COPD Nurse Specialist

St. Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; St Helens; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking a COPD Nurse Specialist for an 18‑month secondment in a well‑established community COPD service in St Helens. The role involves working across primary and secondary care to prevent hospital admissions and reduce length of stay for COPD patients.

The post supports oxygen clinics and home care, with opportunities to internal secondment within the trust, with management support. A Band 7 COPD nurse may provide mentorship.

Qualifications

• Essential criteria include NMC registration on Part 1 and ENB related course.
• Evidence of continued professional development.
• Currently pursuing higher qualification (Diploma or Degree).

Responsibilities

• Assist Team Leader to meet commissioned targets while ensuring optimum care.
• Assess patients and provide early supported/discharged care.
• Visit patients with COPD diagnosis, provide education, and optimise treatment.
• Deliver education on COPD management to patients and carers.
• Support service governance and maintain high standards of care.

Education

NMC registration on Part 1

Speciality Related Course (ENB)

Continued professional development

Pursuing higher qualification (Diploma/Degree)

Tools

IT skills

Job description

After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third-party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through the NHS Jobs website, and furthermore, as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any e-mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website. By applying for this post you are agreeing to "name of trust" transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Job overview

An Exciting opportunity to cover 18 months secondment opportunity within a well established Community COPD service in St Helens delivered by experienced Specialist nursing team , the recruitment process will also consider an internal opportunity to candidates from within our trust for a secondment opportunity with the support of your manager and matron.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work as part of an integrated community COPD nurse specialist working across primary and secondary care to prevent hospital admission and reduce length of stay for patient with an exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease (COPD) and a St Helens GP. The team also support the delivery of oxygen clinics and warm Home for lungs..

Working for our organisation

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.

Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

KEY DUTIES

• To assist the Team Leader to meet the commissioned targets whilst ensuring optimum care for patient.
• Assessing and managing patients within the hospital to provide early supported/ supported discharge.
• To visit new patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COPD by a nurse trained in ARTP qualification in interpretation of Spirometry to introduce them to the service, provide education and optimise treatment with support from the band 7 specialist nurse.
• If diagnosis is unclear this must be passed to the specialist nurse to assess and review
• Providing a full problem orientated medical assessment to provide follow up visits for patients with a treatment plan experiencing a worsening of symptoms with a diagnosis of Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), liaising with the Band 7 COPD nurse Specialist for support and changes to the treatment plan.
• Developing skill to prescribe appropriately with competencies as a non-medical prescriber to optimise patient treatment as per national and local guidelines.
• Provide education to your patient regarding their disease to assist them to develop self-management skills at home, to prevent hospital admission, in line with national and local guidelines.
• Perform assessments of patient nursing and social needs in line with service policies. Plan, implement and evaluate evidence-based care delivery according to changing health care needs.
• Make clinical decisions to prevent hospital admissions at home and recognising Chronic and acute oxygen needs to maintain patient safety.
• Support hypoxic patient at home who refuse hospital admission, communicating with the GP and monitors signs of deterioration; encouraging hospital admission to always maintain patient safety and supported by the band 7 specialist nurse.
• Identify appropriate resources for individual patient needs, referring to appropriate service to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and any further deterioration.
• Identify patient who are at risk of admission and monitor patient at home to reduce 30-day readmissions.
• Support the trust advancing quality and CQUIN targets.
• Identify patient suitable for early supported discharge and facilitate discharges at home adhering to service inclusion and exclusion criteria.
• Develop advanced clinical skills in assessment and/or treatment of respiratory care and obtain MSc certificate in Clinical examination and diagnostics.
• Form (HOOF) across primary and secondary care for long term oxygen therapy (LTOT)
• Ambulatory oxygen therapy (AOT) and short burst oxygen therapy (SBOT) oxygen therapy.
• Providing support and the delivery of palliative care oxygen prescribing across primary care
• Adhere to trust and service policies and standard operating procedures.
• Impart specialist knowledge, advice and support to colleagues, patients, carers, and relatives across primary and secondary care.
• Use the expertise and knowledge of professional colleagues acknowledging the boundaries of different roles.
• Establish and maintain continuing relationships with patients, carers and relatives which are essential to providing effective long-term care.
• Provide sensitive, complex information to patients, carers, relatives and professionals across health and social services.
• Develop qualifications as an advanced practitioner working towards
• Nurse practitioner qualification
• Develop skills in the interpretation of spirometry and pulmonary function tests to ATRP standards.
• Identify pathology testing needs for individual patients, obtain samples, interpret results, and ensure appropriate follow up.
• Obtain qualifications in mentorship and provide support to student who are on short placements within the service.
• Support the service manager in the day-to-day delivery of the service.

CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Maintain Professional Registration
• To be aware and adhere to NMC guidelines for the Administration of Medicines Act 1992 and misuse of Drugs Act 1991.
• Adhere to lone working policy.
• To work within trust guidelines and national guidance education, use and distribution of drugs under patient group directives within the service, attending education and use of patient group directives.
• Attend national training programme to obtain qualifications and practice as a non-medic prescriber, adhering to national and local policies.
• To observe the provisions of and adhere to all Trust policies and procedures.
• To actively participate in the annual performance review to identify personal development needs.
• To attend Trust Statutory and Mandatory training sessions as required and any other training courses relevant to the post.
• To be aware of the confidential aspects of the post. Breaches of confidentiality will result in disciplinary action that may involve dismissal. The post holder should also be aware that, regardless of any action taken by the employing authority, breaches of confidentiality could result in civil action for damages.
• All staff will be treated with respect by management, colleagues, patients, and visitors and equally staff will treat management, colleagues, patients and visitors with the same level of respect. Staff will be supported to challenge any discriminatory behaviour that may be based on differences in race, disability, language, culture, religion, sexuality, age, gender, or employment status.
• Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has a 'No Smoking' Policy and smoking is not permitted in Trust buildings or vehicles.
• To adhere to relevant Code of Practice of Professional body (if appropriate)
• The duties contained in this job description are not intended to be exhaustive. The tasks and responsibilities of this post are likely to evolve in line with the Trust's continued organisational development.
• The post holder must be flexible in the duties performed and it is expected that similar duties, not specifically listed above, will be carried out as required and may be cross site. Any such variation will be agreed in advance between the post holder and their manager as part of the continuing process of management review and development.

