Healthcare Assistant

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust; Basildon; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A local NHS health provider in Basildon seeks a Registered Nurse for its OPAT clinic. This role involves coordinating patient care, administering IV medications, and liaising with various healthcare teams. Candidates must have previous experience in autonomous patient care and cannulation, along with a driving license. The role promotes optimum care across multiple sites and requires excellent communication skills. Join a team dedicated to delivering high-quality patient support and enhancing healthcare services.

Benefits

Travel expenses reimbursement

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse or eligible to work in OPAT clinics.
• Previous experience in administering IV medications.
• Ability to liaise with multiple medical teams.
• Driving license and access to car required.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate clinics as part of Band 6 nursing role.
• Work alongside clinic manager for patient assessments.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams.
• Administer intravenous medications via PICC or cannula.
• Support Hospital@Home service with IV therapies.

Skills

Registered Nurse

Autonomous patient care

Intravenous medication administration

Proficiency in cannulation

Excellent communication skills

Education

Eligibility to register as a nurse

Job description

Overview

Are you looking for a new and exciting role? Do you want to be part of a new service and be integral to providing excellent patient care? We are looking for a Registered Nurse or to work in our Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapies (OPAT) clinic. This is a permanent full-time contract, but part-time/secondment will be considered. The post holder will work as part of the Integrated Care and Hospital at Home teams for Mid and South Essex Hospitals to deliver an OPAT service to patients from across the Mid Essex NHS Trust areas in a clinic setting. They will assist with organising a caseload of patients with a variety of complex needs but will have the support of clinical teams working within the virtual wards setting.

The post holder will assist the clinic manager with day-to-day operation of the OPAT clinic.

The OPAT service operates from MSE Trust sites; however, the successful candidate may be required to work across multiple sites within the Mid and South Essex NHS Trust area (Basildon, Southend, Billericay or Broomfield). A driving licence and access to a car are essential for this role as you may be expected to travel between hospital base sites. Travel expenses will be reimbursed via the Trust expenses system. The OPAT service facilitates early discharge from hospital and provides an admission avoidance service. The post holder will liaise with the virtual wards and emergency department medical teams to identify and assess those who would benefit from OPAT services. There may be an expectation to communicate with community teams and patients\' GPs to ensure continuity of care. The post holder will be expected to have excellent communication skills and be able to communicate via a variety of platforms – email, telephone, virtual meetings, etc.

The post holder will ensure that IV medications are safely administered as per agreed clinical pathways within scope of practice. They will devise relevant care plans and ensure that these are adhered to and kept current within the OPAT service. To work as part of the team within the Integrated Care division, in particular the Hospital@Home teams, managing a clinical caseload and to facilitate patient flow through identified pathways, including discharge planning.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate clinics as part of the Band 6 nursing role, ensuring the nurse-led service is organised and adheres to Trust policies and procedures.
• Work alongside the Band 7 clinic manager and a Healthcare Assistant to ensure patients are suitably assessed and optimal treatments are provided.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure high-quality care is given to each patient.
• Demonstrate autonomous patient care and administer intravenous medications via PICC or peripheral cannula; be proficient in cannulation.
• Be flexible to the working practices of this role to ensure optimum care; the OPAT team may work across multiple clinic sites and support the Hospital@Home service with IV therapies for patients at home when required.

Qualifications and requirements

• Registered Nurse (or eligible to register) to work in OPAT clinics.
• Previous experience in autonomous patient care and administering intravenous medications via PICC or peripheral cannula; proficient in cannulation.
• A driving licence and access to a car are essential.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to communicate via multiple platforms (email, telephone, virtual meetings).
• Ability to liaise with virtual wards, emergency departments, community teams and patients\' GPs to ensure continuity of care.
• Flexibility to the working practices of this role to ensure optimum care for the service users.

Working for our organisation

Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers. We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.

The Band 6 nurse will be responsible for coordinating the clinics and ensuring the nurse-led service is organised and adheres to Trust policies and procedures. They will work alongside the Band 7 clinic manager and a Healthcare Assistant to ensure patients are suitably assessed and optimal treatments are provided. You will work with multidisciplinary teams to ensure high-quality care is given to each patient.

You will be expected to have previous experience in autonomous patient care and administering intravenous medications via PICC or peripheral cannula and be proficient in cannulation skills.

Due to the nature of the service and the patient demographic there is an expectation of flexibility to the working practice of this role to ensure optimum care is provided. The OPAT team may be required to work at multiple clinic sites and to support the Hospital@home service with the administration of IV therapies to patients on the service in their own homes if required.

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is the only acute hospital provider in the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS), which is a system of health and care partners working together for our local population. Within Mid and South Essex there are 149 GP practices, operating from over 200 sites, forming 27 Primary Care Networks and one Ambulance Trust. There are also three main community and mental health service providers who work together through a community collaborative. We collaborate with other valuable partners, including three Healthwatch organisations, nine voluntary and community sector organisations and three top-tier local authorities, with seven district, borough and city councils, as well as our local universities. Please note, the selection processes at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right skills and values. The use of AI in applications is monitored, and you will be required to declare if AI has been used before submitting your application.