Nursing Associate OutpatientsNHS

Job summary

Are you a passionate and motivated Nursing Associate looking for an exciting new opportunity? Why not bring your skills, enthusiasm and compassion to our Outpatients Department at Kidderminster Hospital and Treatment Centre?

We are looking for a Band 4 Nursing Associate to join our welcoming and supportive team. This is an exciting opportunity to work within a varied outpatient environment, caring for patients across a range of specialities and playing a key role in delivering a safe, effective and positive patient experience.

Working in Outpatients offers the opportunity to develop your clinical skills, expand your knowledge and gain valuable experience across different areas of care. You will work alongside a dedicated multidisciplinary team, contributing to high-quality patient care while supporting the smooth running of our services.

We are looking for someone who is caring, enthusiastic, organised and committed to delivering excellent patient-centred care. You will be supported to develop within your role and encouraged to make the most of opportunities to learn and grow professionally.

If you are ready for a new challenge and want to be part of a team where your skills, ideas and contribution are valued, we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

• Deliver safe, patient-centred care to outpatients, working within the Nursing Associate scope of practice and escalating concerns appropriately.
• Undertake a range of clinical assessments and observations, including NEWS, blood glucose, ECGs and others, recognising deterioration and escalating appropriately.
• Perform clinical procedures within competence, including venepuncture, cannulation, compression bandaging and supporting investigations and treatments.
• Support patient flow through Outpatients, including preparation, assessment, treatment, admission/transfer and discharge.
• Communicate effectively with patients, relatives and the multidisciplinary team, providing information, reassurance and appropriate handovers while maintaining dignity, confidentiality and patient choice.
• Maintain high standards of infection prevention, health and safety and risk management, including reporting incidents, maintaining equipment and a safe clinical environment.
• Work collaboratively within the multidisciplinary team, including supporting and appropriately delegating to HCSWs and contributing to the induction and development of new staff and students.
• Contribute to audit, quality improvement and service development, helping implement changes and maintain high standards of care within the department.
• Maintain professional development and competence, including acting as an assessor/practice assessor, completing mandatory training and keeping practice up to date.

Job description

Job Purpose

The post holder is a member of the direct care team and will provide advanced support to the registered nurse to meet patients needs. You will be responsible for providing care to patients as delegated by the registered nurse to ensure a seamless service to patients.

Key Duties

Service Delivery Responsibilities

To ensure own actions support equality, diversity and rights in the delivery of a high standard of patient care.

To contribute to the prevention and control of infection by monitoring and recording any issues

To comply with Trust Policies and Regulations and attend mandatory training.

To be competent to work across multi-professional disciplines and make referrals for additional assessments and treatments as required.

To assist in maintaining own and others Health, Safety and Security in the workplace for self and others.

To act as champion where appropriate and as requested for areas such as Manual Handling, Tissue Viability, Infection Prevention and Control and Nutrition, and falls prevention.

Clinical Responsibilities

Undertake a range of delegated clinical duties within the Outpatients Department, working independently within the scope of competence and escalating concerns appropriately to a Registered Nurse or other appropriate clinician.

Maintain and demonstrate competence in area-specific and generic clinical skills in accordance with Trust policies, procedures and competency frameworks.

Undertake appropriate clinical observations and assessments as required within the outpatient setting, recognising and responding to changes in a patient's condition and escalating concerns promptly.

Measure, monitor and accurately record clinical observations as required.

Calculate and record the National Early Warning Score where clinically indicated and take appropriate action in accordance with Trust policy and escalation procedures.

Undertake venepuncture, cannulation and other approved clinical procedures following appropriate training, competency assessment and within the scope of the role.

Undertake complex dressings, including compression bandaging, within Vascular and other clinics after completion of appropriate training and competency assessment.

Perform capillary blood glucose monitoring and urinalysis where clinically indicated, recording results accurately and escalating abnormal findings appropriately.

Perform electrocardiograms following appropriate training and competency assessment, ensuring recordings are of an appropriate standard and promptly communicated to the relevant clinician.

Support clinicians with outpatient investigations, procedures and treatments within the individual's scope of competence and following appropriate training.

Prepare patients appropriately for planned outpatient investigations and procedures, ensuring relevant information, clinical observations and documentation are completed accurately.

Provide appropriate support and reassurance to patients before, during and following outpatient investigations and procedures.

Observe patients following procedures or interventions where required, recognising signs of deterioration, adverse reactions or complications and escalating concerns immediately to the appropriate Registered Nurse or clinician.

Assist Registered Nurses and other clinicians in the management of patients who become acutely unwell within the Outpatients Department, initiating appropriate immediate action within the scope of competence and Trust policy.

