Nursing Associate - Community

NHS; Lichfield; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider is seeking a Nursing Associate to deliver compassionate, high-quality care to patients with life-limiting illnesses. This role involves supporting the nursing team, ensuring comfort and dignity for patients, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to enhance patient quality of life.

Qualifications

• Responsible for assisting with day-to-day clinical tasks.
• Supports the nursing team in providing holistic care.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high quality, patient-centred care to individuals.
• Make judgements on patients' response to treatment plans.
• Coordinate and communicate care plans with staff and families.

Skills

Compassionate Care

Communication

Team Collaboration

Job description

TheNursing Associate reports into the Clinical lead for Community Services and is a member of the multi-disciplinary team, working across health and social care boundaries. A nursing associate is a member of the nursing team that helps bridge the gap between health and care assistants and registered nurses.

Main duties of the job

The Nursing Associate delivers compassionate, high quality, and patient-centred care to individuals facing life-limiting illnesses. The role involves supporting the nursing team in providing holistic care that addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of patients and their families. The Nursing Associate is responsible for assisting with day-to-day clinical tasks, ensuring comfort, dignity, and respect for patients in their final stages of life. By working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, the Nursing Associate helps to create a supportive and nurturing environment, enhancing the quality of life for patients and providing crucial support to their loved ones.

About us

St Giles Hospice is a registered charity founded in 1983 by the Reverend Paul Brothwell, originally to improve the care of local people dying with cancer. We now support people in our community whose illnesses may not be curable such as cancer, motor neurone disease, heart failure, MS and respiratory disease. We also offer support for families and helpers.

Our dedicated team provides individually-tailored care either at the hospice or in patients' own homes across our communities.

The range of specialist services is provided free of charge to those who need it. Although St Giles receives some funding from the Government, we rely heavily on donations and fundraising.

Job responsibilities

The role entails but is not limited to:

Clinical/Service Specific

• Make judgements on patients' response to prescribed treatment/care plans, and report findings to a qualified professional in line with competency framework.
• Overcome barriers to understanding, e.g., patients with hearing or cognitive impairment.
• Communicate with patients/carers by exchanging factual information, reassurance, tact and empathy.
• Establish and maintain appropriate working relationships with colleagues, patients, carers and other health care professionals.
• Be responsible for ensuring equipment is used safely, following relevant training and that it is maintained appropriately.
• Work under guidance on specified tasks, taking direction from registered and non-registered staff as appropriate, with regular clinical support and supervision by a qualified practitioner.
• Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of consent and gain consent as appropriate following organisational policies.
• Attend relevant external and internal courses to extend knowledge or gain relevant skills to improve clinical practice as identified in the appraisal process.
• Utilise universal precautions and adhere to infection control policies at all times, including when exposed to bodily fluids, infected material and blood products.
• Attend meetings as required.
• Ensure patients' personal care is provided and highlight areas of concern such as pressure areas and report any changes to a professional.
• Work within the wider disciplinary team and recognise own role within it.
• Promote patient independence and self-management.
• Provide and maintain a safe, comfortable and dignified environment for all patients and carers.
• Practice the principles and philosophy of individualised patient care in accordance with St Giles Hospice policy, procedures and regulatory body guidelines.
• Maintain appropriate and timely documentation of each patient contact (ensuring these are recorded on the electronic patient record within 24 hours).
• Plan and prioritise own visits to delegated patients, and ensure these are documented on the electronic patient record.
• Ensure patients' personal care is provided, as appropriate.
• Assist in the implementation of audit processes under direction from registered staff.
• Triage and coordinate referrals to the Hospice at Home Service.
• Review patient needs and plan care for the individual requirements of patients referred to the service.
• Coordinate Hospice at Home visits to patients, ensuring individual care plans are communicated to staff, patients and their family/carer.
• Consider any reported risks, document clearly on the patient record and update staff before visits, providing appropriate guidance.
• Evaluate the outcome of visits, amend care plans as necessary and inform relevant staff of any changes to care needs.
• Liaise with internal and external colleagues regarding the Hospice at Home service, i.e., Marie Curie, Care agencies, District Nurses, Community Team etc.
• Complete CQC notification of any patient death where Hospice at Home has been present.
• Coordinate and communicate any amendments to the staff duty rota alongside the Clinical Lead to ensure service provision.

Health and Safety

• Take responsibility for the health & safety of themselves and others affected by their actions at work.
• Promote St Giles Hospice Health and Safety policy and ensure compliance.
• Report accidents, incidents and near misses, and implement corrective actions where necessary.

Infection Control and Hand Hygiene

• Comply with policies for infection control, including hand hygiene, decontamination, uniform code, and standard precautions to reduce HCAIs.
• Use aseptic techniques and dispose of sharps safely, supported by up-to-date evidence and training.

Training and Development

• Participate in supervision and attend mandatory training.

Quality and Patient Safety

• Promote welfare and safeguard vulnerable groups.
• Implement NICE guidance and other statutory/best practice guidelines where appropriate.
• Contribute to risk management and ensure high standards of governance, safety, and patient experience.
• Monitor quality and compliance continuously.

Additional notes

We may review applications before the review date; applications after may not be considered. We accept applications until the role is filled. If you haven't heard within 14 days of the closing date, consider your application unsuccessful. Data will be managed in line with our Privacy Policy, available at https://www.stgileshospice.com/privacy-policy/.