Assistant Practitioner

Are you passionate about providing specialist respiratory care to patients within the acute hospital and community setting working in an integrated service?

Are you looking for an opportunity to join an integrated, forward thinking and developing service working with system partners to deliver the best possible respiratory care?

Are you looking for the opportunity to shape and develop the future of the respiratory services to include the new virtual wards?

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Assistant Practitioner with a special interest in respiratory care to join the well-established Wirral Integrated Respiratory Service.

The Wirral Integrated Respiratory Service is a team made up of Specialist Nurses, Assistant Practitioners, Clinical Support Workers, Physiotherapists, Exercise Physiologists, Physiotherapist assistants and administration staff who all strive to work collaboratively to deliver the best respiratory care for patients on the Wirral.

The service delivers early supported discharge and admission avoidance for COPD patients, chronic disease management, pulmonary rehabilitation and a home oxygen service for all oxygen patients on the Wirral.

The shifts will be 9-5pm with the ability to cover an 8-8 service if required. The role is working 7 days a week including weekends and bank holidays

Assist and support the respiratory nurses and physiotherapists to deliver high quality evidence based care for patients referred to the service

Undertake and interpret a range of patient observations as required e.g. temperature, pulse, blood pressure, respiration and pulse oximetry. Report adverse signs to a registered practitioner.

Support the management of patients discharged from hospital with acute exacerbation of COPD in their own homes with a view to expanding into other respiratory conditions in the future by recognising and responding appropriately to signs and symptoms of acute deterioration in patients

Demonstrate and educate those patients on Telehealth on the correct use of their equipment in the acute setting

Support senior staff in the acute setting with implementation of care bundles including inhaler technique, medication compliance, self management and stop smoking support

Make referrals to the appropriate services for patients within the service

Advise on self-management strategies including medicines management, exercise, smoking cessation, dietary issues, benefits and travel in a variety of settings.

Collect, collate, evaluate and report information, maintaining accurate patient records.

Assess, review and follow up patients on home oxygen therapy and COPD in clinics and patients’ homes when ESD capacity allows

Support the wider service in the delivery of excellent respiratory care

All new colleagues can expect to receive a warm and friendly Wirral welcome from the very first time they make contact with us. We are described as “competent and caring staff” by our patients.

Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is situated on The Wirral peninsula which has a stunning coastline and beautiful countryside surroundings, with great activities for its residents.

We are one of the largest and busiest acute Trusts in the North West of England, comprising of the Wirral’s only Emergency Department. We provide a high quality range of acute care services and employ over 6,000 staff, who serve a population of approximately 400,000 people across Wirral, Ellesmere Port, Neston, North Wales and the wider North West footprint.

We have approximately 855 beds trust-wide and our financial turnover is in excess of £337m.

The Wirral is easily accessible with excellent transport links including motorway, train, bus or ferry and within easy reach to the major cities of Liverpool, Chester and Manchester as well as neighbouring North Wales.

The delivery of clinical and therapeutic care, within the clinical setting within set protocols and within scope of Assistant Practitioner remit of all patients referred into the service

Perform patient assessment under supervision and after delegation from the registered practitioner, plan and deliver high standards of care

Organise and prioritise time effectively

Develop, implement and evaluate individual care/treatment plans

Work effectively as part of a multi disciplinary team recognising the contribution of all team members in meeting patients’ needs.