Ward Sister/Charge Nurse

Job summary

Are you a motivated individual that thrives in a fast-paced environment, who aspires to deliver high quality, patient-centred care within a team of innovative professionals? If so, we would value you in our team on the Hyper-acute Stroke Unit

As a Band 6 Ward Sister/Charge Nurse, you will contribute to the development of the ward team and support the Ward in the delivery of a consistently high quality and cost-effective service and will be expected to deputise for the Ward Manager as required. You will have excellent communication skills and high clinical standards with a passion to make a difference for patients and staff alike.

We have in house training courses, taught by out senior nurses/ACPs and practice development team. Further to this, you will have access to Trust led training modules.

Main duties of the job

Lead and coordinate the nursing team, taking responsibility for the management and organisation of the clinical area on a 24 hour basis. Through effective leadership, ensure the clinical team deliver a safe, effective, responsive, caring and well-led service where compassion is embedded and a positive patient experience is achieved. Provide professional clinical and managerial leadership to nursing and act as a professional role model. A highly skilled clinical expert with specialised knowledge in caring for patients and their carers.

About us

Here at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, we are proud to provide expert compassionate care for our local population. We are ranked as the third in the country for research, embedding education and training across the organisation. Our main hub is the Queen Alexandra Hospital, which is one of the largest hospitals on the south coast employing over 8,700 staff.

Our patients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes our hospital stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for getting it right for patients, colleagues and our community, you will find a home at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical/Professional

Promote and set high standards of professional nursing care and maintain the delivery of quality care within the Trust policies, protocols and guidelines. Implement the Trust 'values and beliefs' ensuring they are embedded into everyday practice and evaluate their impact on the patients' experience. Provide professional nursing leadership to staff within sphere of clinical responsibility. Lead and motivate staff by giving clear direction and setting achievable objectives. Responsible for the assessment of care needs, the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care. Maintain a high visible presence within the clinical area ensuring that patients, visitors, healthcare staff and the multidisciplinary team have access to senior staff at all times. Act as an effective professional role model and expert clinician. With the Senior Sister/Charge Nurse, contribute to the ward/department philosophy and models of care to ensure that all policies and procedures are implemented. Ensure that all staff understand the significance of this philosophy to practice, monitoring its impact on the patient experience. Ensure that all nursing issues relating to the implementation of patient quality and safety are addressed on the ward/department. This includes monitoring and evaluating standards of care by the clinical team and providing regular feedback to the ward team on the standards of nursing care. Implement evidence based practice, initiate, manage and evaluate changes that lead to improved and high standards of care and in particular, any service changes following feedback from patients. Communicating, influencing and working with the multidisciplinary team in different ways to improve quality of care, and informed clinical decisions. Promote innovation and participate in benchmarking and quality audits to measure effectiveness of current practices. In collaboration with other areas and the Senior Sister/Charge Nurse, improve and maintain standards of fundamental nursing care, using tools such as the Portsmouth Bundle. In collaboration with members of the multidisciplinary team, ensure that the users of the service and their families have a positive experience and using feedback (Elephant Surveys, Family and Friends Test, concerns and complaints) evaluate patient processes and pathways of care are redesigned as required. Create a culture for learning and development that will sustain person-centred safe and effective care. Lead the team in different ways, by supporting junior colleagues in the provision of direct care; facilitate learning in and from practice at the same time as working alongside; or undertaking a care plan review if and when a serious incident or complaint has occurred. Ensure concerns raised by patients and their families are dealt with in an open, honest and transparent way, quickly and effectively, in line with Trust policies, procedures and Duty of Candour legislation. Ensuring that accurate and timely nursing records are maintain, monitoring standards and taking corrective action as required. Ensure all staff in the clinical area are competent in the use of medical devices/equipment and have access to training and monitoring compliance.

