Triage Nurse (DN Treatment Rooms)

Job overview

We require a suitably qualified and experienced Triage Nurse in our Treatment Rooms. This is a permanent part time post (30 hours) working across Monday to Friday.

The objectives for this post:

• To triage Treatment Room referrals using clinical skill, judgement, and pathways.
• To arrange interventions at the appropriate Treatment Room clinics.
• To facilitate supported discharge from a hospital setting to the community.

You must have suitable Band 5 NHS experience in either acute or primary care settings.

An Enhanced DBS with Adults' Barred List checks will be obtained during pre-employment checks.

Main duties of the job

• Triage Nurse will manage directed patient calls requesting Treatment Room Services and interventions working within scope of professional practice.
• Triage nurse will perform telephone triage of patients whilst evaluating and assessing health care needs based on patient’s signs and symptoms utilising established triage protocols and guidelines.
• Triage nurse will provide specialist clinical expertise to autonomously determine best clinical course of action and recommendations for individual patient health care needs.
• Accurately document symptoms/complaints, nursing assessment, advice provided, patient/caller response. Follow policies, procedures, and protocols to ensure consistency and effectiveness as well as improve health care outcomes of patients/callers and their access to appropriate health care.
• Provide patient and carer education.
• Contribute to quality improvement and performance initiatives.
• To participate in the development of clinical guidelines and protocols to deliver appropriate and effective care.
• Document in Patient Electronic record, triage assessment, plan, implementation, and evaluation and follow up.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities  •    Perform comprehensive assessment of patient nursing needs.  Plan, assess, implement and evaluate care delivery according to changing health needs utilising prescribing skills.    •    Support the care management of complex / continuing care packages.  •    Ensure practice is evidence based through undertaking audit and critically appraising literature to achieve a high standard of care.  •    Work collaboratively with other professionals within the integrated community team to ensure patient needs are met.  •    Involve patients / carers in the plan and delivery of care.  •    To identify skills and knowledge to address individual’s training needs by undertaking personal development reviews and personal development plans.  •    To participate in the health needs assessment of the practice population to identify areas of unmet need.  •    Ability to work without direct supervision and to solve problems.  •    Undertake chronic disease management reviews of patients using the appropriate template.  •    Work on a rota basis to facilitate weekend and early evening working across the Treatment Room settings.    Communications and Key Working Relationships   •    To establish and maintain effective communication within individual groups and communities in complex and potentially challenging situations.  •    Maintain accurate records in accordance with the NMC standards.    Responsibility for Management  •    Work under the direction of the Treatment Room Team Manager in providing nursing services to patients registered within a define service development footprint.  •    Manage a caseload of patients.  •    Delegate the workload to appropriate team members.  •    Day to day responsibility for ensuring the service operates on a daily basis.  •    To provide accurate, timely information to the identified administrator regarding annual leave, expenses and study leave.  •    To undertake back to work interviews and assist in the monitoring and reporting to the Treatment Room Team Manager.  •    General Human Resource issues surrounding staff sickness, absentees.  •    To report any concerns with regards to poor practice or concerns of staff members to the Treatment Room Team Manager.  •    Support the effective use of physical and financial resources ordering supplies and equipment.  •    To ensure as far as possible that the working environment is safe, adhering to the lone worker policy.  •    To provide leadership and support by promoting professional development and encourage clinical supervision.  •    Supply required activity data related to patient care.    Professional  •    To support the clinical governance agenda by benchmarking best practice, identify any inequalities in service delivery.  •    In depth knowledge of the legal, ethical, moral and accountability issues related to District Nursing.  •    To maintain a personal, professional portfolio by collecting evidence of personal development through reflective practice.  •    To attend mandatory training in accordance with Trust policies.  •    To work within Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) guidelines and abide by the NMC Code of Professional Conduct, scope of professional practice and administration of medicines records and record keeping.  •    Identify any limitations / gaps in professional or clinical knowledge.  •    Access and promote clinical supervision within the team.  •    Undertake rapid review, case note review or root cause analysis if appropriate as per Datix management guidelines.  •    Promote people’s equality, diversity and rights.  •    To contribute to the development of and adhere to Trust policies and procedures, NICE Guidelines and NSF initiatives relevant to own area of work to ensure best practice.  •    To share best practice and undertake all activity within the framework of Clinical Governance.  •    To participate in the staff appraisal scheme.  •    To report sickness/absence in accordance with the Trust Policy.  •    To bring professional practice issues to the attention of the Treatment Room Team Manager.  •    To advise on changes required to policy/procedure due to change in practice and be actively involved in any working parties as requested.  •    To promote integrated working through pro-active networking with other professionals and agencies to enhance service delivery.  •    To accept responsibility for own professional practice as a reflective, accountable practitioner.    Responsibility for Health & Safety  Compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 – the post holder is required to fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards, and a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.