Lead Nurse

Job summary

The Christie is pleased to be able to offer an exciting opportunity for an experienced nurse to take on the role of Lead Nurse for the Palatine Treatment Ward and play a key role in the future development of our Haematology and TYA service.

Based at the Withington site, you will provide senior professional leadership and management to the Palatine Treatment Ward and be responsible for ensuring the delivery of high-quality service to haematology/teenage and young adult cancer patients within the inpatient setting on Palatine Treatment Ward.

You will take the lead in the planning, co-ordination and implementation of nursing service developments in close collaboration with the Head of Directorate and Clinical Director. Further to this, you will work with the Directorate Leads to ensure the delivery of balanced budgets, workforce plans and a service that is flexible to meet the current and future nursing trends and patient needs.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for an experienced nurse with a strong background in operational and people management and leadership.

You will be responsible for the day to day delivery of effective and high quality patient care and experience across the inpatient heamatology and TYA services, demonstrating both excellent leadership and management skills at all times. You will work clinically one day a week alongside the nursing teams and participate in the Trust on call Duty Manager Rota.

You will have excellent and highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, be able to work efficiently, prioritise and demonstrate initiative and good time management.

A full and extensive overview of the responsibilities are detailed in the job description for the post.

An informal visit to discuss the post is highly recommended

About us

The Christie haematology service acts as a tertiary referral centre for the management of patients with haematological malignancies and bone marrow failure. Inpatient haematology and transplant services for both adults and Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) patients are provided by the 31 bedded Palatine Treatment Ward, and the 4 bedded Withington Ward. Outpatient haematology services are provided by the Haematology and Transplant Day Unit (HTDU) and the ambulatory care facility. The Christie haematology service has grown extensively over the past few years with the development of new treatments and CAR T. Services are now delivered at 2 other trusts with plans to expand services closer to home further.

Job description

Job responsibilities

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Communications

Ensures effective communication channels exist between patients and relevant stakeholders at all levels.

Ensures patients and their families are treated with dignity and respect and information is conveyed to them in a timely and understandable manner.

Risk & Clinical Governance

Works collaboratively with Directorate Quality Team, Divisional Governance team and Quality & Standards team and leads on complex investigations, resolutions and action planning.

Undertale root case analysis and develop action plans, ensuring this leads to sustainable changes in improved practice.

Supports patients and staff in the handling of complaints and works to ensure early and satisfactory resolution of concerns.

Takes the lead role within their areas of responsibility for ensuring effective patient and family engagement, ensuring that the views and comments of patients, carers and service users are sought and acted upon.

Be champions for driving the infection prevention and control agenda and challenging poor practice. Ensuring patients are cared for in clean and safe environments taking remedial action if standards are not maintained.

Where possible, take all reasonable action to address problems, concerns and complaints as near to source as possible, but also understands when to escalate.

Responsible for implementing effective risk assessment and management within own clinical areas or teams working closely with the divisional quality and governance team.

Responsible for ensuring regulatory standards pertaining to clinical areas are consistently achieved (eg CQUINS/CQC/JACIE ). This will include developing and implementing methods for assessing this regularly and reporting monthly on compliance to the quality management meeting.

Responsibility for Patient Care

Be a visible leader who is accessible and assists patients/service users/carers/relatives during incidental contacts. Accountable for ensuring the appropriate and effective development, delivery and monitoring of patient care and service across areas of responsibility.

Monitor the quality and timeliness of nursing care and service provision in accordance with relevant professional and local standards.

Responsible for ensuring that care is delivered in a safe, efficient, effective and timely manner and that plans for discharge to ward, and department areas and transfer of patients is within acceptable safe parameters.

Responsible for providing senior nursing advice across areas of the Trust as required, including participation in Duty Manager rota for evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

Support Lead Nurse colleagues and Ward Managers to ensure the most appropriate distribution of staffing resources in order to balance risks and to ensure the safe and smooth running of the directorate.Planning and organising

Work in collaboration with the clinical teams daily. Monitor and action decisions in relation to clinical areas ensuring nursing skill mix in relation to activity and acuity. Manage and report any risk issues to the Divisional Associate Chief Nurse in a timely manner.

Organise and plan own day to day workload or activities in order to meet the demands of the job role.

Ensure that day to day staffing and resources are deployed across the directorate to meet the needs of services in conjunction with the other lead nurses.

Use information obtained from patients, families and staff to make changes to the patient environment and care where appropriate or necessary.

The Lead Nurse will supervise the assessment, planning, implementation provision and evaluation of patient care; ensuring that nursing and corporate standards are implemented, maintained, monitored and improved upon where necessary. This includes assuming all overall accountability within the directorate for the monitoring, review, improvement and provision of evidence and assurance relating to patient care.

In conjunction with the Divisional Associate Chief Nurse, the Lead Nurse will contribute to the strategic direction of service lines and specialties through meeting key performance indicators and national and local activity targets.

Responsibilities for Physical and / or Financial Resources

Ensure safe and efficient use of equipment, resources and consumables always.

Within sphere of responsibility ensure self and line-report staff manage pay and non-pay resources efficiently and effectively, and in accordance with corporate standards, procedures, policies and objectives. Include formulating and delivering remedial action plans where adverse variances arise.

Work in partnership with Directorate Senior Management team, finance, HR and information analysts to lead the service line and specialties in a business-like way and to ensure the safe and effective management and leadership of the specialty teams and resources.

