Lead Nurse home therapies

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider in Plymouth is seeking a specialist practitioner in clinical nursing to develop and manage home haemodialysis programs. The role includes providing expert advice and training for patients with renal disease and leading multidisciplinary teams to ensure optimal care. Candidates should be NMC registered and possess strong leadership, mentoring, and clinical skills in renal medicine. This position offers a salary of £47,810 to £54,710 per annum.

Qualifications

• Recent clinical skills in home haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
• Demonstrable experience in a leadership capacity.
• Knowledge of the psychological needs of renal patients.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert nursing advice for home therapies.
• Coordinate training programs for home dialysis patients.
• Develop evidence-based nursing strategies for patients.

Skills

Leadership skills

Clinical skills in renal medicine

Communication skills

Teaching and mentoring skills

Organizational skills

Problem-solving skills

Counseling skills

Education

NMC Registered Nurse

Educated to degree level or working towards

Completed renal course or willing to undertake

Mentorship course

Leadership qualification

Job description

• To develop a home haemodialysis programme and expand the peritoneal dialysis programme.
• To coordinate and manage the home haemodialysis training programme as well as a caseload of home therapy patients.
• To provide specialist advice, support, training and care to patients with renal disease and to their families and carers in both hospital and community settings.
• To promote shared care and home therapies, provide specialist advice and information relating to home therapies to the multidisciplinary team and in primary and secondary care.
• Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as 'Priority' and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.

Main duties of the job

As a specialist practitioner in clinical nursing practice, provide expert nursing advice in relation to home haemodialysis / home therapies to members of the MDT.

Assist professional colleagues to establish a timely, evidence-based care pathway to facilitate effective identification of potential home haemodialysis / home therapy patients.

Working in conjunction with the MDT to facilitate the process of informed decision making with respect to home haemodialysis / home therapy modality choice in accordance with national and local resources/guidelines.

Work closely with medical, surgical, nursing and MDT staff to develop evidence-based nursing strategies for the home haemodialysis / home therapy caseload to ensure optimum health.

Advise and support all home haemodialysis / home therapy patients in relation to health promotion and lifestyle management in both short and long term.

To liaise with the renal network to provide a holistic approach to improve patient outcome.

Provide emotional and psychological support during the decision-making process, transition to home haemodialysis / home therapy. Ensure physical, psychological, cultural and social aspects are considered.

For further details please see attached JD & PS.

About us

We are a people business — where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust offers all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure.

Please note that all communication will be electronic; please check your email account regularly. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support, including reasonable adjustments with the application process, please contact the recruitment manager for this post who will put you in touch with the recruitment team. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Job responsibilities

PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Leadership/Managerial

Continue responsibility for the assessment of care needs and setting standards by delivering specialist nursing care, initiating and coordinating assessment, planning and evaluation based on evidence within home therapies areas, including Home Haemodialysis, Peritoneal Dialysis and dialysis access.

Commence haemodialysis, cannulation and termination using highly complex specialist dialysis equipment, including problem‑solving skills.

Care the haemodialysis patient with Percutaneous Access, applying problem‑solving skills.

Interpret machine alarms and take corrective action.

Assist in the care of patients undergoing minor surgical interventions, recognizing problems and initiating action when required.

Ensure staff work within national and locally agreed policies and procedures.

Compile, implement and evaluate philosophies of care, ensuring support for the patient, their family and all staff members.

Lead the implementation of policies such as Fundamentals of Care, as per Trust/National guidelines.

Work closely with the multidisciplinary teams to provide safe and effective home therapies treatment.

Manage all aspects of recruitment, planning off‑duty rotas to make effective use of staff.

Retain staff, including sickness and absence, appraisals and staff training in line with Trust policies.

Develop policies and plan specialist/new services either as part of the multi‑disciplinary clinical/management team, or, where appropriate, as an individual lead.

Work closely with the care group management team within the area of responsibility to play an active role in service development and achievement of specialty-based targets.

Assist in maintaining and developing protocols and policies for the specialist area of care.

Be a member of relevant professional associations and attend regional/national meetings and conferences.

Participate in clinical research and audit and contribute to development of knowledge within the field of expertise.

Support and advise junior staff who wish to undertake audit and research.

Clinical

Deliver high standards of clinical care underpinned by sound evidence‑based knowledge and Fundamentals of Care principles.

Implement Infection Control practice as defined by national recommendations and local policies; teach staff about environmental cleanliness, equipment maintenance and use.

With support from the Lead Nurse, investigate and follow up clinical incidents and complaints ensuring corrective action is implemented.

