Specialist Spinal Injuries Practitioner

Job summary
The purpose of the job is to provide information, advice, support, assessment, interventions, and follow-up for patients with spinal cord injury. The post holder will be required to continually develop and monitor the effectiveness of the spinal cord injury services provided by the Trust. The post holder will be required to liaise and communicate effectively across multi-disciplinary teams to ensure seamless and effective care for patients with spinal cord injury.

Main duties of the job
The Spinal Acute Outreach Practitioner will link the Northwest Regional Spinal Injuries Centre (NWRSIC) with patients and Multi professional teams in the three Northwest Major Trauma Centres (MTC), Intermediate Care Services, Primary, and Secondary Care. They will provide expert advice on spinal cord injury management, education, and research at every level within the organisation as well as having a strategic overview of patient need and bed capacity in all parts of the system. To take a lead role in each individual patient pathway for those referred to the NWRSIC. To assist in the development, implementation and monitoring of programmes of speciality-based teaching ensuring learning objectives are achieved for all staff of the NWRSIC, carers, family, and external agencies.

About us
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

Our services:

• Acute Care: Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
• Primary Care: Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
• Community Services: Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire.
• Specialist Regional Services: We provide the Mersey Regional Burns and Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers and Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing and AHP Preceptorship Programme.

Details
Band: Band 7
Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Closing date: 01 November 2026

Job responsibilities

• Ensure nursing care is delivered in an expert and professional manner compatible with current research-based protocols and be responsible for maintaining accurate, effective and comprehensive written nursing records by regularly evaluating nursing documentation in accordance with the NMC / HCPC guidelines.
• Provide support and assessment for in-patients/day case/acute outreach patients.
• Provision of information, advice and support to in-patients and out-patients and their relatives and carers.
• Provide support to ward staff, liaison between services.
• Develop and manage nurse-led services in assessment, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients.
• Act as Key Worker to patients undergoing investigations and diagnosis of spinal cord injury.
• Provide support to services to ensure timely and appropriate pre-admission care, in-patient interventions, and discharge planning.
• In conjunction with the Multi-Disciplinary Team, provide support to patients undergoing spinal cord injury surgery and treatment.
• Ensure effective liaison and referral processes with other specialities for example the three Northwest Major Trauma Centres, Intermediate Care Services, Primary, and Secondary Care.
• Act on concerns raised by team members or service users taking appropriate action according to Trust Policies and Guidelines.
• Demonstrate and monitor competency in clinical skills including clinical examination required for the post and work to define protocols and guidelines for example clinical examination, non-medical prescribing.
• Maintain professional competence, authority and credibility through clinical practice, acting as a role model and leader, providing supervision, support and mentorship to nursing staff.
• Contribute to the service development of Spinal Cord Injury services within the Trust.
• Promote and disseminate best practice within the Trust and external networks.
• Assist in the development, implementation and monitoring of evidence-based nursing practice standards, guidelines, protocols, policies, and care pathways.
• Support Trust managers and NWRSIC leads to achieve appropriate targets for Spinal Cord Injury Service.
• Actively participate in peer review, clinical and managerial supervision.
• Identify and provide support, advice, and teaching to nursing/AHPs and junior medical staff in the care and management of patients with spinal cord injury.
• Contribute to in-house clinical skills programmes.
• Act as a mentor/supervisor for nurses/AHPs undertaking higher educational awards within the speciality.
• Contribute to the pre-registration nurses educational experience, acting as a mentor for practice placements.
• Develop and implement clinical audit of own practice, protocols and procedures to demonstrate clinical effectiveness.
• Record and report incidents, accidents, or complaints to the Head of Nursing and act in accordance with Trust Policy.
• Participate and lead in clinical research.
• Introduce and apply research findings to nursing practice where relevant.
• Act in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Code of Conduct/Professional Body at all times.
• Undertake appropriate mandatory training in infection control and comply with all Trust Infection Control policies relevant to the post, particularly with regard to the Hand Hygiene Policy.
• Ensure compliance to all Trust Risk Management, Research Governance and Infection Control Policies and Procedures and abide by the Standards for Better Health.
• Responsible for ensuring own continuing professional development and identifying development needs within the Trust knowledge and skills development review process.
• Contribute to the Trusts programmes for monitoring and ensuring adherence to Clinical Standards, for example NICE Guidelines, Quality Surveillance Programme and National Service Frameworks.

Essential qualifications and experience

• First level registered nurse / HCPC Registered Allied Health Professional
• Degree in health related area
• Post registration qualification in specialist area
• Teaching and mentor qualification eg. Level 6: Mentoring in Practice
• Advanced communications skills
• Clinical experience in specialty or Spinal Cord Injury related area
• Experience of ongoing continuing professional development
• Understanding of professional priorities and issues

Desirable

• Recognised counselling qualification eg Level 3: Diploma in Counselling Skills
• Participation in service development and implement of change

Other requirements

• Ability to drive to all areas within the Northwest Region daily (Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Cumbria)
• Extensive travel required across the Northwest
• Lone Worker

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 to check for any previous criminal convictions. Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. Applicants must have current UK professional registration.

Contact: Matron Gemma Kehoe, Gemma.Kehoe@merseywestlancs.nhs.uk, 01704704321

Apply through our website