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NHS Jobs; Steeton; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Jobs is recruiting for a role within End of Life Care in England. The post entails working with ward teams to plan, coordinate and deliver holistic care for patients in their last days or hours, while providing compassionate emotional support to patients and families.

The role requires collaboration with palliative care teams, effective communication and careful documentation of care delivery to ensure dignity and safety for patients and carers.

Responsibilities

• Work with ward teams to enable holistic plans of care for patients in the last days/hours of life.
• Be with dying patients providing emotional support in a calm, peaceful environment.
• Identify signs of distress and liaise with ward staff.
• Assist with basic personal care including mouth care, positioning, comfort and dignity.
• Support families and carers with spiritual, psychological and practical help.
• Collaborate with palliative care teams to maximise quality of care for patients and families.
• Document and monitor all aspects of patient care coordination and service delivery.
• Utilise information systems to enter, monitor and protect patient data.

Job description

PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• To work with ward teams to complete and implement holistic, individualised plans of care for all patients who are in the last days/hours of life
• To be with dying patients who would otherwise be on their own, providing emotional support, a calm and peaceful environment and allowing the patient time to talk if they wish/able
• To be able to identify signs and symptoms of distress, including pain, breathlessness, agitation, secretions, spiritual or psychological anguish and liaise with ward staff
• To assist ward teams to provide basic personal care of patient in last days of life when needed, including mouth care, positional changes, comfort and dignity care and assistance with diet and fluids.
• To support those people identified as important by patients at the end of life i.e. family members/significant other. Build a trusting relationship enabling you to provide pre and post bereavement care Provide family members/significant others with spiritual, psychological, emotional and practical support
• Work autonomously and proactively to identify and support the provision of the patients needs, utilising basic clinical and administrative knowledge.
• Collaborate and communicate with the palliative care and ward teams to ensure the provision of appropriate services to maximise the quality of care of the dying patient and their families/friends
• Actively participate in the provision of routine information, support and advice, for patients and carers either over the telephone or face to face, liaising with the palliative care and ward teams as appropriate. Document and monitor all aspects of patient care coordination and service delivery, supporting data collection for audit.
• Triage incoming/outgoing calls with families and initiate appropriate response according to protocols and individual pathways, liaising with the palliative care team as appropriate.
• Utilise excellent communication skills, clinical awareness and appropriate tools/procedures, to ensure efficient case management.
• Act as patient advocate and facilitator to resolve issues that may be perceived as barriers to care.
• Refer complex clinical decisions to the Clinical Nurse Specialists for assessment and review.
• Assist in delivering education and support to staff, patients and carers regarding services, equipment etc. as required.
• Assist the Clinical Nurse Specialists to develop education and information resources for the public and other professionals.
• Assist the Clinical Nurse Specialists to deliver training
• Utilise Information Technology to enter, document and monitor all aspects of patient care needs and service delivery.
• Take responsibility for the maintenance of accurate paper and electronic information resources, ensuring confidentiality.
• Work as an effective team member, providing support to other members as required.
• Act as a resource to ward staff, advising on resources available to support end of life care.
• Participate in data audit activity Promote patient/user involvement relating to the provision of end of life care
• In pursuing these duties the post holder will ensure compliance with the NHS Constitution and be familiar with the NHS England Guidance Understanding the new NHS.

COMMUNICATION AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

• Use developed interpersonal and communication skills to communicate sensitive information to patients, carers and staff.
• Provide routine advice and information to people affected by dying patients.
• Communicate effectively with the wider Health Care Team to improve the quality and efficiency of health care delivery.
• Liaise with other Health, Social Care professionals, to ensure the provision of a quality service for people at the end of life and their families.
• Discuss support options with the patient and their carer, with sensitivity.
• Liaise with and keep CNS informed of outcomes.
• Act as patient advocate.
• Document appropriately all information regarding patients and their care, adhering to documentation standards.
• Effectively utilise a computer and various software applications in order to enter and maintain patient data, communicate with the team, and complete other IT tasks as required by the post, including data input to System One.