Healthcare Assistant

Whittington Health NHS Trust; London; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen at Whittington Health NHS Trust for a Pre-Operative Assessment Nurse. The successful candidate will support the surgical team by evaluating and maintaining high standards of patient care and assisting in the development of the pre-operative assessment service.

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse with NMC required.
• Experience in a surgical setting essential.
• Teaching experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Perform complete nursing and anaesthetic assessments.
• Integrate discharge planning into pre-operative assessments.
• Educate patients on surgical procedures and health.

Skills

Teaching

Surgical skills

Communication

Self-Motivation

Flexibility

Education

Registered Nurse with NMC

Teaching qualification

Job description

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An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our dynamic Pre Operative Assessment Team. This secondment opportunity is perfect for someone looking to expand their surgical nursing skills.

The Pre-Operative Assessment Clinic provides a service for all elective surgical patients attending Whittington Health.

The team comprises of Specialist Nurses, Consultant Anaesthetists, Health Care Assistants and Administrative Support.

We are looking for a Pre-Operative Assessment Nurse who will assist the existing team in the development and implementation of the pre-operative assessment service, who can perform as a proficient practitioner evaluating and maintaining high standards of care delivered.

Main duties of the job

Carry out and demonstrate as required extended nursing procedures as per Best Practise Guidelines and procedures and protocols. Ensure that a complete nursing and anaesthetic assessment is performed using the appropriate verbal and physical examination skills, documenting your assessment findings. Use the online platforms to gather information and triage patients to assign the appropriate pre-operative appointments. Review patients online, telephone and via face-to-face methods depending on their clinical needs. To organise appropriate referrals to the relevant member of the multidisciplinary team i.e. Anaesthetist, Surgeon, GP where patients are found to be unfit for surgery at the pre-assessment clinic.Integrate discharge planning into the pre-operative assessment process. Perform and maintain the practical skills necessary for patient assessment e.g. venepuncture, ECG, Ensure the patient at all times receives a high standard of care to ensure a good patient experience having regard for their customs, religious beliefs and doctrines.Educate patients appropriately (written and verbally) regarding their surgical procedures, associated risks and general health education.

Working for our organisation

Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Operational Management

·Assist with the development, implementation and evaluation of departmental protocols.

Adhere to Trust and departmental policies and procedures.

·Assist in the audit and monitoring of the pre-assessment service and participate in the implementation of changes to improve service delivery

·Work closely with other departments to ensure the service develops to meet the needs of the patients.

·Develop and maintain effective channels of communication between all members of the multi-disciplinary team.

·Liaise closely with the waiting list co-ordinators regarding the patients’ suitability for surgery and the most appropriate date of admission.

·Assist with the organisation of agreed nursing staff resources to meet clinical activity requirements on a day-to-day basis.

·Ensure clinic notes and x-rays, blood results are available for their admission date.

Personal Development

·To take responsibility for personal development by seeking out opportunities to enhance knowledge, skills and develop practise.

·Continues to study and update knowledge and skills in the chosen area of practise to the advanced level required for pre-assessment.

·In the context of the individual’s own knowledge, experience and sphere of authority, assist peers and subordinates to develop professional competence in accordance with their own needs.

·Develop and maintain a sound knowledge base of surgical procedures and their risks.

·Participate in clinical audit and initiate changes to improve practice.

Responsibility for Resources:

·To assist with the monitoring of stock levels of clinical stores and technical equipment, resolving shortfall as appropriate

·Maintain a safe environment in Pre-operative Assessment and ensure that all equipment is safe and in working order

Person specification

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse with NMC
• Teaching qualification

Experience

• Surgical Experience
• Teaching experience
• Enthusiastic and Dynamic
• Self Motivated and proactive
• Flexible

SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND ADULTS

To comply with the Trust’s Safeguarding Children and Adults policies , procedures and protocols. All individual members of staff (paid or unpaid) have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults This will require you to:

• Ensure you are familiar with and comply with the London Child Protection Procedures and protocols for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people.
• Ensure you are familiar and comply with theLondon Multi Agency Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Pan London Procedures.
• Ensure you are familiar and comply with local protocols and systems for information sharing.
• Know the appropriate contact numbers and required reporting lines.
• Participate in required training and supervision.
• Comply with required professional boundaries and codes of conduct

Whittington Health is committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.