Job Title: Nurse Helpline Adviser
Hours: 37.5 per week
Reporting To: Nurse Project Manager
Location: Maidenhead
Responsibilities for People: None
Job Purpose:
To expand our helpline services to enable HEART UK to deal with more enquiries than current capability.
Job Context:
HEART UK is passionate about preventing premature deaths caused by high cholesterol. We're committed to raising awareness about the risks of high cholesterol, lobbying for better detection of those at risk & supporting health care professional training.
The post focuses on enabling HEART UK to be able to deal with a larger number of helpline enquiries, which come through all communication channels. The role will contribute to the Health Care Team’s delivery of the Charity’s advice service for patients, their families, members of the public and healthcare professionals on all issues and queries related to cholesterol and dyslipidaemia which influence cardiovascular disease risk.
The Helpline is currently open Monday – Friday 10am – 3pm but operating hours will be reviewed from time to time.
Main Responsibilities and Tasks
Helpline
· Respond to helpline enquiries (calls, emails, letters and social media, including possible live chat) on a day to day basis within agreed timelines
· Contribute to the overall management of the helpline as part of a small Health Care Team.
· Accurate, thorough and confidential recording of helpline data to an agreed format using Raisers Edge, the charity’s database.
· Send out a helpline survey every 2 weeks
· Assist with the development of a database of standard responses to commonly asked questions to enable a faster and more efficient service
· Contribute to the Health Care team with the writing and updating of fact sheets and literature resources
· Identify possible case studies and Ambassadors through the helpline enquiries.
· Regularly report progress to Nurse Project Manager.
Other responsibilities
· Represent HEART UK at external meetings where appropriate, across the UK to conduct health talks
· Attend external events to provide health care information and conduct health talks.
· Attend and participate in HEART UK’s Annual Scientific Conference.
· Attend training events as necessary
· Coordinate literature orders and contribute to the management of resources/materials that are sent out to ensure that these are always kept in stock.
· Assist with the administration of the Apheresis Register.
· Contribute to topical media enquiries, the preparation of media statements, the healthcare content of the HEART UK website, Cholesterol News and Cholesterol E-News as required
· Provide cover for holiday and sickness for other members of the Health Care Team.
· Involvement with all areas of the business may be necessary from time to time
· Undertake other duties as required to ensure the proper functioning of the HEART UK team
This is a description of the job as it is presently constituted. It is the practice of HEART UK to examine job descriptions from time to time and to update them to ensure they relate to the job as then being performed, or to incorporate whatever changes are being proposed. This will be conducted in consultation with you. It is the organisation’s aim to reach agreement on changes, but if agreement is not possible, the organisation reserves the right to insist on changes to your job description, after consultation with you.
Person Specification /Knowledge, evidence of professional development in related specialty
· Hold a current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a Qualified Registered Nurse (Adult).
· Worked in a cardiac/heart health nursing setting either in NHS, public or private sector.
· Commitment to Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
Experience, skills and attributes
· Minimum of 1 year experience at AfC band 6 or equivalent.
· Excellent experience working in a cardiology department or out-patient clinic performing basic cardiology investigations and/or experience working in a GP practice primarily with patients with cardiovascular disease.
· Excellent oral, written, listening and other interpersonal skills including a good telephone manner and an empathetic manner are required.
· Significant experience working in a healthcare setting, exposed to medical terminology and clinical ways of working
· Ability to maintain confidential data and appropriate records.
· Experience of working effectively both independently and as a team player.
· Demonstrates enthusiasm
· Passion for excellence
· Able to problem-solve and contribute to a small, dedicated team.
· Energy and capacity to work at a rapid pace, and to deliver confidently.
· Self-starter and motivated individual.
· Excellent attention to detail.
· An ability to manage, and where appropriate, resolve challenging helpline calls such as those from upset, anxious, confused or angry individuals with tact and diplomacy.
· Good time management.
· Experience of working with databases.
· Ability to organise and prioritise workload, unsupervised.
· Willingness to take on new skills and challenges.
· Good negotiation and influencing skills
· Positive disposition.
· High level of computer literacy: competent using Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.
Other
· Passionate for our cause
· Able to work occasional evenings and weekends to attend events/conferences/etc.
· Experience of working on a telephone/digital helpline is useful.