Senior Clinical Nurse Advisor

Position Overview

The role entails collaborating closely with the Geriatrician within the Outpatient Assessment Unit. This unit is overseen by a part-time consultant Geriatrician, complemented by an elderly Registrar who rotates in managing the Continence clinic in the acute setting. The position also involves rotation in the Continence Advisory Service across various clinics, while contributing to the clinical governance framework of the service.

The incumbent will play a pivotal role in establishing connections with Home delivery services to ensure suitable products for both in-patients and out-patients, while fostering a supportive relationship with colleagues in Primary Health Care Teams.

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will:

• Conduct high-quality nurse-led continence advice clinics through various consultation methods, including face-to-face, video, or telephone, providing expertise in bladder and bowel management.
• Deliver specialized continence care within the realms of elderly care medicine and surgery, adhering to national guidelines across both hospital and community settings.
• Act as an expert practitioner, resource, and facilitator to educate and train other healthcare staff, including students, while managing a caseload of patients with intricate bladder and/or bowel issues requiring specialized assessment and treatment.
• Ensure a prompt response service is available to the wards concerning bladder and bowel challenges and delayed discharges.
• Contribute to the continuous enhancement of clinical practice, research, and care standards within the service, including the formulation of policies, protocols, and guidelines, while collaborating with multidisciplinary colleagues on service advancements.
• Uphold the safety and well-being of service users, consistently promoting dignity and human rights through the application of person-centered care principles.

About Us

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust encompasses five of the UK's most renowned hospitals, alongside community services, all with a rich history of delivering high-quality care, clinical excellence, research, and innovation.

We are recognized as one of the UK's busiest and most successful foundation trusts, providing specialized care for patients, including those requiring heart and lung, cancer, and renal services, in addition to a comprehensive range of local hospital and community services.

As part of King's Health Partners, we are one of England's eight academic health sciences centers, integrating world-class clinical services, education, and research, supported by a National Institute for Health Research biomedical research center established in collaboration with King's College London.

Professional and Clinical Responsibilities

• Assume professional and legal accountability for all aspects of the role.
• Conduct patient assessments as an autonomous practitioner, including complex cases, utilizing clinical reasoning and evidence-based practice to develop appropriate care plans.
• Interpret and analyze clinical and non-clinical information to form accurate diagnoses across a spectrum of conditions, including complex presentations.
• Formulate precise prognoses and recommend optimal intervention strategies, developing comprehensive discharge plans.
• Continuously reassess patients to ensure effective treatment progression.
• Coordinate interventions that may involve other disciplines, providing advice and education to patients, caregivers, and other health professionals.
• Manage clinical risks within the caseload consistently.
• Demonstrate the physical capability to perform specialized assessments and interventions, including manual therapy techniques.
• Exhibit advanced dexterity, coordination, and sensory skills for patient assessment and treatment.
• Handle potentially stressful or emotional situations with empathy, particularly within the Continence Advisory Service.

Management and Leadership

• Supervise and coordinate the activities of junior staff, students, and assistants on a daily basis.
• Oversee the operational management of the Band 6 nurse in the absence of the team leader or as required.
• Effectively plan and organize personal time, patient caseload, meetings, and training, adjusting plans as necessary.
• Respond to unpredictable work patterns and frequent interruptions as needed.
• Assist in scheduling timetables for juniors, students, and assistants, and deputize for the team leader in organizational tasks.
• Facilitate team meetings regularly, documenting and distributing minutes.
• Ensure effective communication within the department and encourage the exchange of innovative ideas and evidence-based practices.
• Provide coverage for other Clinical Nurse Specialists as appropriate.
• Implement and adhere to Trust HR policies regarding staffing matters, including sickness, capability, and disciplinary issues.
• Serve as a role model for leadership, demonstrating expert knowledge and high standards of clinical practice.
• Adapt the role in response to changing patient needs and research findings, within available resources.
• Comply with Trust and departmental policies and procedures, ensuring all staff do the same.

Communication

• Motivate and persuade others through effective communication skills, utilizing both verbal and non-verbal techniques, as well as written and electronic information when necessary.
• Communicate complex and sensitive information to patients, caregivers, and other staff, addressing potential barriers to communication.
• Maintain close communication and collaboration among all staff involved in patient care, education, and research or policy development as appropriate.

Information Management

• Maintain an accurate and evaluative record-keeping system for electronic patient referrals related to the clinical caseload.
• Supervise junior and student nurses in maintaining record-keeping standards according to departmental guidelines.

Education and Professional Development

• Act as a mentor and facilitator for student nurses and other healthcare professionals.
• Assess personal educational needs and pursue ongoing professional development in line with Nursing & Midwifery Council requirements.
• Collaborate with academic staff at local universities involved in nursing and medical programs.
• Ensure the learning environment and specialist training are suitable for both pre-registration and post-registration learners.
• Work closely with the Sister/Charge Nurse and Practice Development Teams to ensure relevant clinical teaching programs are in place for all staff.
• Contribute to the Trust's clinical supervision program for staff.
• Lead and participate in educational and training programs within the specialty service, developing training materials as needed.
• Coordinate the development and implementation of a patient-focused education and information strategy within the specialty.
• Support and identify training needs for department staff, motivating and developing them accordingly.
• Participate in appraisals and objective-setting for junior staff to enhance their effectiveness and understanding of their contributions.
• Ensure comprehensive induction programs are available and utilized for all new staff within the department.

Research and Audit

• Engage in ongoing audit and relevant research/evaluation projects within the department.
• Utilize research findings to enhance specialist patient care, developing innovative practices and disseminating information to staff.
• Stay informed about evidence-based practices in the clinical area through relevant reading, training, and database searches.
• Maintain a solid understanding of national and local standards, monitoring quality as appropriate.
• Familiarize oneself with current clinical research protocols and relevant treatment procedures within the specialty.