Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) Specialist Nurse

NHS; Swindon; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 45,000; Part time

Job summary

The Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a part-time OPAT Specialist Nurse to deliver expert patient care, collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, and ensure high-quality service for patients on IV antimicrobials. Candidates should hold a valid NMC registration and demonstrate relevant nursing competencies.

Qualifications

• Demonstrate evidence of ongoing continuous professional development.
• Competency in intravenous medicine administration and PICC care.

Responsibilities

• Provide individualized patient-centered care, demonstrating autonomous practice.
• Coordinate and manage the OPAT service within the Trust.

Skills

Communication

Teaching

Clinical Assessment

Aseptic Technique

Project Management

Education

First level registration with NMC

Teaching qualification

Non-Medical Prescriber

Job description

Go back Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) Specialist Nurse

The closing date is 03 July 2025

This role is offered on a part time basis of 20 hours per week, this means that candidates interested in working part time are encouraged to apply and will receive a salary on a pro rata basis.

The post holder will be a member of the OPAT (Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy) Service specialist nurse team and work as an autonomous professional clinical practitioner with responsibility for providing specialist clinical services.

The post holder will work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams across the Trust to provide a timely and high quality service to patients who meet the criteria forsafe and effective management of patients who are discharged on IV antimicrobials.

The Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (GWH) is an ambitious organisation, motivated to provide consistently high quality services to our patients. Our staff report that our organisation is a friendly and supportive one to work within and we currently hold some of the highest levels of staff engagement within the region.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be responsible for providing high standards of individualised patient centered care, demonstrating autonomous practice and clinical expert in the assessment of patients and their suitability of OPAT. Act as a role model and a resource for medical. nursing and patients for advice on IV antimicrobials. Working alongside all members of the multidisciplinary team, engaging in MDTS and attending ward rounds. The post holder will contribute to the continuous development of the service, keeping up to date with current research findings, as well as contributing to clinical governance, clinical audit and data collection.

About us

Our STAR values - Service, Teamwork, Ambition and Respect - are a golden thread running through everything we do. These values serve as a guiding principle, driving us towards our vision of delivering great joined up services to our local community. Whether at home, in the community, or within the hospital, our goal is to empower individuals to lead independent and healthier lives.

Job responsibilities

1. To support, by demonstrating exemplar nursing practice and the implementation of evidence-based care, the provision of a high standard of individualised patient care and experience, upholding the Trust Nursing Strategy which includes the 6Cs.

2. Be a responsible autonomous specialist nurse and role model in the specialty of OPAT and a resource for medical, nursing personnel and patients requiring advice on the administration of IV Antimicrobials

3. Responsible for ensuring own knowledge and compliance of appropriate NMC standards and Trust professional guidelines and that these are applied to practice, including NMC Revalidation.

4. To liaise with other members of management and clinical staff both within the Trust and other healthcare providers to ensure good communication lines and seamless patient care

5. Undertake and be involved in the coordination, management, development and smooth operation of the OPAT service within the Trust and to Trust staff.

6. Exercise responsibility and accountability for the assessment of patients in order to select potential OPAT patients, demonstrating a senior level of autonomy as a practitioner and clinical expert.

7. Assess, potentially highly complex patients, planning, implementing and reviewing care within the hospital environment, both in-patient and out-patient, community or other settings. Assess and refer patients for venous catheterisation as appropriate.

8. Assesses, plans and implements specialist care packages through shared decision making with patient and carer.

9. Provide and receive highly complex and/or highly sensitive patient/staff related information and ensure this is interpreted and shared, where required, in order to ensure seamless and effective care, in line with rules of information governance.

10. Refers to other practitioners when health outcomes or risks and needs are beyond own competence and scope of practice.

Please see attached Job description/personal specification

Person Specification

Qualifications

• First level registration registered with NMC
• Demonstrate evidence of on-going continuous professional development
• Intravenous medicine administration competency
• PICC Care and management competency
• Cannulation and venepuncture competency
• Teaching qualification
• Advanced Communication Course
• Clinical assessment course
• Non-Medical Prescriber

Experience

• Relevant nursing experience ? Competent and experienced in peripheral cannulation ? Competent and experienced in the use of central venous access devices ? Experience in the administration of diverse intravenous therapies ? Sound knowledge of principles of aseptic technique ? Experience of multi-disciplinary team working ? Teaching experience ? Evidence of involvement in Clinical Governance ? Ability to communicate with a range of people on a range of matters. ? Excellent interpersonal skills. ? Excellent written, verbal and IT communication skills. ? IT literate. ? Ability to interpret and utilise information effectively. ? Clinical audit
• In-depth experience in nursing care of patients receiving IV medication/Antibiotics ? Evidence of involvement in service users' advocacy and complaints resolution. ? Project management experience ? Experience of audit/project work ? Experience working at Band 6 ? Experience managing a caseload of patients

Knowledge & Skills

• Demonstrate initiative ? Ability to work effectively under pressure and in high stress situations ? Enthusiastic and hard working ? Confident and assertive whilst maintaining inter personal sensitivity ? Excellent communication skills both written and verbal/nonverbal ? Effective teaching skills (individual and group) ? Able to work within a small nurse led team ? Able to liaise effectively and directly with senior medical colleagues ? Keyboard Information technology skills - use of email/internet/access databases
• Ability to lead on service reports. ? Develops and implements policies. ? Is involved in organisational policy development. ? Supports service initiatives and development

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.

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£37,338 to £44,962 a yearpro rata per annum