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILTIES

• To support the delivery of a rapid response team
• Ensure appropriate affective service delivery.
• Ensure all rapid response referrals are dealt with within two hours.
• Ensure all oxygen appointments are reviewed within 10 days of referral.
• Ensure that all rapid response activity is recorded accurately to support accurate reporting to CCG.
• Maintain, clear, concise. Legible and contemporaneous patient records at all times in line with Trust policy and The Standard for Recording Keeping (NMC April 1993)
• Ensure that all standard operating procedures are adhered to.
• Maintain an accurate service database and filing systems.
• Ensure that all KPI are adhered to.

TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES

• To act as a resource, providing education and training across primary and secondary care regarding the administration & delivery of oxygen and management of COPD
• To raise awareness of respiratory issues by teaching and providing education across the organisation.
• Provide education and development for others within a multi-disciplinary framework.
• To facilitate and appropriate learning/practice environment for students across primary and secondary care, facilities education on the role of the COPD nurse within local universities.
• Demonstrate critical thinking and reflective skills to ensure own professional development in line with PREP.
• Attend annual appraisal to identify and agree training and development needs as part of a Personal Development Plan.
• Attend all statutory/mandatory training sessions, identifying when training is required and discussing with line manager

LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Exercise judgement, discretion and decision making in clinical practice, across all aspect of the role within primary and secondary care and the delivery of oxygen clinics.
• Assist in the evaluation of service delivery, identify areas of improvement and initiate changes.
• Ensure effective and efficient use of physical and financial resources within the service.
• To support the development and role of assistant practitioner and junior staff across the services
• Facilitate Assistant practitioner line management and appraisal management under the supervision of the team leader.
• To identify and allocate assistant practitioners and junior staff works load each shift.
• Participate fully in Clinical Supervision sessions arranged by the Team Leader and Clinical Supervisor.
• Work collaboratively with the professional agencies to ensure patient needs are met and especially in relation to on-going care and informed discharge with self-management skills.
• Establish and maintain effective communication with patient, cares/relatives, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Exercise judgement, discretion and decision making in clinical care.
• Assist in the evaluation of service delivery, identify areas of improvement and initiate change.
• Support the Service Manager/ Team Leader to evaluate and improve service provision.
• Ensure effective and efficient use of physical and financial resources within the service.
• Monitor health, safety and security of self and others to promote best practice.
• Ensure effective delivery of multi-disciplinary weekly team meetings.
• Coordinate with the Trust Practice education facilitator (PEF) to ensure delivery of appropriate student mentorship

RESEARCH & AUDIT

• Continually monitor standards of care and participate in the improvement of care through benchmarking/audit/research.
• Promote patient and public involvement activities in specialist area leading to service improvement.
• Maintain, clear, concise. Legible and contemporaneous patient records at all times in line with Trust policy and The Standard for Recording Keeping (NMC April 1993)
• Participate fully in Clinical Supervision sessions arranged by the Team Leader and Clinical Supervisor.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• NMC registration on Part 1 of the Register
• Speciality Related Course (ENB)
• Evidence of continued professional development
• Currently pursuing further higher qualification to Diploma or Degree level

Desirable criteria

• IV Drug Administration Certificate or Competencies

Knowledge & Experience

Essential criteria

• Significant experience post registration
• Evidence of working with speciality (Respiratory) specific patients
• Evidence of teaching skills up to date knowledge of current clinical and professional issues
• Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal and communication skills
• Able to use skills of history taking and physical assessment to direct patient care

Skills

Essential criteria

• Time management and organisational skills
• Good IT skills
• Presentation skills
• Ability to prioritise workload
• Ability to work autonomously & as part of a team
• Flexible approach to work

Desirable criteria

• Advanced communication skills

Other

Essential criteria

• Ability to travel by own vehicle / access to assisted driver
• A strong commitment to openness, honest and inclusiveness
• Creative lateral thinker
• Sensitivity based on knowledge

Thank you for considering an application to work for Mersey West Lancashire NHS Trust. MWL is an exciting and forward-thinking NHS Trust who are one of the best places to work for in England.

Given sometimes we receive a high volume of applications to work for us, please be aware, that we may close a vacancy earlier than stated should a sufficient number of applications be received from which a shortlist can be confirmed. Therefore, you are advised to apply at your earliest convenience.

The Trust may contact you during the recruitment process for your feedback on your experience. We always aim for continuous improvement in our practice.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

We actively cultivate a professional environment of fairness, equality, dignity, and respect for all individuals. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and value the unique skills, perspective and experience you bring. We are grounded in the belief that diversity enhances our collective strength, fostering innovation and excellence within our workforce. We welcome all applications irrespective of people's race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we commit to offering an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.

If you are having difficulty completing an online application, or require any disability reasonable adjustments, to the application process, please contact