Job holders must be able to work competently in a challenging environment and be able to react to changing care demands whilst demonstrating the highest levels of care and empathy towards patients. This is across all aspects of the role in a flexible manner demonstrating the trust values.

The Practice Development Nurse Specialist - Physical Health will work collaboratively with the Band 7 team managers and senior practitioners, working alongside clinical staff to support delivery of effective, high quality and safe patient centred physical health care within the Acute Care Group.

The post holder will lead the continuing education, professional development and training of the nursing staff to promote the acquisition of new physical health skills and knowledge in practice. They will also support and educate patients and carers/relatives in promoting physical health and wellbeing, including living a healthier lifestyle.

The post holder will support the development and drive forward a physical health education programme to ensure that nursing staff acquire the professional standards and competencies which are essential when caring for our patients with mental health needs.

Main duties of the job

• Empathise with, and support people to improve and maintain their mental and physical health and wellbeing in their care environment
• Maintaining and promoting a safe environment taking account of infection control, identifying and reporting hazards, risks in a timely manner and raising safeguarding.
• Working a full range of shifts as per the requirements of the service. May also be required, at times, to work at other Trust units and/or sites.
• Physically able to carry out all duties required of the care setting, following successful completion of physical interventions training as required

About us

Come and work with us in the Garden of England where we combine exceptional professional development opportunities with a tremendous quality of life.

We are Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT), providing mental health, learning disability and specialist services, serving 1.8 million people across the county.

The Trust (rated Good overall by the CQC and Outstanding for care) has 3,283 staff working in 66 buildings across 33 locations, covering an area of 1,450 square miles.

You will be joining friendly, passionate colleagues, rich in their diversity, who are committed to providing excellent care to our service users and their loved ones.

The nature of our work attracts kindness and compassion as standard and everyone from our cleaners and porters to the chief executive and chairman are recognised as playing a vital role in providing an exemplary service.

Job description Job responsibilities

• Working autonomously and as a positive role model adhering to best practice guidelines within the parameters of the role, leading and supporting junior staff and wider care team to implement the delivery of quality nursing care.

• Training staff to produce the patient centred care plans in relation to their physical health needs, monitoring the quality (in collaboration with the ACG Quality Lead).

• Supporting practice in terms of any complex physical health needs.
• Providing accurate information about care in an accessible format to patients and their relatives / carers.

• Liaising and working positively with members of the multi- disciplinary team and partner

• Safety - safe custody of medicines, sharps, clinical equipment, report all incidents following trust policy.

• Leading and supporting/teaching staff on physical health risk assessment and management of any identified risk that involves making decisions based on knowledge of the research evidence, knowledge of the individual patient and their social context, knowledge of the patients own experience and clinical judgment.

• Supporting and supervising junior staff to develop the management of care

needs through:

• Initial data collection
• Monitoring of individual patient progress
• Feedback and discussion

• Work closely with the Head of Nursing for Physical Healthcare and Senior Physical Health Nurse.

• The post holder will exercise advanced clinical expertise, levels of judgement, discretion and decision making in clinical care demonstrated through clinical competency.

• Demonstrate knowledge, skills and understanding of health issues and treatment options to provide physical health clinical guidance to all staff on matters relating to physical health and wellbei

• To provide clinical supervision to junior colleagues as per trust policy.

• Identifying gaps in knowledge or designing training packages to meet the need.

• Lead site implementation of Physical Health priorities, policies and procedures within the Trust.

• To identify physical health anomalies, escalate and liaise with medical team for prompt follow up treatment and provide intervention within scope of practice and competencies if required.

• Refer patient to specialist teams where relevant.

• Act as a Mentor, Assessor and Coach as appropriate.
• Provide physical health competency training of new and junior staff e.g. vital signs NEWS2/eOBS (when available), medical devices (agreed by CRHT Team Manager).

• Take responsibility for identifying own development needs and set personal development objectives in line with the agreed Staff Development and Performance Review Programme

• To keep up to date and act consistently with quality standards and guidelines within their own clinical areas and associated areas.

• To undertake audit as required related to any aspects of physical health related clinical practice, such as NEWS2 charts, physical health assessments, nutritional assessments and any agreed CQUINS.

• To undertake detailed physical health investigations such as ECGs or venepuncture.
• To provide advice on smoking cessation, lead and work alongside the teams in managing patients who are temporarily abstaining from smoking during acute care pathway.

• Provide the Crisis Team with educational support and training to enhance their knowledge in physical health and wellbeing of the patient group enabling the team to understand the procedures and implement evidence-based care.

• Establish strong working relationships with other specialist services and signpost patients as required such as to primary care and specialist secondary services.

• To provide staff flu vaccinations following annual flu vaccinator training updates.

• To ensure appropriate reporting within clinical records by following good practice guidelines and professional codes of conduct for example, NMC guidelines for records and record keeping.

• To communicate any relevant information to the MDT as required within handovers, team reviews and other forums.

• To provide physical health promotion, deliver healthy living initiatives and support patients though providing education such as healthy lifestyle choices, sexual health and physical activity.

• Support the Team manager to ensure compliance in physical health related areas of practice such as medical devices, infection control and resuscitation. To liaise with external leads as required.

• To adhere to Trust Policies and Procedures in the delivery of care and also to contribute to its ongoing review and implementation of new policies, practices and procedures by keeping professionally updated

• To ensure that professional accountability is maintained by liaising with the Head of Nursing for Physical Healthcare ensuring attendance to the trusts Physical Health Nurses Group.

• Undertake clinical and professional supervision and opportunities to discuss and disseminated best practice are utilised.

• To work closely with ward and liaison staff where patients have been accepted from an acute hospital and to support staff to review their physical health needs

• To work closely with other disciplines in MDT, teams such as the Physical Health Team (physical health, resuscitation, medication devices) and the Infection Prevention and Control Team.

Please see job description for full details.

Person Specification Training Essential

• Registered General Nurse (RGN) currently on the NMC register
• Mentorship qualification
• Evidence of continued professional development/short courses e.g. diabetes, COPD, wound care, ECG

Desirable

• Trained smoking cessation advisor

Experience Essential

• Experience of assessing physical health needs in a mental health setting.
• Experience of supporting practice development in clinical areas.
• Significant relevant clinical experience (3 years post registration).
• Experience as a mentor/preceptor.

Desirable

• Experience of teaching e.g. lecturer
• Experience of engaging or supporting clinical research projects.

Knowledge Essential

• Excellent interpersonal skills, including negotiation and influencing.
• Ability to support and develop an environment which ensures effective clinical care and innovation.
• Ability to present information in a group/one to one effectively.
• Self-aware, self-confident, approachable and intrinsically motivated to do a good job and to motivate others
• Skilled in supervision of others, and in providing critical and constructive feedback.
• Ability to role model, reflect and provide evidence of conflict resolution.
• Ability to challenge practice and encourage learning.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, persuasiveness and diplomacy.
• Self-management and motivational skills.
• IT literate

Desirable

• Evidence of leadership within current workplace (eg. Involvement/leading quality improvement)

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

380-AC0019-G