Renal Nurse

Job Summary

We are seeking a highly skilled and dedicated Renal Nurse to join our team at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. As a key member of our multidisciplinary team, you will play a vital role in providing high-quality patient care and contributing to the development of our renal services.

Key Responsibilities

• Assess patient care needs and develop, implement, and evaluate plans of care, ensuring high standards of evidence-based practice.
• Undertake all nursing procedures in accordance with Trust policies and ensure that these procedures and policies are understood and adhered to by all staff.
• Contribute to the development of evidence-based guidelines and policies relating to renal nursing practice.
• Ensure accurate and comprehensive nursing records are maintained using appropriate written and electronic systems.
• Collect data and provide essential information in a timely and accurate manner when requested for audits or monitoring.
• Measure patient acuity and/or dependency to inform evidence-based decision making on staffing and monitor and record planned vs actual staffing levels.
• Be responsible for ensuring effective mechanisms are in place so that all clinical and non-clinical incidents, including serious incidents, are properly reported, investigated, and changes made to avoid recurrence.
• Establish effective working relations with all members of the multidisciplinary team to promote good communication and a multi-disciplinary approach to patient care.
• Supervise unqualified staff to ensure that they have the knowledge, skills, and resources to carry out delegated aspects of their role.

Responsibilities for Patient Care

• Ensure high standards of care are given to all patients, monitoring this through spot checks and clinical quality indicators outcome measures.
• Contribute to patient and relative feedback by undertaking daily clinical rounds with the aim of providing excellent standards of care.
• Collaborate in the assessment of patient care needs and the development, implementation, and evaluation of plans of care, ensuring high standards of evidence-based practice.
• Ensure communication with patients and significant others is established, ensuring empathy and reassurance regarding assessment, care, and treatment.
• Be accountable at all times for ensuring that safeguards are in place for patients, in particular those adults or children at risk.
• Facilitate early discharge planning being carried out to enable appropriate arrangements to be in place for patients leaving hospital or transferring.
• Ensure that all patients are cared for in a clean and well-maintained clinical area, ensuring that all staff are aware that they are directly responsible for cleanliness standards when in charge.

Responsibilities for Policy and Service Development

• Ensure that all staff act in accordance with Trust policies such as Infection Prevention and Control, Confidentiality, Health & Safety, and Equal Opportunities.
• Contribute to the development of, and implementation of, local and trust-wide policies, procedures, guidelines, and benchmarks within the area of clinical responsibility.
• Audit agreed clinical guidelines of practice, policies, and benchmarks within the area of clinical responsibility.
• Resolve any concerns about levels of care or incidents involving patients, escalating to the Matron/Senior Sister and reporting via the Trust's incident reporting system.
• Contribute to discussions and plans regarding service improvements and developments.

Responsibilities for Financial and Physical Resources

• Take an active role in the ward environment, being alert to possible sources of cross-infection, maintaining safe and clear walkways and bed areas, ensuring fire exits remain clear, and equipment and supplies are stored safely.
• Be responsible for ensuring confidentiality and safekeeping of patient records.
• Accountable for efficient and economical use of ward resources.

Responsibilities for Leading and Managing

• Take an active role in the induction and orientation of new Nursing Assistants.
• Demonstrate effective time management and prioritization of workload.
• Demonstrate good leadership skills and ensure that communication is effective between the patient, relatives, and members of the multidisciplinary team.
• In the absence of the junior sister, take charge of the ward.
• Develop skills to be able to investigate accidents, incidents, and complaints, implementing corrective actions where necessary and in consultation.
• Liaise with the Senior Matron and Complaints and Clinical Risk Management Teams.

Responsibilities for Information Resources

• Be responsible for ensuring confidentiality and safekeeping of patient records.
• Ensure that there is effective communication systems in place to allow staff to keep abreast of developments in the organization, including unit policies and procedures.

Responsibilities for Research and Development

• Be aware of the research process and current collaboration with the Matron and clinical lead.
• Audit agreed clinical guidelines of practice, policies, and benchmarks within the area of clinical responsibility.

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