Junior Sister/Charge Nurse Chemotherapy

Job summary
An exciting Opportunity is awaiting you if you are a highly motivated, enthusiastic Sister with excellent communication skills. We want you to join our established team on Rowan Suite, you will have the opportunity to be part of this service and our innovative ways of working as we grasp this opportunity to influence, shape and develop the changing face of cancer care and service provision in our Trust

The 14 chaired day unit cares for patients with a range of cancers who are receiving chemotherapy. We aim to provide an individualized and supportive environment for patients in which to deliver this specialized high standard care.

We are looking for someone who wants to increase their Oncology/Haematology experience and wants to work within this rewarding environment. Applicants should BE TRAINED IN SACT AND HOLD UKONS PASSPORT. If you have cannulation, phlebotomy, or central lines skills it will be an advantage, but if not, then you should have enthusiasm and dexterity to develop these skills. The ability to communicate effectively with all members of the multidisciplinary team is essential.

The sister on unit will be leading the team and ensure the patient flow is maintained throughout. Will have the opportunity to support the manager, improve services, promote and develop changes, support a small team of staff including band 5s and hcas with PDRs, development opportunities and support with sickness meetings.

THIS IS PART TIME 24HRS MUST BE SACT TRAINED/UKONS PASSPORT

Main duties of the job
Assist in the management of the department on a day-to-day basis and manage the department in the absence of Chemotherapy unit manager including coordination of patient, allocating staff breaks and being a key link with the consultants and pharmacy team.

Assess patients for chemotherapy to ensure their physical condition and blood parameters are satisfactory to safely receive treatment.

Provide information regarding treatment and side effects to ensure each patient is prepared for their specific treatment and elicit informed consent.

Provide one to one and telephone advice to patients and their families regarding treatment side effects and management of side effects

Use good communication skills to enhance and augment patients understanding and adapt information to their specific needs as they progress through treatment.

Recognise and provide the psychological and emotional support needed by individuals and their families whilst undergoing treatment and refer on

Assess patients with difficult venous access and make recommendations for alternative access to ensure patients receive treatment safely and with minimum risk.

Ensure safe administration of chemotherapy regimens according to trust protocols

Monitor and instigate care to address / prevent reactions to and complications of treatment including administration of prophylactic agents.Discuss with senior nursing and medical colleagues developments and change.

About us
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester

Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Being open and honest

Ensuring people feel cared for

Showing respect to everyone

We are committed to developing a culture of continuous improvement by embedding the principles of our Improvement System.

We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

DBS Checks and Costs
Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check (at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in Supporting Information section for more details on DBS checks and costs.

Job responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities

• Assist in the management of the department on a day-to-day basis and manage the department in the absence of Chemotherapy unit manager including coordination of patient, allocating staff breaks and being a key link with the consultants and pharmacy team.
• Assess patients for chemotherapy to ensure their physical condition and blood parameters are satisfactory to safely receive treatment according to treatment protocols / regimes and liaise with medical staff as appropriate.
• Administer and dispose of intravenous and chemotherapy safely in accordance with Trust and National Guidelines.
• Provide information regarding treatment and side effects to ensure each patient is prepared for their specific treatment and elicit informed consent.
• Provide one to one and telephone advice to patients and their families regarding treatment side effects and management of side effects to ensure each patient receives care which is specific and appropriate to their needs.
• Use good communication skills to enhance and augment patients' understanding and adapt information to their specific needs as they progress through treatment.
• Liaise with other appropriate health care professionals within both hospital and community settings regarding individual patient care to ensure seamless transfer of care between disciplines (or ensure patients needs are being adequately met).
• Recognise and provide the psychological and emotional support needed by individuals and their families whilst undergoing treatment and refer on to other professionals sensitively and appropriately in order to adequately meet patients needs.
• Assess patients with difficult venous access and make recommendations for alternative access to ensure patients receive treatment safely and with minimum risk.
• Ensure safe administration of chemotherapy regimens according to trust protocols
• Provide follow-up care / maintenance of central venous lines for patients and advise other health care professionals involved as appropriate, to ensure the patients line is safely and adequately cared for in accordance with Trust policy.
• Monitor and instigate care to address / prevent reactions to and complications of treatment including administration of prophylactic agents.

Operational Responsibilities

• Responsibilities for establishing and maintaining communication and relationship both internally and externally.
• Establish and maintain effective communication and foster good working relationships with all multidisciplinary teams, both internal and external.
• Provide and receive complex and / or sensitive information from patients and staff. For example, breaking bad news to patients, giving complex information about procedures and their outcomes, dealing with performance issues, holding staff meetings. Able to support and talk to distressed patients, visitors, and staff members.
• Responsible for cascading information to unit staff and chairing staff meetings from which minutes are provided.
• Make use of electronic internal / external mail and Internet systems as appropriate and necessary.
• Deal effectively with comments, complaints, or incidents that affect staff and users of the unit in accordance with complaints, risk management, or human resources procedures.
• Bring to the attention of the Senior Sister/Charge Nurse any factors which may adversely affect patient care or service provision.
• Report all serious incidents to the appropriate Manager / Director within 24 hours; these include Never Events and serious falls.

Planning and organisational skills

• Assist in planning of duty rotas or alter planned rotas to ensure maximum service delivery, standards of patient care and human, and resource management. Use e-rostering as it becomes available.

Responsibilities for Patient Care Therapy & Treatment

• Ensure that safe and effective nursing care is delivered, this to be in accordance with Trust policies and best practice guidelines, also Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) Codes of Practice and guidelines.
• Act as a role model when carrying out and demonstrating nursing care and procedures.
• Ensure clinical staffs assess the conditions of patients within the clinical area, ensuring that signs and symptoms are acted upon accordingly and in a timely fashion.
• Provide expert advice and support to colleagues in the care and management of patients within speciality.
• Actively contribute to the health and well-being of patients by promoting health through a number of methods e.g. healthy eating, exercise and smoking cessation.
• Ensure accurate, comprehensive contemporaneous and clear documentation of patients care.
• Ensure that own and others written reports are in accordance with Trust policy and NMC guidelines
• Be familiar with the policy for safe administration of prescribed therapies, including Medicines Management, Intravenous Therapy, Patient Group Directives, clinical guidelines for cytotoxic administration.
• Demonstrate the ability to safely monitor and provide care for the patient once therapies have been administered.

Responsibilities for Development and Implementation of Policy and / or Services

• At all times act in accordance with Trust policies, procedures and guidelines and NMC Codes of Practice standards and guidelines.
• Be aware of and support policies and procedures existing and being introduced throughout the Trust
• Assist Senior Sister / Charge Nurse by cascading information and new policies and guidelines to staff in the clinical area
• Represent clinical area at forums and meetings as requested by Senior Sister / Charge Nurse.
• Assist Senior Sister / Charge Nurse in staff appraisal and the progress of staff while completing goals and development plans.
• Assist Senior Sister / Charge Nurse in the formulation of induction and training programmes and assist in the delivery of these to staff and learner nurses.
• Undertake agreed mandatory training and to seek out opportunities to enhance knowledge, skills and develop practice.
• Participate in the teaching and development of staff and ensure records kept of all training activities within the department. Ensure these records are sent to the Training department to maintain the ESR (electronic staff record).
• Ensure risk assessment of working environment and conditions, equipment, chemicals and activities is routinely carried out within the department.

