Registered Mental Health Nurse

Job summary

The Southend East PCN is looking for a registered mental health nurse to work alongside the already well established team. This role would be an overflow clinic to the surgeries who will book in mental health cases with the post. The PCN has its own premises in Shoeburyness - Norton Place, which all of the team work out of. The PCN is led by two clinical directors, to provide clinical support and supervision, as well as an administration team who can provide training opportunities for the post through the training HUB.

Main duties of the job

1. To be the first point of contact and also receivereferrals from GPs and undertake comprehensive psycho-social mental healthassessments to establish care needs.

2. To act as a contact point and provide a link/liaison rolebetween GP practices, community and acute care with regard to patients withmore complex mental health problems and/or co-morbidities

3. To facilitateonward referral and rapid access to primary and secondary mental healthservices and other agencies in line with agreed thresholds and shared protocolsand criteria, and/or to provide support/advise referring GP on effectivemanagement in primary care

4. To ensure early detection and fast tracking of clientswith severe mental health problems.

5. To provide appropriate short-term interventions forclients with more complex and severe, enduring mental illnesses (SMI) inprimary care with the aim of preventing deterioration, relapse and (re-)admission to secondary care mental health services.

About us

Southend East PCN is located at Norton Place in Shoebury, along Ness Road. We have our own PCN building which is extremely active and is in use by our 5 member practices in the local area. We cover approx 37,000 patients and offer a range of appointments from our wide range of staff, fully utilising the ARRS budget. Our team consists of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, social prescribers, health trainers, paramedics, physiotherapists and assistant practitioners. We have 2 clinical directors who are partners in two local surgeries, and an operations manager to provide support wherever needed. We have a strong digital presence and have employed a Digital Transformational Lead, to help our PCN network with other businesses and mature over time.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Summary : Thepost holder will be a member of the Primary Care Network. This post has theresponsibility for providing effective day to day mental health care andmanagement to clients with mental health problems presenting in Primary Care.

The PCN mental health nurse will work with the Clinicaldirectors to provide a pathway for assessment, referral management and casemanagement on behalf of patients with more complex mental health problemspresenting in Primary Care.

The post holder will offer short term mental healthinterventions to support this client group within primary care settings andwill work at the primary secondary care interface to facilitate movement ofclients between primary and secondary care services.

The PCN mental health nurse will provide a dedicated servicepackage to support those newly discharged from secondary care to their GPpractice.

The post will involve the responsibilities laid down underthe following key headings: Clinical , Communicationand Liaison ,Training and Education ,Administrative and Professional Practice,Research and Development

Clinical

1. To be the first point of contact and also receivereferrals from GPs and undertake comprehensive psycho-social mental healthassessments to establish care needs.

2. To act as a contact point and provide a link/liaison rolebetween GP practices, community and acute care with regard to patients withmore complex mental health problems and/or co-morbidities

3. To facilitateonward referral and rapid access to primary and secondary mental healthservices and other agencies in line with agreed thresholds and shared protocolsand criteria, and/or to provide support/advise referring GP on effectivemanagement in primary care

4. To ensure early detection and fast tracking of clientswith severe mental health problems.

5. To provide appropriate short-term interventions forclients with more complex and severe, enduring mental illnesses (SMI) inprimary care with the aim of preventing deterioration, relapse and (re-)admission to secondary care mental health services.

6. To support the safe discharge case management of patientsdischarged from secondary care, with a focus on enabling GP practices toprovide effective, continuing care and to ensure access to support in termswider social and social inclusion/self management needs.

7. To refer-on patients assessed as having common mentalhealth problems to the primary care psychological therapy pathway or toexternal resources

8. To regularly meet with GPs and practice nurses in alignedpractices.

9. To develop and maintain a high standard of mental healthprofessional care using a liaison model of nursing with a problem solving andevaluation approach.

10. To utilise a range of therapeutic techniques.

11. To understand the social factors which are relevant tomental health problems and to be aware of and respectful of the cultures,customs, values and spiritual/religious practices and beliefs of all clients,particularly those from minority ethnic communities.

12. To receive regular appropriate supervision, as agreedwith the PCN Manager.

13. To provide prescribing and monitoring, de-prescribingand reconciliation of medication

Communication andLiaison

1. To act as a mental health resource to the respective GPpractices by offering advice and support for the management and care of clientswith mental health difficulties.

2. To provide overall liaison between primary and secondarycare for clients known to secondary services. This may involve liaising withcare co-ordinators and other members of Recovery Teams and other mental healthservices well as with social services and other agencies.

3. To attend MDT meetings

4. To participate in PCN professional team meetings.

5. Recommend and facilitate admission for clients when it isclinically indicated.

6. Identify any conditions, which may affect the mental,emotional or physical well-being of clients or family and refer to appropriateagencies.

7. Establish and maintain working relationships with individualsand agencies working in the field of mental health.

8. Establish and maintain relationships with the serviceuser and their carers,

9. Provide written reports about clients to referrers andother relevant agencies.

Training and Education

1. To facilitate teaching and health promotion in primarycare setting through education, advice and support to GPs and others.

2. To promote exchange of skills and joint training onissues of common interest for wider primary care team detection of mentalhealth problems, post-natal depression.

3. Participate in the teaching of GPs and practice staff, nurses, health care assistants, practice managers and reception team.

4. Seek appropriate opportunities to contribute to mentalhealth education within the community.

5. Attend conferences and workshops associated with mentalhealth and psychiatry or related topics and keep abreast of developments byreading professional journals etc.

6. To undertake relevant training and education courses tokeep up-to-date with professional developments and practices.

Administrative andProfessional Practice

1. To bring to the immediate attention of the Team Managerand/or Operational Manager, any situation which cannot be adequately supported,supervised or managed.

2. To maintain accurate electronic patient notes usingsystem one.

3. To ensure that treatments and interventions are carriedout in a safe environment for clients and staff and agreed policies andprocedures are complied with.

4. Assist in the induction of new staff.

5. To contribute to the development and revision of the PCNPolicies.

6. To ensure that agreed Complaints Procedures are adheredto and assist in investigation and monitoring of complaints.

7. To supervise and monitor the storage and administrationof prescribed drugs in accordance with the PCN Drug Policy.

8. To uphold the principles of the NMC Code of ProfessionalConduct (nursing staff).

9. To adhere to the PCN Health and Safety at Work Act andFire Policies.

Research andDevelopment

1. To participate in learning sets and to adjust workingprocesses to match developments

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

5 GCSEs at Grade C or higher Nursing Degree Masters Degree in relevant area

Experience

Essential

Experience in Primary Care Experience of working with vulnerable patients

Desirable

Experience in PCNs

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