Staff Nurse

Gateshead Health; Gateshead; Hybrid; GBP 31,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

Gateshead Health is seeking a motivated staff nurse to join the pre-operative assessment team. The successful candidate will perform comprehensive patient assessments, venepuncture, ECG interpretation and tailor care plans for elective surgery patients.

The post requires autonomous working within a busy, changing department and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams. You will contribute to improving IT-enabled assessment processes and patient education, supporting a high standard of

Qualifications

• Registered nurse with 1st level registration.
• Nursing degree or actively working towards one.

Responsibilities

• Pre-operatively assess elective patients and plan care to optimise health before surgery.
• Take clinical history, examinations, phlebotomy and interpret bloods/ECG results.
• Identify complex anaesthetic needs and discuss with the consultant anaesthetist.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary team to plan individual patient care.
• Provide information and education to patients about proposed surgery and investigations.
• Maintain, update and follow action plans for elective surgical patients; supervise clinic workflow.

Skills

Venepuncture

ECG interpretation

Clinical assessment

Autonomous working

Education

Nursing degree

Working towards nursing degree

Tools

Careflow

Bluespier

Job description

We are seeking a motivated and experienced staff nurse to join the pre-operative assessment team.

The team provides detailed anaesthetic and nursing assessments for elective procedures for both day surgery and overnight stay patients due to undergo a general or regional anaesthetic. You will be part of a team but will need to be able to work independently within a clinic, managing a potentially complex caseload of patients. The successful candidate will have an interest in peri-operative care and be able to thrive in a busy area with many time pressures and deadlines. This post provides a great deal of job satisfaction and a chance to provide one on one patient care.

The department is undergoing a period of change, increasing our current capacity through the use of IT systems and telephone clinics, working within the department requires ability to work autonomously, being adaptable to change, and willingness to learn by completion of a set of national competencies

Main duties of the job

The role includes: -

• Comprehensive patient assessment to assess a patients fitness and risk to proceed with anaesthetic and surgery.
• Additional skills include venepuncture, ECG and interpretation, an understanding of test interpretation( bloods and spirometry).
• The ability to prioritise your workload and elevate concerns effectively and appropriately.
• Working closely with all disciplines of staff to ensure the promotion of high standards of Pre-Operative assessment.
• Develop and utilise specialist skills encompassing a wide range of surgical specialities.
• To undertake responsibilities without direct supervision but supported by the department manager.
• We are looking to recruit a dynamic, enthusiastic and self-motivated nurse who will possesses excellent communication skills and enjoys a challenge.
• The service covers a wide range of Surgical Specialities, in a Developing Department. You will need extensive knowledge of surgical care and the ability to work both independently and as part of a Team.

About us

Based in the North East of England we provide a range of hospital and community health services from our leading facilities, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blaydon urgent care centre and Bensham Hospital, all within Gateshead.

Established 2005, we were one of the first foundation trusts in the country and since then have consistently achieved the highest levels of care for patients.

We now employ around 4,800 staff and currently provide 444 hospital beds across the Gateshead region.

Our values should be the 'golden thread' which runs through everything we do - they are the core of who we are. Our five values can easily be remembered by the simple acronymICORE; Innovation, Care, Openness, Respect, Engagement.

We have a number of staff networks including the Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) network, D-Ability network, LGBTQ+ Network and the Women's Network, to challenge us and help us to constantly improve. Our Armed Forces network is one of our emerging networks.

The health and wellbeing of our staff is one of our highest priorities, and we offer a range of support and initiatives as part of our 'Balance' programme balancegateshead.com to cater for our diverse workforce, so that your individual needs can be supported, allowing you a happy and healthy working experience with us.

Job responsibilities

The main role and responsibilities of the post holder is to pre-operatively assess elective patients, looking at their current health and any acute or chronic illnesses making an action plan to ensure the patient's health is optimised in preparation for surgery.

OBJECTIVES AND PURPOSE OF THE POST:

To assess care needs, deliver and implement nursing care plans of individual patients using a problem-solving approach.

To maintain high standards of clinical performance.

To contribute to the clinical learning environment through both teaching and by example.

To undertake appropriate activities and update knowledge and skills.

To act as a mentor for students.

To be aware of policies and practices and ensure all nursing practice is conducted within these guidelines.

To report all incidents and complaints in accordance with agreed policy.

To uphold the principles of the NMC Code of Professional Conduct.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Assess and advise patients on the treatment and management for their surgical procedure. This will involve taking a clinical history, examination, phlebotomy skills and interpreting of the blood results, MRSA screening and follow up.

Identify any complex or unusual anaesthetic need of patients and discuss with the consultant anaesthetist.

To identify the care needs of patients in preparation for their elective surgery through, liaising with the multidisciplinary team and other departments to plan individual care.

To provide appropriate information, education and instruction for patients on their proposed surgery. To conduct and/ or arrange appropriate investigations necessary to ensure safe surgery and anaesthesia following agreed guidelines and protocols.

To work within the guidelines and competencies agreed by the anaesthetists and consultants.

To maintain effective working relationships/communication within the multidisciplinary team and other departments both internally and externally.

To take responsibility for the smooth running of own clinic and be accountable for own professional actions.

Initiate appropriate and timely consultation and/or refer when problems exceed the scope of practice.

Take responsibility for updating, recording and following up plan of action for elective surgical patients.

To chaperone patient assessment as required.

To make use of IT systems. (Careflow, Bluespier)

To be involved in service audits.

To assist with clerical duties to meet service needs.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• 1st level registered nurse
• Degree in nursing or working towards

Experience

• Knowledge of trust IT systems
• Enthusiastic and self aware
• Reliable, Adaptable and Dependable
• Experience working with pre-operative assessment

Knowledge

• Able to prioritise own workload and that of others as appropriate
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Able to effectively and appropriately elevate concerns to reduce risk and promote patient safety
• Ability to work on own initiative & autonomously.
• Experienced in interpreting blood and ECG results.

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.