Staff Nurse, Band 5- Critical Care

Job overview

We have an exciting opportunity to join our award-winning Critical Care team at Gloucestershire Hospitals. It is an interesting, challenging and highly rewarding specialism, with endless opportunities to enhance knowledge and clinical skills, whilst delivering fundamental aspects of nursing care.

We’re looking for passionate and enthusiastic nurses to join our busy and diverse team. We work collaboratively delivering expert care to critically ill patients and their families. Our staff say, “teamwork isn’t just a concept here, it’s the heartbeat”.

What sets us apart is our commitment to your growth. If you are new to critical care, we provide comprehensive on-boarding. You will receive 6 weeks of supernumerary status, an orientation day, an in-house education program, and clinical mentor-ship aligned with the 'National Competency Framework for Registered Nurses in Adult Critical Care.' Your continuous professional development will be guided by dedicated Clinical Nurse Educators. Step into a friendly and supportive environment where training and education are not just valued but prioritised. The CQC report '"Outstanding commitment to education and training".  Join a team with no barriers to continuous learning, and your personal and professional growth.

The role encompasses a unique blend of opportunities at both our Hospitals. In a full or part-time role, you could be part of a team that delivers exceptional care everyday.

Main duties of the job

- To assess, plan, deliver and evaluate the nursing care of patients within Critical Care in accordance with UK law, the NMC code of conduct and the Trust values

- Conduct oneself in a professional manner and be a role model

- To work effectively as a member of the multidisciplinary team

- To manage a patient/caseload of patients within defined clinical area

Key Dimensions

- To organise own time and that of non-registered staff, students and other learners within Critical Care as appropriate

- To support the senior members of staff in the management and supervision of the defined clinical area

- To work on Critical Care in both GRH and CGH depending upon service need

- Actively contribute to a good learning environment by taking on the role of mentor/assessor for learners.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Knowledge, Skills & Experience Required

- Registered Nurses with the Nursing and Midwifery Council

- Post registration acute care experience is desirable but not essential

- A willingness to develop knowledge and skill is essential

- An ability to perform clinical skills with dexterity

- Knowledge of clinical governance, policy and procedure

- An understanding of evidence based practice

- IT skills which can be built upon to incorporate the use of hospital administration, information and training systems

- Organisation and time management skills

Communication, interpersonal skills and personal qualities

- The ability to work cohesively with all members of the Critical Care team

- The ability to communicate with patients and their relatives with sensitivity and empathy

- Be able to work under pressure

- Be pro-active and take initiative

- Act as a good role model for others to follow

- Liaison with Acute and Community Support Services

Clinical Practice

As a Staff Nurse working within Critical Care, the expectation is that, with adequate training, supervision and assessment, you will be able to;

- Assess, plan, deliver and evaluate the nursing care of patients within Critical Care who present with complex medical and nursing care needs

- Deliver safe care within a challenging and changing clinical environment, using highly specialised equipment and resources safely and appropriately

- Administer medications, including multiple continuous infusions, within the Procedure for the Ordering, Prescribing, and Administration of Medications (POPAM) guidelines

- Disseminate contentious and delicate information appropriately and sensitively, ensure patient confidentiality is maintained

- Participate in mentorship and educational programmes for students and other members of the team

- Adhere to Trust policies and procedures and work in a manner to promote the Trust values and core objectives

- Work within the NMC code of conduct to include the responsible supervision of staff and students when required

- Utilise the Hospital computer systems such as the intranet, Trak-care, EPR and PAS

- Maintain clear and accurate written records relevant to practice

- If you are new to critical care nursing or are deemed to have insufficient or out of date critical care experience, you will be expected to complete the ‘National Competency Framework for Registered Nurses within Adult Critical Care, Level 1’ within 18 months of your start date

Leadership and management

- Comply with Trust and Departmental policies and procedures e.g. Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), Manual Handling, clinical equipment competency, risk management, Data Protection Acts and patient confidentiality at all times. This will include demonstrating compliance with the terms of all safeguarding policies and processes relevant to the safeguarding of adults and children in the care of GHNHSFT and to undergo regular mandatory training concerned with safeguarding matters

- Report personal sickness to the Senior Nurse in Charge

- Report near misses and untoward incidents, complaints, clinical emergencies, injury or medicine administration errors as detailed in the departmental and Trust protocols. Assist lead staff in investigating incidents as required

- Maintain and contribute to the development of standards of practice

- Ensure a smart, professional image that adheres to Trust policy

Education and training

- Be actively involved in and support departmental education programmes

- Develop the skills to supervise, mentor, support and educate less experienced and non-registered staff in the clinical practice setting

- Undertake all mandatory training

- Demonstrate a commitment to research based practice and clinical excellence and play an active part in the introduction of research based change to improve patient centred care

Improving quality and developing practice

- Comply with requirements to register with the NMC and identify own learning needs and ensuring own professional development is maintained by keeping up to date with practice developments

- Work with senior staff undertaking audit and research projects

- Contribute to the Clinical Governance and Quality agenda by active participation in service initiatives, health and safety and risk management

- Develop and share own clinical knowledge with other members of the wider clinical team both locally and nationally

- Engage in clinical supervision in order to gain an appreciation of its value in clinical practice

- Identify own development needs, aligning these to Trust and departmental service objectives

- Understand and contribute to the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies/ protocols/ guidelines relevant to the specialist area

- Openly question and challenge practice in a constructive way so that standards of patient care are continually evaluated and improved

Physical, Mental & Emotional Effort & Working Conditions

- Will be required to utilise recognised manual handling techniques and guidelines

- May be expected to frequently manoeuvre patients/objects over 15 kg using appropriate aids

- Will have frequent exposure to unpleasant working conditions and will be required to follow policies and procedures pertaining to bodily fluids, infection control, infestations and COSHH regulations

- Frequent exposure to distressing and emotionally demanding situations involving patients and relatives

- Some exposure to patients displaying verbal and physical abuse

- The work pattern may be unpredictable and there is a frequent requirement for long periods of concentration, for example; when caring for a critically ill patient receiving supportive therapies for organ dysfunction, being continuously monitored and with multiple infusions, drug calculations and titration

- There is the on-going requirement to maintain excellent standards of care whilst working under pressure in an ever-changing and challenging environment

Summary of position:

The band 5 nurse is a member of Critical Care Services team and will be responsible for the assessment and delivery of care to complex critically ill patients. The post holder will be expected to carry out all relevant aspects of care with the supervision and support of experienced critical care nursing staff.

The Staff Nurse post incorporates working within both Cheltenham General and Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, working on a continuous rotational basis.  This gives the successful candidates the opportunity to experience caring for critically ill patients with a wide range of presenting conditions and offers development opportunities across the entire Critical care service.

Qualifications/Experience:

Registered Adult Nurse with at least 6 months acute post registration experience is preferred although Newly Qualified Nurses will be considered.