Pediatric Emergency Department Nurse

Job Summary

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Pediatric Emergency Department Nurse to join our dynamic team. As a Junior Sister / Charge Nurse, you will be responsible for managing and coordinating the department in the absence of more senior staff, escalating where necessary.

Main Duties

• To take responsibility for managing and coordinating the department in the absence of more senior staff and escalate where appropriate.
• To participate in the teaching and supervision of junior staff and student nurses as required, helping to lead and manage them and their development.
• To be a safe and effective practitioner able to provide patients and relatives with high-quality nursing care.
• To act as a positive role model to junior staff members.
• To provide competent clinical skills to patients within your scope of practice, being aware of personal limitations and scope of competence.
• To work within both the nursing and multi-disciplinary teams to provide evidence-based, holistic care to a wide group of patients.
• To observe the rules, policies, procedures, and standards of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.

About Us

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching Trusts, with a turnover of c£1 billion and more than 15,000 staff based across South East London. We provide a full range of local and specialist services across our five sites, with a commitment to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan.

Job Responsibilities

• To adhere to the NMC Code of Professional Conduct and adhere to this at all times.
• To demonstrate clinical expertise in the care of any patients receiving treatment in the ward/department.
• To assess, plan, implement, and evaluate the needs of patients on the ward on an ongoing basis, coordinating the care given by all members of the clinical team.
• To accurately assimilate and interpret clinical information about the patients' condition, promptly report changes, and instigate remedial action as appropriate.
• To act as a resource person to others, providing accurate information, advice, and support to the multidisciplinary team, patients, and their relatives.
• To ensure that accurate records are maintained, reflecting both changes in the patients' condition and the treatment delivered.
• To ensure that patients and their relatives are updated regularly with accurate information, and ensure that this is presented in a way that they understand.
• To ensure that Clinical Guidelines are implemented and to be actively involved in auditing practice in conjunction with Line Manager and practice development staff.
• To ensure that practice is evidence-based and with support assist in the development of policies and protocols within the clinical area.
• To uphold high standards of nursing care, according to existing policies and standards.
• To support the Ward Managers and Modern Matron in processes of continuous quality improvement, formally evaluating standards of care and assisting in the implementation of changes in the light of such findings.
• To contribute to the health education of patients and their families, ensuring that all patients receive appropriate advice and support to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
• To actively support the implementation of the Trust nursing strategy and uphold the ethos of the local philosophy.

Education and Research

• To act as a mentor to junior staff members, responsible for the orientation, supervision, and ongoing development of junior and student nurses, in conjunction with Line Manager and Practice Development staff.
• To act as practice supervisor, responsible for completing competency documents for junior staff within agreed timeframes.
• To act as a mentor to students undertaking further education as requested, ensuring a positive learning experience and facilitating the development of their clinical skills.
• To contribute to the wider educational activities within the Care Group, ensuring attendance at and contributing to the delivery of educational activities within the Care Group.
• To promote and encourage the application of research and of evidence-based practices.
• To participate in any research projects conducted in the clinical area as appropriate.

Management

• To manage the clinical workload effectively, ensuring care is prioritized appropriately.
• To contribute positively towards the delivery of a cost-effective service, adjusting staffing levels to meet demand and assisting the ward manager to keep within agreed resources.
• To assist with the ongoing organization of the ward, coordinating the activities of the clinical area.
• To liaise with Medical Personnel and Bed Manager to ensure optimal bed usage at all times, facilitating timely admission and discharge of patients.
• To act as a team leader to an identified group of staff, monitoring and documenting the development of their clinical skills.
• To develop own skills in recruitment and retention, sickness management, and performance management as determined by line manager.
• To actively support the process of risk management, ensuring incidents are reported appropriately and helping identify ways of preventing errors and accidents to both patients and staff.
• To make a positive contribution to service development affecting the clinical area and positively influence others to adapt to change.
• To actively promote customer care, assisting in resolving local (informal) complaints and supporting the ward manager to investigate formal problems.
• To assist with the monitoring of stock levels of clinical stores and technical equipment, resolving any shortfall as appropriate.
• To maintain standards of hygiene and cleanliness within the clinical area, actioning remedy as appropriate and reporting deficits to Modern Matron, as appropriate.
• To communicate varied and complicated information (verbally and in writing) in a way that is understood and gets the important facts across.
• To carry the Unit bleep as required, resolving local problems/conflicts, keeping managers/others informed, and maintaining positive team dynamics across the Care Group at all times.
• To take a leadership role in crisis situations, resolving problems across the Care Group as necessary.
• To maintain confidentiality with regard to personal information pertaining to staff. To attend and contribute to departmental meetings as required.

Personal Professional Development

• To work within and accept responsibility for maintaining agreed levels of clinical competence.
• To keep up to date with NMC, Trust, and Care Group policies and guidelines and to adhere to these at all times.
• To be a fully active and committed member of the multidisciplinary team operating in the Care Group.
• To demonstrate an insight into own professional development, contributing to the process of identifying own educational and clinical training needs in conjunction with the ward manager.
• Participate in own Individual Performance Review and after suitable training, to be responsible for undertaking this for own team of junior staff.
• To ensure own educational commitment is at least sufficient to maintain PREP requirements and to ensure own mandatory training certificates are current, in liaison with Line Manager.

People Management and Performance

• Lead, coach, and manage the performance of the team in line with good people management practices, ensuring excellence is recognized and underperformance is addressed.
• Participate in regular performance appraisal meetings and ensure each member of the team has a clear set of objectives and development plans.
• Ensure the team is compliance with all statutory, mandatory training together with any professional training requirements, ensuring they are up to date and fully compliant.
• Manage team absences, including sickness, in line with Trust policy, ensuring the appropriate return to work meetings occur, e-roster is updated, and productivity is at keep to the highest possible level.
• Identify and fill any vacancies that arise within the team in line with the Trust's recruitment policy and process.
• Identify talent and support the internal talent management process in order to attract and retain and succession plan for your people.
• Review skills mix at regular intervals in order to identify any potential opportunities to maximize resource utilization/allocation, ensuring job descriptions are kept up to date.
• Ensure overall wellbeing of the team is maintained, continuously supporting in improving the morale of the team and implementing a culture of zero-tolerance for bullying and harassment.

General

• The post holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety, and wellbeing and that of work colleagues, visitors, and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with this post.
• To observe the rules, policies, procedures, and standards of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.
• We want to be an organization where everyone shares a commitment to delivering the very best care and feels like their contribution is valuable and valued.
• At Kings, we are a kind, respectful team:
  • Kind. We show compassion and understanding and bring a positive attitude to our work.
  • Respectful. We promote equality, are inclusive, and honest, speaking up when needed.
  • Team. We support each other, communicate openly, and are reassuringly professional.
• To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
• To be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.