Remote Occupational Health Nurse - Home based

NHS Jobs; United States; Remote; USD 57,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Jobs is seeking a Remote Occupational Health Nurse - Home based to conduct structured workability assessments by telephone or video, with face-to-face arrangements when needed. You will develop personalised Workability Plans, assess functional capability, and advise on reasonable adjustments and phased return-to-work strategies within the pilot framework.

You will maintain accurate records, obtain informed consent, follow data governance rules, and collaborate with employers and practices to

Responsibilities

• Undertake structured work and health assessments with patients referred into the pilot by telephone or video.
• Where a face-to-face assessment is clinically necessary, arrange this through agreed pathways.
• Confirm patient identity, location and contact number at the start of each remote consultation.
• Assess interaction between health condition, functional ability and job demands; consider physical, psychological, social and workplace factors.
• Formulate and co-produce Workability Plans focused on functional capability, phased return, adjustments and practical support.
• Provide specialist advice on reasonable adjustments, graduated return to work, and workplace modification.
• Review and update Workability Plans at intervals, adjusting as recovery or circumstances change.
• Triage, caseload and pathway management; manage a personal caseload; escalate when outside pilot; refer to wider support.
• Communicate with employers to agree practical adjustments and maintain workplace connection from day one of absence.
• Maintain records, governance, consent and information sharing in accordance with policy.

