Job overview
Critical Care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ is one of the largest, most specialised and comprehensive critical care services in the NHS and is located in the centre of London. With over 100 critical care beds within the division we can offer an innovative, challenging and inspirational career experience. It is also one of five ECMO centres in the UK, with a 24/7 consultant-led retrieval service and engage closely with referring centres to inform of best clinical practice. The critical care service is recognised internationally for supporting patients beyond the walls of intensive care and taking a holistic view of their recovery back to health. The department runs a well-established recovery clinic and peer support group, led by a multi-disciplinary team of critical care professionals.
We don’t just want to stop at recruiting the best nurses. We want you to stay with us for the long-term too. That’s why we’ll do everything we can to support you - and help you make your professional ambitions a reality.
Please note to be considered for this vacancy you must have completed a critical care course and either have your results or be waiting for your results to be processed.
Should you be successful at interview and you are unable to provide the recruiting manger with confirmation of a successfully competed critical care course within 2 months of being interviewed then your offer will be withdrawn
Closing date: 7th July 2024 at Midnight
Interview date: 22nd July 2024
Main duties of the job
We are looking for nurses with a willingness to learn, that thrive under pressure and have the ability to adapt and refine their skills according to the demands of the unit.
Would you like to work as a Band 6 Senior Staff Nurse in one of the largest Critical Care departments in the UK? We are currently recruiting experienced and motivated Nurses to work in Critical Care (High Dependency or Intensive Care) who are looking for an innovative, challenging and inspirational career experience.
Working for our organisation
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK’s best known hospitals – Guy’s, St Thomas’, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield – as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.
We are among the UK’s busiest, most successful foundation trusts. We provide specialist care for patients including heart and lung, cancer and renal services as well as a full range of local hospital and community services for people in Lambeth and Southwark.
We have a long tradition of clinical and scientific achievement and – as part of King’s Health Partners – we are one of England’s eight academic health sciences centres, bringing together world-class clinical services, teaching and research. We have one of the National Institute for Health Research’s biomedical research centres, established with King’s College London in 2007, as well as dedicated clinical research facilities.
We have around 22,700 staff, making us one of the largest NHS Trusts in the country and one of the biggest employers locally. We aim to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and continue to develop new and existing partnerships with local people, patients, neighbouring NHS organisations, local authorities and charitable bodies and GPs.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Independently manage a group of patients within the specialty whilst working as part of the multidisciplinary team, delivering individualised and personalised direct patient care.
Demonstrate appropriate practice and specialist advice in the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of patient care. This includes history taking, physical examination and the requesting of agreed diagnostic procedures/clinical investigations.
Responsible for the correct administration of prescribed medication including transfusion of blood and blood products.
Be responsible for assessing and recognising emergencies in the speciality. To interpret information and take appropriate action and to lead others to do the same.
Ensure that patients’ receive high quality clinical care and a good patient experience, having regard for their customs, religious beliefs and doctrines.
To provide leadership, support and guidance to staff in monitoring the planning delivery and evaluation of individualised care.
Is wholly accountable for his / her practice in line with the NMC code of professional conduct and takes every reasonable opportunity to sustain and improve his / her knowledge and professional competence.
Ensure safe and effective care for complex patients requiring advance clinical skills and responsible for carrying out specialist nursing procedures to area.
Ensure that sensitive patient records are stored appropriately.
Ensure staff take precautions to minimise the risk of cross infection in relation to the safe disposal of body fluids (including blood).
To be an effective communicator with patients/carers/families regarding disease treatment and management.
Facilitate a high quality, cost effective specialist service through monitoring and audit and other quality initiatives agreed by the Trust.
Identify and intervene where circumstances contribute to an unsafe environment for patients and staff. To bring instances to the attention of the Sister/Charge Nurse for the area.
Ensure that the learning environment and specialist training is appropriate for both pre and post registration learners and participate in the development of appropriate programmes.
Contribute in the Trust’s clinical supervision programme for staff.
To assist the Sister/Charge Nurse in developing a culture that is challenging, stimulating, rewarding and supportive.
To act as mentor/assessor to unqualified staff and to provide education, advice and support to a team of nurses.
Utilise research findings in the delivery of specialist patient care, developing new ways of working and to disseminate relevant information to staff.
Provide a leadership role model and demonstrate specialist knowledge and high standards of clinical practice and provide support or advice when necessary.
Maintain accurate records of the clinical service and ensuring that confidentiality of information is adhered to.
Organise own work and manage own caseload and practice, identifying and maintaining supportive networks for self and other staff members.
Take an active role in risk assessment, supporting implementation of strategies to minimise risk. Ensuring incidents and near misses are reported, through promoting a no blame culture.
To create an environment that fosters good communication between patient and health care professionals, that meets individual’s needs.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
BSC/1st degree (health related) or equivalent qualification/training and experience
Evidence of specialist course
Mentorship/Teaching Qualification
Post registration qualification in or demonstrate relevant experience and competence (appropriate area of speciality)
Desirable criteria
Leadership qualification
Professional/ Statutory Registration
Essential criteria
RN1/ RN2/ RN12 or RN Child Registered Nurse on the NMC register. To hold the appropriate level for the area of speciality
Experience
Essential criteria
Experience and competence in the management of patients within the speciality
Experience of teaching/assessing/ supervising others in a clinical setting
Supervision of junior staff
Desirable criteria
Experience of co-ordinating a shift
Skills/Knowledge/Ability
Essential criteria
Up to date knowledge of current clinical and professional issues. Knowledge of evidence based practice
Ability to assess, plan, implement and evaluate specialist care delivered to patients/clients and give relevant advice/information to patients and relatives
Evidence of involvement and leadership in teaching and mentoring learners
An understanding of audit and research based nursing practice
Good communication skills and ability to deal with sensitive information. To include dealing with distressed relatives, care of terminally ill & other challenging situations
Demonstrate an awareness of clinical governance and risk management and how this effects their role and the department
Desirable criteria
IT skills
Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study’s at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity , gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership.
