Staff Nurse - Childrens Service

Be a part of something truly unique. At Hospice in the Weald, we're committed to providing our nurses with the time they need to deliver exceptional care. Take inspiration from knowing this is a place where you can truly make a difference in a child's life.

Main duties of the job

Preferably, with experience of caring for children with complex health needs, you will be an integral part of the team and assist in its development. You will work alongside children's health care assistants and volunteers to help us care for the children and young people on our caseload.

Your role will see you caring for children aged 0-18 and supporting transitioning children and young adults aged 14 to 24, offering respite care sessions both in the home and eventually in our new Children's Centre at Five Ashes. Also, it will enable children, young people, and their families to access experiences they may not otherwise be able to have.

The Hospice offers comprehensive training and support for clinical responsibilities, including competency assessments, ensuring you can provide the best care. We are here for you and will actively support you in your development with us.

Why you will succeed in this role

You communicate effectively and respectfully, sometimes under challenging circumstances, while maintaining accurate records of care on the electronic care record system. You work well as part of a team and are responsible and adaptable.

You relish the opportunity to help children play, learn, and grow, and support siblings and the rest of the family in the process. Developing a child's independence, while always keeping them and their families at the centre of everything you do, is important to you.

About us

We're looking for enthusiastic and dynamic Registered Children's Nurses, or RN Adult/ Learning Disability Nurses to join our amazing team. You will be a flexible team player with a passion for providing high-quality holistic care to children and their families with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions.

Job responsibilities

Job title

Reporting to

Head of Children and Young Peoples Service/ Lead Nurse

Location

Based at the Hospice buildings in Pembury, Kent with potential requirements to work at other locations within Kent and East Sussex.

Scope & Job Purpose

You will provide high quality individualised care to children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions encompassing the needs of the whole family.

Act as a practical and advisory resource to children/young people and their families.

Work in collaboration with health care professionals and other services to best meet the needs of the child/young person including physical, psychological, social, spiritual support and bereavement care.

Inspire and supervise care staff and volunteers working in the children's service.

Safeguard children and young people accessing the service, responding, and escalating concerns appropriately.

Key responsibilities

Deliver compassionate, personalised, and holistic care to children and young people in their homes, community and in the children's centre.

Assess, plan, evaluate and deliver high quality nursing care to meet the diverse individual needs of children, young people and their families in a way that reflects the hospice philosophy.

Responsible for reviewing, delivering, and updating care plans and documentation and escalating all concerns to the appropriate individual.

Take the lead on a day-to-day shift basis, acting as a role model to team members and managing staffing and referral queries.

Recognise, respond to, and manage any significant changes to a child's/young person's condition or wellbeing, escalating appropriately.

Establish professional relationships with children, young people, and their families through effective sensitive communication skills.

Review, deliver and update electronic documentation, ensuring records are accurate and contemporaneous.

Deliver prescribed end of life care, evaluating a child's/young person's clinical presentation and liaising with the tertiary centres and medical teams.

Be responsible for the safe storage, transcription, and administration of medicines in line with the organisations policies, procedures, and competencies.

Maintain nutritional status of child/ young person according to their care needs.

Deliver care in an environment that is fun, safe, and supportive.

Participate in internal and external multi-disciplinary team meetings.

Lead and act as a mentor for new staff, students, children's support workers and volunteers.

We will provide training so that you can act as Practice Supervisor or Practice assessor for student nurses. Helping to grow exceptional registered staff of the future.

To promote a culture in the working environment which demonstrates the values of the Hospice.

Support and empower our volunteers to make real the Hospice values in all they do and to advance the mission, aims and objectives of the organisation.

Communication & Teamwork

• Build effective working relationships with the Hospice workforce and other stakeholders to ensure care is delivered to the highest possible standards.

Ensure the multi-disciplinary teams are competent to work autonomously to assess the needs of the child/young person and those important to them and provide appropriate advice or support.

Identify and discuss where escalation of child/ young person's needs to a senior member of staff is necessary and make all necessary arrangements.

Be a proactive team player, supporting colleagues through reflection, advice and guidance and take part in clinical supervision.

Be proactive in developing collaborative relationships with other care providers i.e. Other Hospices, NHS Trusts.

Working with Due Diligence

Promote the safeguarding and welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Recognise and contribute to delivering a quality service, actively participating in clinical governance practices, audits, and reviews.

Contribute to the ongoing development of the Children's service across all areas of the Hospice.

To always adhere to standards laid out in the infection control policy and procedure.

To complete dynamic risk assessments at the beginning of each shift.

Report and record all incidents and near misses and disseminate lessons learnt to ensure an environment of continuous learning and improvement.

To work within applicable ethical, legal, and professional frameworks pertinent to children's palliative care practices.

Training and Development

Complete training essential to individualised care needs of the children and young people, and core competencies as identified in the children's training framework.

Deliver training sessions as required, support with competency assessments.

To actively seek and take responsibility for own continued professional development.

Undertake Mandatory Training as required by Hospice in the Weald and participate in additional required training and development activities.

Take an active role in identifying gaps in knowledge and skills and how to address these.

Take responsibility for setting own goals and achieving them.

General

Maintain professionalism through adherence to recognised codes and guidelines and work within the boundaries of Hospice in the Weald policies.

Maintain personal development through the Hospice Annual Review process, continuously updating and improving knowledge and skills and applying that knowledge.

Engage in the use of information and communication technology (ICT) and achieve the required level of competence.

Recognise the growing need for 24/7 working patterns and flexibility.

Demonstrate Our Values through day-to-day interactions between colleagues as well as patients and those important to them.

Strive for excellence at all times.

Any other duties that may be reasonably requested.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Registered Children's Nurse with 2 years post registration experience, with extensive experience of working with children/ young people with complex health needs.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development (where appropriate).
• Mentorship qualification or willingness to undertake one.
• Knowledge and experience of caring for children and young people with disabilities and complex health needs.
• Experience in mentoring junior members of the team.
• Experience or a willingness to develop skills in tracheostomy care and/or long-term ventilation.
• Experience of working in a multi-professional team and the ability to work under pressure and organise workload effectively.
• Sound knowledge of safeguarding children, young people and adults.
• Palliative care experience including pre and post bereavement care.
• Experience with intravenous lines and therapies including parental nutrition.

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.