Senior Nurse

NHS; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the UK is looking for a Senior Nurse to oversee clinical operations and lead a team in providing quality mental health care. This role includes supervising nursing staff, ensuring compliance with policies, and managing complex cases. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership and communication skills along with current UK NMC registration and relevant experience in community mental health teams. This position offers competitive compensation and opportunities for professional development.

Qualifications

• Current NMC registration required.
• Two years of post-qualifying experience needed.
• Proven track record in handling complex cases.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive casework to clients with mental health difficulties.
• Supervise and mentor nursing staff.
• Ensure compliance with Trust policies.

Skills

Leadership skills

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Teamwork

Education

Current registration with UK NMC

Two years post qualifying experience in a CMHT

Evidence of further training

Job description

The Senior Nurse will support the team managers in effective operation of the team by undertaking practice and professional lead responsibility for specified areas of nursing.

To oversee the effective operation and coordination of physical health and depot clinics within the teams.

To provide professional and comprehensive casework to people with complex mental health difficulties.

To hold care coordinator/ key worker responsibility and be accountable for any caseloads worked jointly with newly qualified Band 5 nurses.

The post holder will take a leadership role to positively influence and improve the quality of nursing practice by providing support, supervision, educational and professional development opportunities for staff within the Mid Bedfordshire Community Mental Health services.

Main duties of the job

To undertakelead professional responsibility for nursing in the day to day running of the team.

To ensure the team manager is kept fully appraised of problems arising from workload and seek advice as and when necessary.

To supervise nurses and other healthcare staff as required and to deputise for the Team Manager in all or some of their functions as required in their absence.

Develop the systems, staff skills, and abilities to provide assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of care in keeping with evidence-based practice.

Lead on the educational requirements to support nursing staff and students within the service.

Developing a learning environment and opportunities for staff to obtain specialist guidance relevant to complex care in their clinical specialty.

Develop and maintain structures and procedures to support Student Nurses and Nursing Associates when on placement within the teams.

Develop and maintain structures and procedures to support preceptorship as per Trust Policy and NMC Guidance.

To work collaboratively with key stakeholders across the Trust, and represent the service by contributing to internal and external forums.

To help ensure that care reflects individual and cultural needs.

To support the service to acquire and enhance clinical skills, and assist in achieving the appropriate levels of competence.

Job responsibilities

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Clinical & Patient Care

• Hold care coordinator/ key worker responsibility and be accountable for any caseloads worked jointly with newly qualified Band 5 nurses.
• Oversee the effective operation and coordination of physical health and depot clinics within the teams.
• Provide professional and comprehensive casework to people with complex mental health difficulties.
• Ensure patient records are up to date and are an accurate reflection of the situation.
• Manage own workload ensuring this is in line with relevant policies, procedures and Nursing Accountability Framework.
• Respond to emergency situations as they occur and be prepared to act as support where necessary.
• Remain optimistic in therapeutic engagement with patients.
• To be fully conversant with Moving and Handling Policies in practice.
• Ensure you are fully trained and annually updated in management of aggression and violence in order that Trust guidelines are followed in the management of violent patients.

Management

• Provide professional guidance and support nursing staff with complex cases.
• Undertake regular clinical supervision for nurses on the team.
• Undertake regular managerial supervision to unqualified team members, or to others at the request of the team manager.
• Ensure that there is an effective learning environment enabling students to achieve their placement learning objectives.
• To deputise for the Team Managers, as and when needed.Manage distressing and challenging situations in a sensitive and non-threatening way to reduce anxieties and promote effective resolutions.
• Ensure working conditions are safe.
• Ensure the implementation of all Trust policies as appropriate, e.g. Complaints, Grievance, Disciplinary and Serious Untoward Incidents SUI investigations.
• Have a flexible approach, able to recognise signs of stress in self and others and take the appropriate action.
• Participate in recruitment of other healthcare professionals where appropriate.

Performance and Quality

• Work with Team Managers to support them in improving the quality of nursing practice and to create a positive learning environment for all staff, including mentors, students and practice development leads within the Trust.
• To ensure there is a shared learning culture within the team, encouraging staff to contribute their views and ideas as appropriate.
• Participate in and/or lead formal training events promoting best practice in nursing care.
• Provide professional and clinical leadership and mentorship, acting as a clinical role model on the delivery of evidence-based practice in nursing care within ELFT.
• Support the audit and evaluation of quality improvements and initiatives aimed at improving the delivery of nursing care within ELFT, where appropriate to role.
• Acknowledge own strengths and limitation and discuss/identify training and development needs in management supervision.

Knowledge and Skills

Knowledge, Training and Experience

Applied understanding of the needs of clients and a breadth of knowledge about mental health and complex presentations. The ability to demonstrate expertise within the specialty.

Demonstrate advanced management or leadership skills in day to day working practices.

Knowledge and application of the standards of professional behaviour.

Ensure evidence based nursing care is provided and regularly reviewed.

Alongside the Team Managers, ensure collection and utilisation of data that evaluates the effectiveness of the service and experience.

Support the Team Managers to develop and implement clinical audits.

Some knowledge of Quality Improvement methodology and willingness to implement QI methods within the teams.

Completion of all statutory and mandatory training.

Willingness to undertake specialist training in accordance to specialist area of work, such as non-medical prescribing.

Ensuring the implementation of safeguarding procedures and application in prevention.

Analytical and Judgmental Skills

Exercise analytical and decision making skills in relation to patient risk and care in complex cases.

Communication and Relationships

Enhanced communication skills.

Operates effectively with constantly developing relationships with key stakeholders and associated agencies including:

• Directorate/Service Managers
• Clinical staff
• Service users and their carers/ families
• Primary care

Ability to work in groups/one to one.

Ability to build constructive relationships with warmth and empathy.

Ability to treat service users and their carers with respect and dignity, adopting a culturally sensitive approach that considers the needs of the whole person.

Positive mental attitude and a willingness to discuss and negotiate issues and ideas with the appropriate team / individual.

Ability to learn through practice.

Demonstrates a commitment to quality of care.

The development and maintenance of local procedures, which result in good communication between all staff.

To act as a positive role model to staff.

Planning and Organisational Skills

Working with the Team Managers to support staff in developing skills in relation to time/task management to deliver effective care.

Physical Skills

• To ensure systems are in place to maintain the safe storage and administration of drugs in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council code of practice.
• Ensure annual attendance at CPR training and keep up to date on service wide policy and procedure for responses to medical emergencies.
• Ensuring the compliance of Health and Safety regulations and legislative (Health and Safety at Work Act, Infection Control Policy, etc) requirements are fully complied with in line with the guidance.

To be familiar with Equal Opportunities good practice and the Trust requirements for diversity and to implement this in all aspects of working practice and promote it in the team, workplace and wider organisation.

Person Specification

Experience

• current registration with UK NMC
• two years post qualifying experience in a CMHT
• evidence of further training

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Biggleswade CMHT, Spring House, Biggleswade Hospital