Staff Nurse - Home Dialysis

Job overview

We are recruiting for a permanent full time post and looking for a dynamic and experienced nurse to join our innovative Home Dialysis Team. The unit is open Monday to Friday 07.30-17.30, including bank holidays.  Flexible working patterns can be discussed, and part time hours may be considered.

The Home Dialysis Unit at Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals has over 70 patients using peritoneal dialysis and approximately 30 patients doing haemodialysis at home. Joining our team at this exciting time will allow us to expand the service to enable more patients to enjoy the freedom of self-care and increased autonomy while living with a chronic illness.

You will be fully supported to enable the provision of high-quality clinical care for a caseload of home dialysis patients who require renal replacement therapy and may have complex needs.

There will be opportunities to continue your professional development and undertake in house Renal study days as well as the Renal Pathway.

The CQC rated our organisation as ‘Outstanding for Caring’ and this is owing to the hard work, dedication, and teamwork of staff across the Trust which you will find is proudly reflected within our home dialysis unit.

We welcome applications from those who currently hold a UK NMC registration. If you currently hold an overseas nursing qualification and require sponsorship we are not currently direct hiring Internationally Qualified Nurses.

Main duties of the job

• To care for a caseload of home haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients and carers, with a wide range of medical, social, and psychological problems and conditions, with support from senior nursing staff and the manager in conjunction with other members of the renal multidisciplinary team.
• To deliver clinical and professional nursing care to achieve high standards of patient care, monitoring standards of care and escalating shortfalls. To contribute to the smooth running of the service and an effective and motivated workforce.
• To deliver safe, competent, and compassionate care to renal patients attending clinic reviews and day-case procedures
• To work unsupervised, as an effective, flexible team player
• To run and support a variety of medical and nurse-led clinics.
• To assess patients holistically and refer to the multidisciplinary or community teams as required.
• Support the development of the Home Dialysis service to ensure fair and informed patient access, this involves current Home Dialysis patients as well as recruitment from pre-dialysis.
• Securing and assuring the highest standards of clinical care with the support of senior staff.
• Supporting the effective management of clinical and non-clinical risk and resources reporting to the Unit Manager, Matron and Service Manager accordingly.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Communication

• To liaise effectively with the multidisciplinary team and other departments

Service Delivery and Improvement

• Adhere to the unit philosophy for patient care, to maintain and improve safe holistic care which meets the needs of individual patients.
• Partake in improvement projects in line with the trust goals.

People Management and Development

• Is prepared to undertake link nurse responsibilities and a workload of home dialysis patients.
• Undertakes teaching and mentoring of junior staff, students, and patients in individual/group settings, showing understanding of appropriate methods of teaching and an ability to evaluate the effectiveness of same
• Implements evidence-based pathways of care, taking account of Renal Association and Trust and National protocols.
• Engage in the supervision, mentorship, and development of both pre and post registration students, attending the department formally assessing as needed and communicating with their learning supervisors.
• Implementing competency-based assessments and ongoing practice review for colleagues developing their clinical skills

Patient Care Delivery

• Working with pre-dialysis and ward colleagues develop and evaluate the pathway for acceptance of new patients onto the home dialysis programme, promoting holistic care, independence, and minimum disruption to their lives.
• Train patient and carers to dialyse and manage at home safely and confidently.
• Co-ordinate the care and follow-up support of a caseload of home dialysis patients, always ensuring their safety.
• Provide specialist care to home dialysis patients, adjusting and negotiating care management plans as appropriate for individual patient’s, liaising with the medical team as required.
• Deliver pre dialysis education sessions in unit. /work in the community to monitor patient dialysis technique, safety, ability to cope, general self-care ability, and arrange community visits.
• Give support and expert advice to patients, referring to other members of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) as appropriate.
• Recognise, document and act on laboratory results, liaising closely with the multidisciplinary team where appropriate.
• Work closely with social, care workers to plan respite dialysis or timely referral to consultants as care needs change.
• Undertakes, reviews and follow-up with the renal technician team home assessments of prospective new patients for dialysis installations (PD or HD)
• Work in the community to deliver and monitor high standard of home visits to home dialysis patients.