Act as a role model for excellence, maintaining personal clinical competence and active NMC registration.

Provide specialist nursing advice to the multidisciplinary team.

Deliver a high standard of specialist renal care by initiating, coordinating, implementing and evaluating patients’ treatment.

Provide continuity of care throughout the patient journey, liaising across organisations.

Identify and interpret complex patient needs in relation to disease and proposed treatment.

Report and document all relevant nursing/patient needs, communicating changes with other health professionals as they occur.

Provide health information, education and promotion, advising patients, families and others in a manner that maintains privacy and dignity.

Communicate highly sensitive and emotive information about patients’ conditions to patients and significant others.

Identify, assess and meet the educational and training needs of patients and carers.

Engage and interact with carers/family, encouraging active involvement in patient treatment and supporting patient choice and independence in haemodialysis treatment.

COMMUNICATIONS & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Communication

Establish and maintain effective communication channels within and outside the department.

Lead the establishment of a teamwork philosophy, empowering others to participate in decision‑making.

Actively participate in multidisciplinary meetings and Directorate forums as required.

Play an active role in the integration of Patient and Public Involvement.

Effect change to meet changing patient requirements.

Maintain good relationships between all staff, developing professionalism through the team.

Ensure good communication both verbally and via formal documentation with all members of the nursing and multidisciplinary team.

Be able to communicate effectively in demanding and challenging situations, e.g. end‑of‑life issues.

Accept responsibility; be aware of and locate all policies relating to good working practice in the clinical area and adhere to them, challenging staff where necessary.

Ensure carers/family and visitors are aware of policies, standards/guidelines relevant to patient care or the clinical area.

Provide specialist knowledge to other areas, when assistance or advice is required.

Education

Be responsible for the continuing assessment of performance and identify development needs of team members.

Ensure that all new team members have a designated mentor and participate in induction and education of all new staff.

Assist in leading programmes to support staff in meeting PREP requirements.

Assist in the education of pre‑dialysis patients regarding home dialysis as an option to enable patients to continue with daily work and activities.

Actively participate in the educational programme of all staff, including students; liaise with the Practice Development Department for guidance and attend lectures and meetings.

Constantly update knowledge, recognising the importance of a critical approach to research and developments in nursing.

Work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team and participate in induction of locum staff to ward policies and routine.

Communications & Working Relationships Patients and carers/families

• CKD CNS Team
• Consultant Nephrologists
• General surgeons
• Haemodialysis Unit Nursing Teams
• Lead Nurse Dialysis, CKD and AKI
• Vascular Access Team
• Matron – Renal
• Strategic line manager for renal
• Transplant CNS Team
• Education Team for renal
• Renal Multi‑Professional Team

Person Specification

Knowledge and experience

• Previous recent demonstrable experience in a leadership capacity.
• Recent clinical skills and proven knowledge in renal medicine.
• Nephrology / Home therapies knowledge of home haemodialysis / peritoneal dialysis and the specific psychological as well as physical needs of patients.
• Proven knowledge and demonstrable experience of wider trust issues.
• Cannulation & venepuncture.
• Non‑medical prescriber or prepared to undertake qualification.

Qualifications

• Proven NMC Registered Nurse.
• Educated to degree level or working towards.
• Mentorship course.
• Computer literate.
• Completed renal course or willing to undertake.
• Dialysis Skills (recent) essential.
• Second professional qualification relevant to the clinical area.
• Leadership qualification.
• Recognised teaching qualification.

Aptitude & Abilities

• Good organisational and communication skills, with ability to demonstrate fluency, clarity and effectiveness at all levels.
• Numerate.
• Works well in a busy environment.
• Excellent teaching and mentoring skills.
• Ability to prioritise workload, instruct and direct others, acting as a role model and leading by example.
• Advocacy skills.
• Counselling skills.
• Proven ability to manage conflict.
• Proven ability to analyse and evaluate information.
• Ability to facilitate change within the work area.

Disposition and motivation

• Willingness to undertake further training and development.
• Able to recognise the professional accountability and responsibility commensurate with the post.
• Ability to motivate and manage change.
• Good communication, influencing and negotiation skills.
• Interest/experience with the speciality.

Other factors

• Willingness to complete in‑house competencies in renal care.
• Driving Licence.
• Able to travel to remote locations and satellite dialysis units.
• Able to work flexible shifts.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Lead Nurse Dialysis, CKD, AKI, access and YAW

£47,810 to £54,710 a year (£47,810 – £54,710 per annum)