Are you a registered adult nurse with proven clinical assessment skills? Are you passionate about supporting individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) and understand the importance of the physical health of those with SMI? As part of a small, specialist team that covers Oxfordshire and working under the Clinical Nurse Lead, you will be providing clinical leadership the HCA and Nursing Associates of the team who are embedded within the adult and older adult community mental health teams. The team supports the assessment of the physical health of individuals with SMI and are responsible for the subsequent referrals and further interventions that may be required. Working both autonomously as well as part of this team, you will provide clinical support and leadership and as well as managing your own caseload providing home assessment and running physical health assessment clinics within your base. Alongside measuring parameters such as blood pressure and pulse, this will also include more advanced assessment skills and interventions such as phlebotomy and recording electrocardiograms (ECG's) and offering smoking cessation advice.

Main duties of the job

Working within the specialist Physical Health in SMI team, you will be responsible for the day-to-day planning of the team as well as managing your own caseload of patients. You will also provide clinical supervision to members of the PH in SMI team. You will be both assessing the physical health of those with SMI and documenting your findings within the patient record for those under your care. You will be expected to support the team when they identify abnormal results and provide/plan care as appropriate. The team leader role will also liaise with both the community multi-disciplinary team, in-patient mental health services as well as with external organisations such as primary care clinicians, smoking cessation services and locally commissioned providers of physical health support. Working closely with the clinical nurse lead, you will be involved with developing a culture that recognises and gives equal importance to physical and mental illness whilst striving for quality improvement.

About us

The Physical Health in SMI team is a small specialist group made up of Registered Adult Nurses, Nursing Associates and Health Care Assistants who have a direct impact on improving the physical health of those with SMI. This is through direct care with individuals as well as through education and support for the community mental health teams. A standalone team, we embed ourselves within the various community mental health teams throughout the county supporting individuals on a locality basis. Although the team is spread geographically, we maintain a close relationship as a team and support each other on a daily basis as well as through bespoke training and supervision opportunities both internal and external. We offer a supportive environment as well as excellent training opportunities and future professional development, including non-medical prescribing and advanced nursing practice opportunities.

Benefits of working for Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust include:

• Excellent opportunities for career progression
• 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, with an increase to 33 days with continuous service
• NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
• Staff accommodation
• Competitive pension scheme
• Lease car scheme
• Cycle to work scheme

Job description Job responsibilities

The Physical Health in SMI team provide a Monday to Friday (0900-1700) service that supports the community mental health teams across Oxfordshire. Although operating from a home base, applicants must have a valid driving licence and have access to a vehicle for work. A large part of the role is assessing and supporting individuals in their home and working across primary and secondary care. Candidates will be provided with their own computer device and so must have a good level of computer skills to review data and to document on the patient record. Effective team working and excellent communication skills are essential as successful candidates will be working alongside doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, psychologists, nurse associates and student nurses. In addition, with their understanding of the importance of physical health for those with SMI, the team also provide education on health and well-being for both patients and their carers as well as supporting individuals in accessing this support.

Please note:

• New starters have a 6 month probationary period. This, together with the induction process aims to create a positive supportive working environment allowing new employees to learn key elements of their role over a reasonable timescale.
• Candidates not currently employed by the Trust who attend an interview for non-qualified Band 1-5 posts are required to undertake numeracy and literacy assessments.
• Appointment to this post is subject to the trust receiving satisfactory references covering 3 years of employment or study. Please ask your referees to respond promptly to reference requests.
• Employees are expected to undertake mandatory and statutory training related to their role.
• We positively encourage applications from all areas of the community, regardless of gender, race, faith, disability, age or sexual orientation and we encourage applications from users of mental health services. This is part of our commitment to equality and reflecting the diversity of our population.
• Oxford Health is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• oRegistered Nurse

Desirable

• oPrescribing qualification.

Experience Essential

• oGood working knowledge physical health management strategies and interventions.
• Experience of carrying out physical health assessments and reviews
• High level of clinical knowledge
• experience with evidence based practice

Desirable

• oAbility to analyse professional and ethical issues
• experience of working with older adults/dementia

People skills Essential

• oThe ability to develop and sustain collaborative relationships with partner organisations as well as with patients and health care professionals.
• the ability to work communicate at all levels with empathy
• Ability to work under pressure and problem solve when managing complex situations.
• Ability to contribute to the the identification of the individual/team/service training and development needs
• A Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults

Desirable

• oEvidence of working within and across teams, including multi-disciplinary and cross organisational working.

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

267-OA4414331