In partnership with facilities and estates colleagues, the Lead Nurse is responsible and accountable for ensuring that the environment in which care and service are delivered are fit for purpose, clean and maintained and meet relevant national cleaning and other performance standards.

The Lead Nurse is responsible for ensuring that all equipment in their department is well maintained and cleaned and replaced in accordance with relevant professional and corporate standards, ensuring accurate records are maintained.

The Lead Nurse is accountable for implementation of systems for monitoring the quality and safety of patient care and experiences including effective and efficient patient throughput in the theatre environment.

Responsible for overseeing ward pay, non-pay budgets and addressing adverse variances whilst identifying opportunities for cost improvements.Responsibility for Policy and Service Development and Implementation

Participates with service/specialty teams in the development of policy, processes and business plans at Directorate/Service level

Represent and provide nursing expertise and advice to business and operational discussions, meetings and forums.

Responsible for recognising service requirements and ensuring these are communicated to the Directorate/Specialty teams and Divisional Associate Chief Nurse.

Ensuring that all staff practice in accordance with statutory and corporate policies; including those specific to patient safety.

To be aware of, comment on and/or actively participate in changes on policies, procedures or service developments.

To embrace and support line management and the department in making service improvements effective within the workplaceResponsibilities for Human Resources and Leadership

Support new or less experienced work colleagues to adapt to the workplace.

Ensure self and others practice is in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Councils Code of Conduct.

As an ambassador of the nursing profession, ensure self and others practice to the highest professional standards.

Responsible for the informal and formal appraisal of direct line report staff and for ensuring that they are trained, supported and developed accordingly.

Ensure that all direct line report staff have clear and agreed performance objectives that support the delivery of the Directorate and the wider Divisional and Trust objectives

Participate in skill mix review, workforce redesign and recruitment and retention strategies to develop and modernise the workforce in conjunction with the Directorate and Divisional Senior Nursing and Management team.

Responsible for the effective management of staff sickness and absence as well as maintaining an overview ensuring absence percentage targets are not breached, acting where required

Responsible for overseeing HR management within their areas of responsibility including recruitment, sickness absence, training etc.

Overseeing and monitoring the quality, timeliness and development of nursing care in accordance with relevant professional standards.

The Lead Nurse will provide professional advice and support to specialty teams and service line colleagues to ensure the delivery of the highest quality of patient care and service delivery

As a member of the senior team within the Directorate, the Lead Nurse will act as a professional role model to all nurses and will take corrective action to uphold the standards required of the Trust and the profession.

The Lead Nurse will be required to deputise for the Directorate Lead Nurse as required and appropriate.

The Lead Nurse will ensure that nursing and relevant support staff are managed and developed in order to enable them to deliver the highest standards of patient care and service.

Participate in training and development activities that are relevant to the job role.

Responsibilities for data and information resources

Responsible for providing accurate and timely records on patient care and performance IT based systems.

Development of audits and analysis of working practices and trends to support improvements in performance in relation to quality and patient experience.

Ensure patient confidentiality is maintained.

Research, Development and Audit

Ensure that the clinical areas and teams for which they are responsible for adopt best practice evidence-based standards.

Ensure national and local quality initiatives are implemented for nursing across the Directorate.

Responsible for ensuring that areas for which they are responsible implement the quality audits and any associated or successor initiatives to within agreed/required timescales. Maintains accurate and contemporaneous records.

Promote an environment where research and development is valued.

Participate in clinical audit and promote/identify research activity/opportunities.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Registered Nurse on NMC Register Educated to Master's degree level, or currently working towards a Master's degree, or equivalent experience Evidence of continuing personal and professional development Leadership course evident or working towards Mentorship course

Experience

Essential

Evidence of significant post registration senior nursing experience in a relevant specialty Evidence of successful management of clinical services in oncology, heamatology or acute sector Evidence of involvement in the development of programmes of care, protocols and audit Evidence of successful management of a budget Experience of managing clinical and non-clinical risk Evidence of effective management of a complex and diverse workforce Evidence of proactive involvement in the development of nurses and nursing practice

Desirable

Experience of implementing research into clinical practice Evidence of effective design and management of patient flows and pathways Experience of leading the implementing service improvement including complex change management programs

Skills

Essential

Ability to lead with vision and determination Effective written communication skills including analysis and presentation of reports Able to give effective oral presentations when expressing ideas to groups or individuals Ability to analyse complex issues and make decisions Leadership and organisational skills Negotiating / influencing skills Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines Logical approach to problem solving Ability to relate to groups and individuals at all levels Able to work independently and as part of a team Able to offer encouragement and support to others to foster both personal and professional development

Desirable

Ability to manage conflicting views and reconciles inter and intra professional differences of opinion

Knowledge

Essential

Wide knowledge of developments in the NHS impacting on Trust including Comprehensive understanding of current NHS initiatives and targets Confident with HR policies and procedures and demonstrable evidence of managing significant numbers of staff. Accreditation (CQC, JACIE) and revalidation knowledge and experience. Evidence of extensive expert professional/clinical knowledge in area supplemented by specialist clinical training and CPD

Desirable

Knowledge of quality improvement tools and methodology

VALUES

Essential

Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours

OTHER

Essential

To exert frequent concentration - responding to frequent changing needs in the clinical area and to deal with service issues

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