Management/Leadership

Responsible for the organisation and management of the ward/department when on duty. At all times, have an overall view of the intensity of the workload and the experience of the staff and act to utilise the nursing skill mix on duty to ensure the nursing cover achieves a high standard of nursing care. Use the Trust Ward Accreditation Programme, an essential part of the organisation's Safe and Effective Care Framework to Strive towards achieving excellence for the clinical area. Key quality indicators embedded in the framework, alongside trust peer reviews and focused CQC style reviews will be tools to measure the ward/department performance and identify key areas for improvement. Manage the discharge and transfer of patients by using the SAFER discharge bundle and other discharge policies to ensure a seamless transition from hospital to home or other community care services. Actively contribute to achieving the clinical governance goals/targets set by the Trust and department and comply with reporting schedules for monitoring and reporting on clinical outcomes. Implement the Nursing Strategy by setting clear achievable objectives for staff who the post holder manages into annual performance and development reviews and evaluate performance. Robust roster management taking into consideration the skill mix and inform senior sister/charge nurse of any issues as they arise. Working with the Senior Sister/Charge Nurse contribute to the recruitment, selection and retention of the nursing workforce. With the Senior Sister/Charge Nurse, look at a succession plan for any hard to recruit posts and use Talent Management skills to identify key staff for further development. Be proactive in the prevention and management of complaints (formal and those via Patient Advice an Liaison Service) and when they occur, investigate and respond in a timely manner. Use any learning to share widely with the multidisciplinary team and to improve care delivery. Responsible for the management of staff performance and attendance in line with Trust policies. Promote the health and wellbeing of staff, patients and their carers. Comply and promote compliance with Trust policies and guidelines Health and Safety, Clinical Risk and Infection Control. Take appropriate action to address unexpected changes and situation, informing the Senior Sister/Charge Nurse or other if unable to resolve. Contribute to the ward/department pay and non-pay budgets to ensuring good housekeeping and economic use of resources. Delegate duties and tasks as appropriate to team members and evaluate the outcomes. Ensure efficient bed management. Work closely with partners Engie, resolving any issues regarding cleanliness, provision of food and maintenance of the environment. Ensure staff are aware how to escalate when issues cannot be resolved.

Research and Education

Research

Contribute to a research culture within the nursing team to identify current knowledge and deliver evidence-based care. Support local research teams, actively contribute to local department multidisciplinary audits, represent the clinical governance meetings and highlight areas for change. Liaise with the relevant research nurse to ensure patients are identified to take part in clinical research studies and research is delivered safely on the ward. Report research activity as standard practice and as part of the ward accreditation process. Embed in the team culture the concept of recruitment to clinical trials which is a national performance indicator.

Education

Ensure staff under the post holder leadership has an annual personal development review and set achievable objectives. Feed agreed development opportunities into the department training plan. Create an environment that is conducive to learning and encourage team openness so than an evidence-based approach is utilised and applied to nursing care. Act as a mentor and coach for student nurses, support staff and junior team members. Commit to and encourage a culture where students receive quality placements supported by mentorship and teaching from the multi-professional team. With the Senior Sister/Charge Nurse, ensure student mentors and sign off mentors within the clinical area are up-to-date with NMC standards, including annual updates and undertaking triennial reviews. Responsible for ensuring that ward/department staff undertake essential training. Ensure there are processes in place for the orientation of new/temp staff and preceptorship for junior nurses.

Communication and Working Relations

Communicate highly sensitive and complex information with empathy ensuring that information is understood. Communication and cooperating with other wards and departments, promoting and maintaining good working relationships within own clinical area and across the organisation, giving accurate information as required and keeping everyone informed of any untoward incidents. Develop expertise in dealing with interpersonal conflict and be responsible for the resolution of any adverse situation/incidents. Comply and promote compliance to Trust policies Harassment and Bullying. An active member of the clinical nursing team contributing to relevant Trust wide nursing groups and meetings. Represent the Senior Sister/Charge Nurse in their absence at ward level.

Working Conditions and Effort

Frequent moderate effort for several short periods. Moves, manoeuvres patients from bed to chair, wheelchair patients and transferring patients from ward to ward. May be frequently exposed to distressing circumstances if working with patients who are terminally ill and their families and/or exposed to other conditions. Frequent exposure to unpleasant or highly working conditions bodily fluids, smell etc. Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Current RN +/- RN, registration with NMC and any other relevant post registration qualifications BSc Degree in relevant field Post Reg. qualifications for specialty area Leadership development programme Teaching qualification/experience and accredited NMC before mentorship course

Desirable

Masters degree and evidence of working towards

Experience

Essential

Significant demonstrable experience within specialty with evidence of professional development Evidence of team leadership and change management with relevant management/leadership course Managing resources and contributing to departmental budget Evidence of developing policy, guidelines and managing resources

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

Clinically competent Clinical decision making skills Excellent communication and interpersonal skills Effective leadership and team building skills Organisational skills and forward planning Flexibility Able to support development of others Coaching and mentoring skills Critical appraisal skills Strong customer service skills IT literate Understanding of the principles and application of effective budgetary management Understanding of the principles and application of effective staff/HR management Understanding of the theory and application of Clinical Governance Demonstrable experience of effective management and supervision of staff and taking charge of ward/unit

---