Social Services à United States

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the busy Children's Community Nursing Team as a Children's Community Nurse to cover a 12-month maternity leave. The successful candidate will embrace the challenge of working across different environments to meet diverse service user need. This is an excellent opportunity to work as an autonomous practitioner, gaining knowledge across an array of specialties and strengthening multi-professional working relationships. It is a role whereby excellent interpersonal skills, attention to detail and professional curiosity is paramount.

As part of our recruitment process, it is hoped that you will also be meeting with our Youth Panel. The session with the panel will last approximately 15 minutes. During this panel, you will meet with young people who have a passion for improving services here at University Hospitals Plymouth. This initiative is part of an exciting new pilot project at UHP - our first youth panel of its kind. We are committed to ensuring that the voices of young people are heard and meaningfully contribute to decisions that affect them.

To provide a specialist community nursing service for children with acute and ongoing care needs within residential and educational settings.

The post holder provides education, advice and support throughout a child's illness, from diagnosis, through times of change or crisis, to discharge, transfer to adult services or, if appropriate, through terminal care and bereavement.

The post holder will empower and support families to manage their Child's condition at home thus avoiding or minimising hospital admissions.

The post holder will be a generic children's community nurse but may develop specialist knowledge in a field and also provide nursing support within specialist schools so children can access education.

***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.***

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 has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure.

1.As an autonomous practitioner, manage a caseload of children with continuing medical/nursing care needs, assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating individual programmes of care to meet their continuing needs in the community, take advice from clinical lead for generic care if required.

2.In conjunction with the team manager accept referrals of children with specific care needs in accordance with Childrens Community Nursing protocols.

3.Liaise with Paediatricians and other multi-disciplinary/agency staff to organise or participate in discharge planning meetings facilitating an early and efficient transition from hospital to home and effective continuity of care.

4.Prioritise and undertake visits to children and their families at home or other appropriate settings, to undertake nursing tasks, monitor health, and provide ongoing support and advice.

5.Participate in the multi-disciplinary team in the implementation of complex care packages for children in the community. Disseminate knowledge through report writing and review, ensuring clinical accuracy and reliability for any information shared.

6.Instruct parents/carers on clinical/nursing skills such as enteral/parental feeds, passing naso-gastric/gastrostomy tubes, tracheostomies, suctioning, naso-pharyngeal airways, emergency medications, drugs: oral, injections & infusions.

7.Perform nursing procedures as above, access and manage central lines and totally implantable venous access devices and administer intra-venous (IV) drugs at home and within the childs educational setting.

8.Identify child/parent learning needs and modify approach accordingly, developing strategies and tools for learning.

9.Identify social care needs including protection from abuse and refer to Social Services as indicated. Produce health assessments in conjunction with the Framework for Assessment, provide reports for and attend case conferences and court as indicated.

10.Initiate, lead and co-ordinate multiagency meetings.

11.Contribute to the maintenance of high standards of care by developing evidence-based protocols and guidelines and ensure they are introduced into all care settings, including homes, schools and other community settings; as well as inpatient services as appropriate.

12.Develop and maintain an in-depth specialist knowledge of conditions that effect children on caseload.

13.In conjunction with the manager assess the need for and organise where necessary supplies of equipment and ensure families/carers are trained in their use.

14.Liaise with multi-disciplinary staff to facilitate the smooth transfer from paediatric to adult services.

15.Use problem solving skills to prevent health deterioration and reduce hospital admissions.

16.Update your specialist knowledge to ensure that your area of specialty is evidence based and in line with government documents.

17.Using judgement skills autonomously admit child to hospital if appropriate.

18.Provide health education/promotion in a sensitive and tactful manner.

19.Within specialist role attend / run clinics, monitor ongoing physical, medical and pyscho / social condition of the child, reporting to the Consultant where appropriate in order to expedite treatment changes.

20.Mentor nursing students on placement with team ensuring they receive appropriate education to meet their competencies.

21.Be prepared to undertake non-medical prescribing as appropriate.

22.Maintain a clean and safe environment, ensuring appropriate use / maintenance of equipment.

Please see attached JD & PS for further details.

• Proven evidence of recent clinical skills in the field of paediatric nursing.
• Demonstrable experience of nursing children with complex needs.
• Demonstrable experience of palliative care.
• Demonstrable community experience.

• 1st level registered nurse RN Child (Degree Level).
• Willing to undertake non-medical prescriber course.
• Non-medical prescriber.

• High degree of organisational skills.
• Ability to work autonomously and as part of a team.
• Ability to deal with conflict and challenge.

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.