Job Purpose: Staff Nurses work as part of a team providing high quality and compassionate care to individuals. The Staff Nurse is an autonomous practitioner who is responsible for the holistic assessment of both complex and simple care needs, the development, implementation and evaluation of care and delegation of care where appropriate to other members of the team. They will support the multidisciplinary team in the delivery of high quality care to enable individuals to achieve their person-centred goals. The Staff Nurse will take responsibility of the patient's care pathway and non --clinical duties in the absence of the line manager. They will have the understanding to address complex problems in their day to day work, reporting concerns to a line manager. The Staff Nurse will work in a range of healthcare settings and teams and have a flexible approach to the working day in order to meet the needs of the patient and the service. The Staff Nurse will be able to work effectively as part of a team and will always act within the limits of their competence, knowing who to ask for help and support as required. Staff Nurses will operate within agreed ways of working, following the relevant standards, policies and protocols used in their workplace including the standards in the NMC Code; Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses and midwives. Date of Job Description: November 2020 Duties and Responsibilities Communication and Key Working Relationships Effective Communication *Communicate effectively with individuals, their families, carers and health/social care practitioners using a range of styles and ensuring information remains confidential at all times. *Handle information (record, report and store information) related to individuals in line with local and national policies. *Communicate both routine, complex and sensitive information to patients/relatives and colleagues. *Facilitate good partnership working with other departments and agencies to enhance multidisciplinary team working. *Participate and organise meetings as and when required, which have a clear purpose and outcome. *Respond appropriately in line with Information Governance to referrals, enquiries and requests as required. *Use the Trust electronic patient record and other IT systems appropriately in line with Trust guidance. Key Relationships: *Patients, relatives, carers and the public *Community and Mental Health Teams *Managers *Professional Leads *Team colleagues *Social Services *Primary Care colleagues *Medical colleagues *Care Agencies *Voluntary Sector *Advocacy *External relationships with other agencies and Acute NHS Trusts * Planning and Organisation *Assess the holistic needs of an individual, understanding patient-centred goals and developing simple and complex treatment plans to achieve these goals and promote independence. *To practice in line with mental capacity act and make sure that the rights and best interest of those who lack capacity are still at the centre of the decision making process. *Act as the patient's advocate where necessary working in partnership with other health care professionals, agencies and independent advocacy. *To be responsible for own safety following lone working policies where applicable. *Attend regular ward/team meetings to be kept informed of and contribute to changes to policies/procedures and keep up to date with changes within the team, Trust and wider health care community. *Report and record, escalate any deficiencies in the service provision through Datix and risk assessment and assist in introducing a change in practice and systems as appropriate. *Provide statements in response to formal complaints. Resolve with patients or relatives any verbal complaints or pass onto the line manager if they cannot be resolved locally. Always inform the line manager of any locally resolved verbal complaints and ensure this is documented accurately. *To adopt a reflective approach to clinical practice to ensure own learning and development Analytics Responsibility for Patient / Client Care, Treatment & Therapy *A level of understanding of health and social care models to enable innovation and change in the work place. *A comprehensive understanding of the physiology, psychology and function of the body to enable holistic assessment and development of treatment plans for conditions within their area of competence. *A comprehensive understanding and application of health promotion and behaviour change which can improve an individual's quality of care and promote self care *Comprehensive understanding of the standards in the NMC Code; Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses and midwives and application of these standards in practice. *Undertake defined clinical or therapeutic interventions as assessed and documented in the treatment plan in line with patient-centred goals. *Have a broad skill base related to the area of practice maintaining competence and confidence in these skills. *Continually assess the patient, maintaining accurate clinical records and using clinical decision making skills to escalate deterioration in a timely manner. *Be expected to develop and maintain all the clinical skills necessary for this position (see Appendix for each area as required). *Undertake any necessary competency/skills based training, professional updates and mandatory training as appropriate to the post and as directed. *Ensuring that all nursing practice is evidenced-based and delivered to a high standard in line with Trust policies and procedures. *Participation in the improvement of clinical record keeping. *Through appraisal, identify own personal training needs to meet both professional and organisational objectives. *Developed and maintain a professional portfolio in line with recommendations in order to maintain current NMC registration. * Policy, Service, Research & Development Responsibility *Have knowledge of national research, guidelines, policy and legislation to ensure team and patient safety -- relevant to their area of work. *As required for service development meet the criteria for approval for non-medical prescribing training. To adhere to the process of Trust authorisation prior to practicing as a non-medical prescriber. To be accountable for practice as a non-medical prescriber following the Trust's principles Responsibility for Finance, Equipment & Other Resources *To be accountable and responsible for their decisions to delegate tasks and duties to other people. Responsibility for Supervision, Leadership & Management *Provide line management, clinical supervision, mentorship and have responsibility for the performance of other junior staff including students. *To undertake appraisals identifying staff's learning objectives. *Work closely with the line manager co-ordinating the teams off duties to meet the needs of the service/workload. *Acknowledge and utilise individual and team skills, knowledge and roles. *Encouraging personal and professional growth of others, acting as a mentor/clinical supervisor. *Participate in the induction and orientation of new staff both permanent and temporary. Information Resources & Administrative Duties *To maintain accurate, contemporaneous records and developing systems, which ensure continuity and standardisation of patients care within Trust guidelines. *Take responsibility for clinical incident reporting following the incident reporting process. Support the line manager to use the learning from incidents in a positive way to develop services or change practice. *Participate in audit to monitor relevant targets and meet clinical governance objectives. *Act as a link nurse for specialist areas of nursing by attending meetings held by the appropriate specialist nurse and communicating to the team any changes in practice. Participate in Best Practice Groups to devise protocols and guidelines as appropriate to improve practice and patient care in accordance with Clinical Governance. Any Other Specific Tasks Required *Follow the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion.