Paediatric Staff Nurse

Post Title: Paediatric Staff Nurse

Location: Beaumont Hospital

Post Status: Permanent Full Time

Reports to: Directorate Nurse Manager

Salary: Appointment will be made on Staff Nurse Grade (€30,609 - €47,431) at a point in line with Government pay policy.

Hours of work: 39 hours per week

Position Summary:

As a Staff Nurse in Beaumont Hospital you will be expected to take responsibility for each shift for a caseload of patients. For these you will assess, plan, implement and evaluate care within the Roper, Logan and Tierney Model of Nursing. In addition, you are expected to practice within the Code of Practice guidelines from An Bord Altranais and within the Nursing and other Hospital Policies and Procedures. You will be held accountable to the Clinical Nurse Manager and in his/her absence to the delegated nurse holding shift responsibility for the ward. Discretion, initiative and an interest in teaching student nurses and preliminary training students to function independently is also a prerequisite. At all times you will practice within the limits of your experience and will have available to you more senior expert nurses. Overall, your responsibilities may be divided into clinical, professional, managerial and educational categories.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

1. To maintain a high standard of nursing care.

2. To develop clinical expertise, leadership and teaching skills through nursing practice.

3. To share responsibility with the team for the management of nursing care and the patients environment under the direction of the Clinical Nurse Manager/Charge Nurse.

4. To maintain a high standard of professional and ethical responsibility.

5. To ensure safe discharge and transit of patients through the unit.

CLINICAL ROLE:

To provide and maintain effective, individualised nursing care by:-

1. Assessing (with the patients where possible) physical, psychological and social problems and the need for nursing intervention.

2. Preparing and up-dating the documentation within a nursing framework to include treatment delegated by medical staff.

3. Continuing the care provided at ward level to ensure safe discharge of patients to their home or care facility.

4. Acting as team leader in giving skilled nursing care and treatments for the patients using the unit.

5. Planning the involvement of the patient’s relatives, teaching and supervising nursing techniques in preparation for the transfer home.

6. Actively promote the transit care unit to ward staff and medical colleagues.

CLINICAL:

a) Assessment

1. Utilises assessment skills and techniques to determine patient transferred to the unit.

2. Completes and documents the nursing admission assessment in a thorough and accurate manner.

2. Assesses patient condition on an ongoing basis.

4. Assesses the need for patient/family instruction.

b) Planning

1. Develops and documents a plan of care based on patient needs.

2. Develops patient teaching and discharge plans as necessary based on their current needs.

3. Collaborates with other health team members in planning care to expedite discharge safely.

c) Implementation

1. Provides safe, comprehensive nursing care to a caseload of patients and within the guidelines laid out by NMBI.

2. Knows and practices according to established legal requirements, policy and procedures.

3. Establishes care priorities based on nursing/medical patient problems.

4. Performs procedures accurately, completely and safely.

5. Provides care with minimal supervision in a timely manner.

6. Maintains a safe environment for patients.

7. Respects the dignity and confidentiality of patients, serving as an advocate as necessary.

8. Functions quickly and effectively in an emergency situation.

9. Adapts to changing workload.

10. Deals with ward incidents and accidents in accordance with hospital policy. Accurately record and report detail.

d) Evaluation

1. Contributes to nursing quality assurance by assisting in the identification of recurrent

nursing problems and co-operating in data collection.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS:

1. Documents according to policy and procedure.

2. Reports verbally and in writing pertinent patient care information to appropriate nursing/medical personnel.

3. Communicates appropriately with patients/relatives and colleagues and other members of the health care team.

4. Approaches interpersonal relationships in a manner that avoids antagonism, reduces conflict and prevents undue anxiety.

5. Recognises self-limitations and requests assistance.

2 PROFESSIONAL:

a) Professional Expectations

1. Supports the philosophy, objectives and goals of the nursing department and hospital.

2. Follows appropriate lines of authority by discussing issues firstly with Clinical Nurse Manager, then with Unit Nurse Manager and then with the Director of Nursing.

3. Demonstrates flexibility by assisting in other areas of the Hospital as needed

4. Develop polices and SOPs in relation to transit care unit

5. Ensure all patients leaving transit care have all the appropriate discharge documentation and follow up arrangements.

3 MANAGEMENT:

1. Demonstrates ability to organise care for all transit care unit of patients.

2. Uses time effectively.

3. Shows ability to delegate work to Staff Nurses, Student Nurses or other.

4. Uses discretion for decision making regarding patient care.

5. Displays initiative.

6. Liaise with patient flow and CNM’s on the movement and transfer of patients from ward areas to transit care unit

7. Attend patient flow meetings and advocate the usage of transit care.

8. Reports on-going problems to CNM.

4 EDUCATION:

1. Demonstrates ability to teach and guide more Junior Staff/Students/Healthcare assistants.

2. Shows interest in Post Graduate Education/Self Development.

3. Attends required standard number of Study Days in the year.

Selection Criteria:

Selection   criteria outline the qualifications, skills, knowledge and/or experience that the successful candidate would need to demonstrate for successful discharge of the responsibilities of the post.

Applications will be assessed on the basis of how well candidates satisfy these criteria.

Mandatory:

· Be registered in the General Division of the Register of Nurses kept by An Bord Altranais (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland) or be entitled to be so registered

Excellent English language skills, spoken and written

Desirable:

· Experience in paediatric or neurosurgical nursing