Job description

Remote Occupational Health Nurse - Home based

Main duties and responsibilities Clinical assessment and workability planning Undertake structured work and health assessments with patients referred into the pilot by telephone or video, according to patient need and clinical appropriateness. Where a face-to-face assessment is clinically necessary, arrange this through agreed pathways. At the start of each remote consultation, confirm the patient's identity, location and a contact number. Assess the interaction between a person's health condition, their functional ability and the demands of their role, taking account of all appropriate physical, psychological, social and workplace factors. Formulate and co-produce personalised Workability Plans focused on functional capability, phased return, adjustments and the practical support required to sustain work. Exercise autonomous professional judgement in determining whether a period away from work is clinically appropriate, and articulate that judgement clearly, proportionately and defensibly. Provide specialist advice on reasonable adjustments, graduated return to work, workplace modification and phased hours, informed by an understanding of the Equality Act 2010 and relevant health and safety legislation. Review and update Workability Plans at agreed intervals, adjusting recommendations as recovery, circumstances or employer response change. Recognise the limits of the pilot service and of personal professional competence, and escalate promptly and appropriately. Triage, caseload and pathway management Contribute to the triage of incoming referrals, applying agreed criteria to determine the appropriate assessment route, practitioner and priority. Manage a personal caseload, prioritising effectively against service standards and pilot appointment targets. Identify patients whose needs fall outside the pilot model including those requiring urgent clinical assessment, safeguarding intervention or mental health crisis support and escalate through agreed routes without delay. Refer and signpost to wider support, including WorkWell coaching, therapy services, musculoskeletal pathways, social prescribing, debt and housing advice and employment support. Support colleagues in the wider team with clinical advice on complex or borderline cases, within scope of practice, by Teams or telephone. Employer and stakeholder liaison With patient consent, take part in three-way conversations by telephone or video between the patient, their employer and the service to agree practical adjustments and maintain workplace connection from day one of absence. Produce clear, objective written advice for employers and managers that answers the question asked, respects medical confidentiality and avoids unnecessary clinical detail. Communicate sensitively with employers who may hold differing views, using negotiation and persuasion to reach workable outcomes for the patient. Build constructive relationships with referring practices, providing feedback that supports referral quality and confidence in the pilot model. Clinical governance, safety and record keeping Practise at all times within the NMC Code, professional standards, pilot protocols and standard operating procedures. Maintain accurate, contemporaneous and legible records in the approved clinical system, in line with the Data Sharing Agreement and information governance requirements. Obtain and record valid informed consent for assessment, for information sharing and for any contact with employers or third parties. Discharge safeguarding responsibilities for children and adults at risk, escalating concerns in accordance with agreed policy. Report incidents, near misses, complaints and risks through the pilot governance framework, and contribute to learning from them. Take part in virtual clinical supervision, case review and multidisciplinary discussion, including reflective review of complex or contested cases. Maintain professional indemnity and NMC registration, and comply with revalidation requirements. Service design, data and evaluation Contribute to the development and refinement of assessment templates, triage criteria, escalation thresholds, business rules and standard operating procedures as the pilot matures. Capture the agreed management information and evaluation data set accurately and at the point of care, understanding that incomplete data weakens the national evidence base. Take part in audit, service evaluation, quality improvement and test-and-learn cycles, and act on the findings. Support the independent national evaluation, including interviews, case note review and data collection, within the limits of patient confidentiality. Education, promotion and professional development Promote the pilot positively to practices, patients, employers and partners. Provide informal supervision, coaching and clinical advice to non-clinical members of the team. Maintain and extend personal expertise in occupational health, work and health policy and fitness for work assessment; undertake training identified as necessary for the role, including any pilot-specific training. Take part in appraisal, personal development planning and mandatory training. Working arrangements Contract and hours This is a fixed-term post funded through the national pilot. Continuation beyond the pilot period cannot be guaranteed and is subject to national decisions on the future of the model. Some flexibility over working hours may be needed to accommodate patients who are in work and employers who are only available outside core hours, such as Saturday working. The post holder will be expected to work in a rapidly evolving service where processes, systems and documentation change during the pilot period. This is a home-based post. MBPCC's Homeworking, Hybrid Working and Remote Learning Guidance applies in full, and the post holder remains subject to the same professional, contractual, governance and performance expectations as staff working from MBPCC premises. Location and in-person attendance Live in the UK and carry out all work from a UK address for the duration of employment. Working from outside the UK is not permitted. Deliver patient consultations remotely by telephone and video, using MBPCC-approved systems only. Travel to MBPCC head office at the start of employment to collect MBPCC equipment and to attend a face-to-face induction. Attend MBPCC head office again where equipment needs to be collected, exchanged or returned, including at the end of employment. Suitable home working environment Have a suitable, dedicated workspace that supports concentration, minimises distractions and enables professional communication. Ensure consultations and confidential conversations cannot be overheard, and that screens cannot be seen by family members, visitors or anyone else not authorised to view them. Have a suitable desk or workstation, appropriate seating, adequate lighting, ventilation and heating, and reliable internet access sufficient for video consultations and clinical systems. Use a headset whenever patient or confidential information is being discussed, and use the MBPCC background on video calls. Complete the MBPCC Homeworking Self-Assessment (including display screen equipment) and sign the Employee Homeworking Agreement before starting, and tell your manager of any significant change to your home working arrangements. Home working is not a replacement for childcare or dependant care arrangements. Where caring responsibilities affect your ability to work, discuss this with your manager. Information governance and cyber security Use only MBPCC-issued devices, organisational accounts and approved systems and video conferencing platforms. Do not store confidential information on personal or unapproved systems. Lock screens when away from the workstation, keep passwords, smartcards and fingerprint access to yourself, and do not allow anyone else to use MBPCC devices or systems. Verify who is present before discussing confidential information, share only the minimum necessary, and keep patient-identifiable information out of chat functions unless clinically necessary and authorised. Do not record, screenshot or photograph consultations, meetings or training unless this has been authorised. Do not join patient-related calls from public places. Secure and dispose of any paper records using approved methods, and report any information governance or cyber security incident immediately. Audit and monitoring Because this post involves remote access to patient-identifiable clinical information, enhanced governance controls apply. The post holder will be subject to audit and monitoring, including: Periodic information governance audits and an annual information governance review. Verification that the home working environment is, and remains, secure and suitable. Asset and equipment audits, at least annually. MBPCC equipment remains organisational property and must be cared for, faults reported promptly and items returned when requested. Compliance monitoring of mandatory training, information governance and cyber security training. Monitoring of availability, activity and performance against service standards, through one-to-ones, work plans, activity schedules, supervision and clinical audit. Quarterly one-to-one and wellbeing reviews, and an annual review of the home working arrangement. Failure to meet these requirements may be managed under MBPCC's disciplinary, information governance and data protection procedures. Availability, communication and wellbeing Work contracted hours, be visible and contactable during agreed working times, keep your electronic calendar up to date and respond to communications promptly. Attend virtual team meetings, huddles, multidisciplinary discussions, supervision and training punctually and in full. Training during working hours is working time and must not be combined with caring or domestic tasks. Follow the MBPCC Lone Working Guidance.