Urgent response practitioner

NHS; Gillingham; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job description

• Are you a paramedic or a nurse looking for an opportunity to take your career in a exciting new direction?
• Do you have the ability to prioritise your workload effectively and efficiently?
• Do you have experience in clinical triage and delivering care in community settings?

If you answered yes, we've got the perfect role for you!

We are looking for proactive clinicians to join our urgent response service, providing urgent care to unwell patients in their own home or care homes within 2 hours of a healthcare professional referral.

The multi-disciplinary team consists of multiple professionals from different clinical settings.

The team works across Medway supporting our primary care, community services and the ambulance trust in keeping patients safe and well at home.

The successful applicant will have experience of clinical triage and delivering care in community settings.

Main duties of the job

To work as part of the multi-disciplinary urgent response service to support unwell patients in domiciliary and care homes.

The service operates from 0700-1900hrs 7 days a week and the post holders are required to work 12 hour shifts.

The post holder will rotate between clinical triage function and face-to-face patient consultations.

To undertake clinical triage for health care professional referrals into the urgent response service.

To undertake face-to-face assessment, diagnosis and treatment for community patients presenting as unwell to prevent hospital admission where appropriate and keep patients safe within their own homes.

To work as a member of a multidisciplinary team providing clinical care for patients within research and evidence-based guidelines. The team comprises of advanced clinical practitioners, paramedics, phlebotomists, therapists, care managers and social care providers.

To support the clinical leads in managing cost-effective and efficient practice and actively seek to prevent hospital admissions where appropriate.

About us

So what else?

• This is your chance to join a progressive and innovative service in a social enterprise that is patient and staff focused - you'll even have the opportunity to become an MCH shareholder.
• We encourage staff to get involved in exploring new ways of working and service development.
• We'll provide well established, in-service training, one to one supervision, and appraisals with regular support.
• You'll be able to develop your skills in a friendly and supportive team.
• Previous applicants need not apply.

Would you like to work flexibly? In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important work life balance is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement.

The small print

• Informal visits can be arranged on request.
• We will offer you the choice of two pension schemes; the NHS Pension scheme and the Scottish Widows group pension scheme.
• MCH encourages all staff to be double COVID vaccinated to protect themselves, their colleagues, their family and their patients.

At this time, MCH cannot fund or support any further nurses who require the OSCE training. Please do not apply if you require this training.

Job responsibilities

1. Communication and relationship skills

Internal

• Head of service
• Clinical lead
• Community nurse team leaders
• Community nursing staff
• Other services/professionals
• MedOCC

External

• Patients and their family/carers
• GPs and practice teams
• Voluntary agencies including care navigators
• Housing services
• Other primary healthcare organisations
• Community pharmacists
• Care home providers and staff

To impart clinical knowledge and experience. Ensure effective communication within the advanced community practitioners and the wider community nursing team, the patient and other professional main stream services and to act as the patient advocate.

Communicate complex patient information, verbally and in writing to various professionals.

Provide advice, motivation and education to patients family and carers in respect of their medical/health condition, where there may be barriers to understanding, being empathetic and providing reassurance.

Liaise with Provider Services staff and primary care staff, including the patients GP, Social Services and other mainstream and voluntary groups/services as necessary.

Gain valid informed consent and work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent to treatment.

2. Knowledge, training and experience

Hold current registration as a Paramedic with the Health and Care Professions Council or as a nurse with Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Evidence of experience with clinical triage.

Qualification in Minor Illness Management, Enhanced Clinical Assessment or willingness to undertake.

Understanding of community setting for care and functioning of integrated working.

Evidence of undertaking regular training and continuous personal/professional development.

Recent Intravenous therapy and cannulation training, or willingness to undertake.

Preparation of Mentors/ENB 998 or equivalent.

Good interpersonal skills.

Awareness of child and adult protection issues.

A sound knowledge of Clinical Governance and risk management.

Demonstrable research skills.

Assertiveness and resilience.

Familiar with National Service Frameworks and demonstrates understanding of patient pathways in relation to Minor Illness Management.

3. Analytical and judgement skills

Ability to prioritise and respond appropriately to patient referrals.

Provide assessment of patients presenting with a range of clinical conditions in order to diagnose, recommend and advise on treatment, referring to clinical colleagues as appropriate.

Proactive management and identification of risk in relation to patients and their presenting conditions.

Regularly assess and act on the views of the patients, relatives and colleagues about the care given, ensuring that feedback is dealt with promptly and courteously, upholding the role of patient advocate at all times.

Follow approved pathways and guidelines, while using own judgement to decide when to refer patients to others or to seek further guidance.