Responsibilities for Financial and Physical Resources

• Assist Senior Sister / Charge Nurse by ensuring supplies are managed in accordance with budgetary limits and constraints, including regular stock reviews, to ensure best value from supplies and to set stock limits.
• Assist Senior Sister / Charge Nurse with staff training to ensure they are competent in the use and care of special equipment, maintain details on the Medical Devices register within the ward.
• Ensure that all equipment within the department is serviced and maintained on a regular basis and that records are kept.
• Report and assist Senior Sister / Charge Nurse in management of health & safety issues within the ward area.
• Assist Senior Sister in ensuring an adequate nursing skill mix to cover the unit.
• Authorised signatory for timesheets on a shift by shift basis.
• Contribute to the drawing up of department budgets, capital bids and new services.
• Inform the Senior Sister / Charge Nurse of any changes, which affect the standards of care, the service delivery, or have an impact on the budget.
• Ensure the ordering, safe custody, usage, and recording of drugs within agreed Trust policy.

Responsibilities for Human Resources

• Assist Senior Sister / Charge Nurse in compiling duty rosters and ensuring allocation is organised appropriate to staff experience and skill mix to effectively manage workload and patient dependency.
• Participate in staff recruitment and retention, training and education.
• Assist Senior Sister / Charge Nurse in ensuring an appropriate learning environment, which meets university requirements, and that systems are in place to allow all levels of learner to be taught, supervised and assessed appropriately.
• Assist Senior Sister / Charge Nurse in development of staff induction programmes and ward teaching programmes.
• Assist Senior Sister / Charge Nurse in ensuring that systems are in place for maintaining practical schemes for mentorship, preceptorship and clinical supervision.
• Assist Senior Sister / Charge Nurse in ensuring that preceptorship periods are kept within an agreed timeframe and that accelerated progression is applied as appropriate for newly qualified band 5 staff.
• Assist Senior Sister / Charge Nurse in ensuring all staff undergo competency assessments both initially (when new to ward) and update these regularly in line with Corporate Nursing recommendations.
• Assist Senior Sister / Charge Nurse in ensuring all staff have their performance reviewed and their development needs met in line with department objectives. Ensure these appraisals are carried out using the appropriate KSF profile and Proforma. Ensure they are logged within ESR by the training staff.
• Report performance difficulties with staff to the Senior Sister and initiate performance Management / goal setting according to capability or disciplinary policies as appropriate.
• To support Junior Nurses with their NMC revalidation acting as a confirmer to maintain their professional registration.
• Provide opportunities for staff support, guidance, advice and counselling.
• Assist Senior Sister in ensuring annual leave for all staff is managed in accordance with local and Trust policy and in order to meet the needs of the service.
• Assist Senior Sister in ensuring that the staff absence at work
• Provide guidance and teaching for nursing staff, who are not experienced in the specialty / to set, implement and monitor patient care plans.
• Act in a supportive role to other senior staff and their staff by providing education and information to assist them in caring for trauma / other speciality outliers.

Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential

• Expert clinical skills in speciality
• Excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills
• Ability to develop effective interpersonal relationships with colleagues across health and social care settings
• Good IT skills
• Able to undertake extended roles
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Good understanding of research and audit

Desirable

• Evidence of writing protocols / standards
• Able to supervise and demonstrate potential to lead
• Knowledge of professional and NHS issues and policies relating to cancer

Experience
Essential

• Proven post registration experience at band 5
• Proven clinical experience of working in clinical haematology/oncology nursing delivering chemotherapy

Desirable

• Evidence of management / leadership skills and autonomous practice
• Evidence of teaching both formal and informal

Qualifications
Essential

• Registered nurse Part 1
• 1st level degree or working towards
• Administration of chemotherapy course or completion of SACT passport

Desirable

• Post registration qualification in relevant speciality (palliative care/Oncology/ Chemotherapy)
• Recognised NMC teaching and assessing qualification
• Advanced communication course training

personal qualities
Essential

• Articulate
• High professional standards
• Able to remain calm under pressure
• Aware of own strengths and weaknesses
• Flexible and adaptable
• Highly motivated
• Committed to quality improvement

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

We are committed to developing a culture of continuous improvement by embedding the principles of our Improvement System.
We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.