Children's Hospital at Home Nurse

Job overview

Are you equipped with solid clinical knowledge and the experience required to manage critically ill children and young people? Are you driven by a desire to deliver outstanding evidence-based nursing care to assist children, young people, and their families?

This varied and fulfilling position is ideal for an experienced pediatric nurse with an acute care background who is seeking a transition to a community setting while still applying their specialised clinical skills. Our service is evolving quickly, aiming to broaden our ambulatory care options and enhance the role of our independent nurse practitioners.

Our 'Hospital at Home' service offers hospital-standard care to children in the community suffering from acute illnesses, thus preventing hospital admissions and facilitating earlier discharges. Delivered by a dedicated and proficient team of pediatric nurses, in collaboration with acute care providers, our service supports children, young people, and their families in managing their illnesses within the comfort of their homes.

Main duties of the job

• To work as an autonomous practitioner with responsibility for facilitating early discharge, reduce length of stay and prevent hospital admissions
• To provide high quality, specialist nursing care to children in their own homes
• To provide continuing responsibility for the assessment, development, implementation and evaluation of nursing care for patients.
• To work collaboratively with other local health care professionals/providers to maintain high quality care and promote practice that is family centred.
• To continue to develop and maintain close links between Community and Hospital based services.
• To be responsible for providing support to junior members and students, by developing their skills and providing mentorship through their practice placements.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Clinical

• To initiate appropriate work, accepting referrals and be able to work autonomously with the child and family in the community setting.
• To regularly attend and liaise with acute hospital colleagues to enable timely and safe discharge from hospital and appropriate follow-up in the community setting eg care of children with viral wheeze needing nebulisers and observation at home, fluid challenges for children with diarrhoea and vomiting
• To collect and analyse daily reports from Paediatric Accident and Emergency (A&E)and follow up any children who need further support in the home setting
• To establish contacts with GP’s who regularly send children to A&E and promote the service offered in the community
• Recognise and monitor acute exacerbations of illness and initiate appropriate nursing interventions.
• To provide a holistic, autonomous and clinical nursing service using evidence based practice. To carry out initial assessments/home visits and plan, implement and evaluate nursing care for all patients for whom he/she has continuing responsibility. Act in partnership with the child and family when assessing a child’s needs and planning. To provide advice contributing to the well-being of the patient and participate in health promotion.  (eg burns advice)
• To ensure medical needs and instructions are carried out in accordance with nursing and midwifery council guidelines and ensure accurate record keeping (RIO system used for client records). To create reports for specific formal meetings such as child protection case conferences.  Ensure confidentiality of information is adhered to at all times.
• To carry out specialist procedures in the community settings eg administration of intravenous antibiotics care of central venous access devices and changing of naso-gastric tubes
• To use clinical judgement and expertise in assessing and implementing change during clinical visits eg assessment of respiratory condition and management of any changes
• To use clinical knowledge and expertise in deciding appropriate administration of drugs, route to be administered and dose of the drug, within a set of defined parameters prescribed by medical colleagues e.g. inhalers
• To use clinical knowledge
• To teach, support and guide patients and those with parental responsibility in relative nursing procedures and to help them carry out effective nursing care.
• To be familiar with practices regarding the management of hazardous/biological substances and follow trust policies regarding their disposal.

• Research

• Facilitate a high quality, cost effective service through undertaking research, surveys, audits in connection with own work.
• Utilise research findings to develop new ways of working and disseminate relevant information to staff.
• To assist the lead nurse and team leaders with updating or writing new care plans, policies, guidelines and competencies.
• Set, monitor and review standards of care on a regular basis and initiate corrective action plans.

• Work force

• To manage client caseload and have the ability to work autonomously.
• Act as a professional role model and mentor at all times.

• Financial

• To demonstrate accountability in the use and management of all resources including financial.