4. Planning and organisational skills

Initiate and organise the necessary services to the patient to ensure appropriate care including liaising and referral to other specialist teams.

• Facilitate the provision of any required care at home, as appropriate.

Report on patients conditions to appropriate senior nurse or medical practitioner (Primary Care Physician, GP) as necessary and ensure prescribed treatments are carried out.

• Participate in self-development programmes, clinical supervision, agreeing personal objectives and professional development plans.
• Effective time management of work to meet the demands of allocated patients.
• Ability to adapt and be flexible in responding to changing needs and demands of the service.
• Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate programmes of care.

5. Physical skills

Undertake the physical examination of patients in order to assess, evaluate, plan, and implement programmes of care to ensure effective high quality, evidence based health care and health promotion in accordance with best practice standards.

Undertake a range of clinical skills, including wound care, observation skills and the dexterity to perform and administer intravenous injections, the insertion of cannulae and the taking of blood for blood tests when appropriate.

6. Responsibility for patient / client care

• To deliver research-based practice and initiate appropriate changes to ensure that care is safe and effective.
• To prescribe treatments as appropriate either though Patient Group Directions or as independent prescriber.
• To ensure effective communication with colleagues which facilitate and promote multi-disciplinary working.
• To provide clinical expertise and knowledge within the service environment.
• To ensure that the patient experience and treatment is provided within a quality service.
• To provide effective public health education to service users.
• To ensure that own practice is within the guidelines set by professional bodies e.g. HCPC/NMC.
• Initiate own autonomous clinical assessment (including telephone triage) using a range of advanced skills and expert knowledge of intermediate care, of patients presenting with complex and undiagnosed conditions, facilitating diagnosis, specialist advice, treatment, referral, review or discharge.
• Initiate and review care programmes appropriate to the needs of individual patients in a community setting, including patients within residential and nursing homes.
• Recognise and report environmental health problems affecting patients and provide health protection interventions that promote health and safe environments for patients and staff.
• Maintain clinical and professional competence by portfolio evidence which shows an up to date knowledge of nursing, therapy, health, social and integrated working care trends and policy.
• Maintain a professional manner and promote a positive image that reflects the values of the organisation.
• Actively participate in regular clinical supervision as supervisor and supervisee.
• Participate in the appraisal programme and identify training needs, ensuring that statutory, mandatory and professional training and registration is completed and updated in a timely manner.
• Attend and participate in staff meetings.
• Actively progress integrated/interprofessional patient care and collaborative working.
• Contribute to the achievement of organisation and community nursing service objectives.

7. Responsibility for policy and service development implementation

Actively participate in clinical audit and clinical governance activities including risk assessments.

Participate in data collection, activity reporting and outcome measuring for community nursing.

Actively progress integrated/interprofessional patient care and collaborative working.

Contribute to the achievement of organisation and community nursing service objectives.

8. Responsibilities for financial and physical resources

Responsible for the safe use of expensive equipment.

Promote compliance to the organisations procedures for supply of consumables.

Identify and progress practice development to improve patient care standards and outcomes.

9. Responsibilities for human resources (HR)

Supervise and provide the training, mentoring and education of students and junior/unqualified staff.

Participate in own appraisal and clinical supervision.

10. Responsibilities for information resources

Ensure records are kept up to date and safeguard patient confidentiality by being aware of professional, legal and ethical responsibilities.

Record and submit accurate, timely data and information to inform caseload management and service development.

11. Responsibilities for research and development (R&D)

Actively participate in clinical audit and clinical governance activities to maintain quality of service and support service developments including risk assessments.

12. Freedom to act

• To work within organisational policies and procedures.
• To operate effectively within the operational policies and guidelines of the service.
• Guided by established policies and guidelines, be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of own work, ensuring a high standard of clinical care.

Person Specification

MCH Values

• Caring and compassionate, delivering quality and value, working in partnership.

Qualifications

• Hold current registration as a Paramedic with the Health and Care Professions Council or as a Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
• Preparation of Mentors/ENB 998 or equivalent.

Experience

• Experience in undertaking urgent care in community settings and clinical triage.
• Understanding of community setting for care and functioning of integrated working.

Special knowledge / expertise

• Qualification in Minor Illness Management, Enhanced Clinical Assessment or willingness to undertake.
• Knowledge and experience of working with enhanced Patient Group Directives.

Disposition, adjustment, attitude and commitment

• Evidence of undertaking regular training and continuous personal/professional development.
• Demonstrate ability to practice at an advanced level.
• Demonstrate ability to work autonomously and as part of a team.

Practical / intellectual skills

• A sound knowledge of Clinical Governance and risk management.

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.