Identify and report clinical risks or changes in a patient's condition to the appropriate Registered Nurse or clinician.

Undertake appropriate assessments relevant to the outpatient environment, including falls risk, safeguarding, wellbeing and other clinical assessments as required by the service.

Contribute to the management of patients with additional needs, including those requiring reasonable adjustments, communication support or assistance to access outpatient services.

Maintain accurate, timely and comprehensive clinical documentation in accordance with Trust policies and professional standards, ensuring records are clear, concise and legible.

Obtain and communicate investigation results as appropriate, ensuring abnormal or clinically significant results are escalated promptly to the relevant clinician.

Support the safe and effective flow of patients through the Outpatients Department, contributing to the efficient preparation, assessment, treatment and discharge of patients.

Provide patients with appropriate information relating to their appointment, investigation, treatment or onward care, within the scope of the role, and ensure patients know how to seek further advice or support when required.

Recognise and escalate safeguarding concerns in accordance with Trust policies and procedures, contributing to the protection of children and adults at risk.

Maintain effective communication with patients, relatives and carers, demonstrating compassion, respect and sensitivity, particularly when patients may be anxious, distressed or receiving difficult information.

Demonstrate effective communication skills when supporting patients with additional communication needs, language barriers, sensory impairment, learning disabilities or other individual requirements.

Maintain patient dignity, privacy, confidentiality and choice at all times, recognising the importance of a positive patient experience within the outpatient environment.

Demonstrate excellent customer care skills and act as a positive role model for colleagues, contributing to a welcoming, professional and patient-centred outpatient service.

Recognise challenging or potentially aggressive behaviour and use appropriate communication and de-escalation techniques, seeking assistance when required and following Trust procedures.

Maintain high standards of Infection Prevention and Control at all times, ensuring clinical areas, equipment and patient environments are maintained in accordance with Trust policy.

Ensure clinical equipment is appropriately prepared, cleaned, maintained and stored, reporting faults or concerns promptly and following relevant departmental procedures.

Contribute to maintaining a safe, clean and well-organised clinical environment and report any environmental, health and safety or infection prevention concerns to the appropriate person.

Support the safe management of clinical stock and supplies, monitoring stock levels and ensuring appropriate equipment and consumables are available for outpatient clinics and procedures.

Ensure incidents, accidents, near misses and other safety concerns are reported promptly and managed in accordance with Trust policy, including the completion of Datix.

Contribute to the development and production of appropriate patient information and support patients to access relevant health information and services.

Promote health and wellbeing and provide appropriate health promotion information within the scope of the role.

Maintain accurate and timely patient and service-related data, contributing to audit and quality improvement activities as required.

Work collaboratively with ALL colleagues to support the delivery of effective outpatient services.

Provide support, guidance and appropriate delegation to Healthcare Support Workers within the limits of the role, ensuring delegated activities are undertaken safely and effectively.

Participate in the induction, orientation and support of newly appointed staff and students, sharing knowledge and demonstrating good practice.

Participate in departmental meetings, training and professional development activities as required.

Maintain and develop clinical knowledge and skills appropriate to the role, undertaking mandatory and role-specific training.

Work within the boundaries of the Nursing Associate role, recognising limitations of competence and seeking advice appropriately.

Uphold and promote high standards of professional practice, behaviour and patient-centred care at all times, working in accordance with Trust policies, procedures, values and relevant professional standards.

Personal Development

Act as an Assessor for staff

Act as a Practice Assessor for students

Maintain a personal development plan and an annual programme of learning and development to ensure clinical practice is based on best practice and up to date.

To be responsible for own practice.

Maintain responsibility for the identification of own continuing educational needs.

Formulate a personal development plan, take part in annual appraisal and keep revalidation records up to date.

Administration and Clerical Responsibilities

Demonstrate the use of information technology to benefit the service.

Record, report and where required take responsibility for a variety of systems required for delivering the service, e.g. supplies and environmental estates issues.

Utilise the information systems for reporting relevant data.

Use of clinical databases e.g. patient records, order systems, etc.

To obtain blood results from the appropriate IT system.

Quality Improvement

Carry out relevant audits as delegated by the Outpatients Sister and assist in the development of action plans as a result of findings.

Work with the department staff on quality improvement initiatives and support the embedding of change initiatives into clinical practice.

About us

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester

Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Being open and honest

Ensuring people feel cared for

Showing respect to everyone

We are committed to developing a culture of continuous improvement by embedding the principles of our Improvement System.

We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

DBS Checks and Costs

Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check (at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in Supporting Information section for more details on DBS checks and costs.