement and feedback within service improvements to promote a positive patient experience Maintain and sustain the momentum of improvements until they are firmly embedded into the values and culture of the clinical area Education and Training Participate in personal appraisal and mandatory training at the required time periods Help to ensure all new starters, inclusive of temporary staff, have a local induction to the clinical area Help to ensure all staff have an individual performance development plan and a yearly appraisal Help to ensure all nursing staff maintain mandatory and priority training requirement. Support and facilitate re-validation for registered nursing staff, and self. Promote a learning and development culture to the improve staff skills, knowledge and competence Help to ensure the induction and development of staff Promote a positive learning environment within the clinical area to support the development of knowledge and skills in learners. Support and facilitate work-based inter-professional learning HEALTH AND SAFETY/RISK MANAGEMENT All staff are responsible for working with their colleagues to maintain and improve the quality of services provided to our patients and other service users.



This includes complying at all times with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Policies, including Health and Safety policies, in particular by following agreed safe working procedures, and reporting incidents using the Trust Incident Reporting system. INFECTION CONTROL The jobholder must comply at all times with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Infection Control policies, in particular by practising Universal Infection Control Precautions. Hand hygiene must be performed before and after contact with patients and their environment. EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY The jobholder must comply with all policies and procedures designed to ensure equality of employment and that services are delivered in ways that meet the individual needs of patients and their families.



No person whether they are staff, patient or visitor should receive less favourable treatment because of their gender, ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion etc. The Trust has a statutory duty to involve patients and public in evaluating and planning services. All staff have a responsibility to listen to the views of patients and to contribute to service improvements based on patient feedback. TRAINING AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT The jobholder must take responsibility, in agreement with his/her line manager, for his/her own personal development by ensuring that Continuous Professional Development remains a priority.



The job holder will undertake all mandatory training required for the role. RESPECT FOR PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY The job holder should respect patient confidentiality at all times and not divulge patient information unless sanctioned by the requirements of the role. COMMUNICATION AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS Matron Senior Sister/Charge Nurse All grades of nursing staff Allied Health Professionals Medical staff Facilities staff Mental Effort: Continuous mental effort/concentration required in relation to responding to and meeting patients nursing care needs (e.g. for 8-12 hour shift).



Co-ordinating Ward/Dept activities in absence of Senior Sister/Charge Nurse. Responding to changing circumstances (e.g. changes in patient condition, prioritisation of workload). Dealing with complex and changing care needs of patients within an acute hospital environment (includes communication with relatives/carers).



Calculating drug doses. Robust verbal and written communication skills required at all times. Emotional Effort: Exposure to difficult situations including death and dying, distressed patients and relatives/carers. Dealing with complex workload.



Dealing with staffing issues/performance issues. Working Conditions: Temperature should be controlled, but may experience hot or cold work environment. Smells dealing with body fluids. Violence & Aggression may experience violence and aggression from patients and/or relatives/carers.



Infection Control exposure to patients with infections.