WHITTINGTON NHS TRUST

DIRECTORATE OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Roald Dahl Paediatric Haemoglobinopathies Nurse Specialist

GRADE:Band 7

HOURS: 37.5 hours predominantly Monday - Friday

RESPONSIBLE TO: Clinical Nurse Manager- Paediatrics

ACCOUNTABLE TO: Service Manager/ Matron for Paediatrics

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: In line with National Terms & Conditions for Agenda for Change

JOB SUMMARY:To be a professional role model, leading and co-ordinating the care of children with haemoglobinopathies and their families within the Trust. Taking continuing responsibility and accountability for the nursing management and organisation of this patient group.

The post holder will be the paediatric haemoglobinopathy nurse specialist for paediatrics within the Trust. She/he will have direct clinical involvement and extensive knowledge of paediatric sickle cell and thalassaemia and provide clinical care, advice, support to children/ families, teaching staff on the in patient and daycare units and in the community setting, ensuring a comprehensive service with a multi-disciplinary team approach for children and their families.. Manage a clinical caseload, liaison, teaching and audit/ research.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS:Members of the multi-disciplinary team across the trust including: Paediatric Consultants, Consultant Haematologists, Ifor ward and PACU nurse managers and nursing staff, adult haemoglobinopathy CNS, clinical psychologist for sickle cell service, children’s community nursing team, acute pain team, paediatric pharmacist, social workers, child and family mental health liaison team.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POST

  1. CLINICAL AND MANAGEMENT
  • To assess, plan, implement and evaluate programmes of care for children with haemoglobinopathies and their families, actively seeking evidence based practice which will support clinical outcomes as appropriate. This includes co-ordinating day case and follow up care, and undertaking direct clinical care and procedures Eg: phlebotomy, cannulation and exchange transfusions.
  • Monitor all children’s treatment and ensure that they have up to date care plans keep accurate records that are accessible and disseminate across the MDT.
  • To co-ordinate and develop care plans for children with sickle cell who require frequent hospital admission for pain relief, in collaboration with the acute pain service.
  • To establish a partnership approach to care, empowering and educating children and their families to actively participate in delivery of care – demonstrating, educating, instructing and supervising them in nursing procedures, which may be delegated to them.
  • To liaisie establish and maintain close links with the haemoglobinopathy counsellors.
  • To be a clinical role model for staff and demonstrate this by working clinically within the unit and act as a resource.
  • To assist in the formulation of policies and clinical guidelines where appropriate for children and families to assist them in maintaining a normal and healthy lifestyle.
  • Administer or supervise the administration of blood and other drugs to children attending the Whittington Hospital NHS Trust, accordingly to Trust Policies.
  • Liaise with Paediatric tertiary centres about the children’s treatment and co-ordinate care Eg: pre operative admission care.
  • Use knowledge and skills to advise children and their families on symptom management and care.
  • Be competent in phlebotomy, cannulation, exchange transfusions, central venous access devices for drug administration, blood sampling and blood products.
  • Be competent in setting up and caring for child on CPAP with chest crisis.
  • Attend and assist in the running of weekly paediatric sickle cell clinics, and regular multi disciplinary meetings and advocate about the care of patients.
  • To facilitate and support the transition of adolescents to the adult services within the Trust.
  • Liaise with health visitor, school nurse, school/nurseries and children’s community nurses and other members of primary healthcare team to ensure ongoing support of child and family.
  • Maintain and develop the established reporting and communication systems to evaluate and monitor the service provided.
  • Work within agreed standard and protocols and contributing to the further development.
  • Contribute, with the multi disciplinary team facilitate discharge, and ideally maintain the child at home in the community.
  • In collaboration with the children’s community team, if necessary visit the child and family at home, provide on going support and education in the home. Also act as a resource for children’s community nursing team and school nurses.
  • Work in conjunction with the nursing management team to monitor the changing needs in the paediatric service.
  • Ensure the effective use of resources, including maintaining the effective and efficient use of supplies for this client group.
  • Ensure that all paediatric haemoglobinopathy activity is recorded on PAS. Ensure accurate data quality data accreditation standards are maintained when inputting data on IT systems. Also maintain and improve an accurate patient database.
  • Promote the operational and strategic vision of this service.
  • To set heamoglobinopathy service objectives and produce information and periodic reports as required by the Service Manager and the Roald Dahl Foundation.
  • Assist in the stabilisation of critically unwell children presenting with sickle cell crises.
  • Assist in preparing children for discharge bringing together all persons involved in the care of the child.
  • Assist in the mentorship and appraisal of junior staff.
  • Participate in the recruitment and selection of staff to the Paediatric unit as required
  1. EDUCATION AND TRAINING
  • Assist in the continued education of children and their families about aspects of their care.
  • Be a resource to families.
  • Liaise, inform and support ward staff in the education and support of children with haemoglobinopathies.
  • Assist in contribution to the provision of a good clinical learning environment for staff and students.
  • To assist in planning and organisation of seminars/presentations to share experiences and gained from this service with colleagues from other centres.
  • To establish patient / parent support forums.
  • To take the lead in promoting healthy lifestyle for children with haemoglobinopathies, their families and staff caring for them.
  • Participate in the training and education for:
  • Staff nurses and students with lecturer practitioner
  • Paediatric medical staff,
  • Members of other disciplines
  • Children’s community nurses
  • Ensuring that all staff are adequately educated / trained and are competent in meeting the needs of the child with haemoglobinopathies.
  • Assist in the development of evidence based practice and protocols/ guidelines.
  • To apply research findings in order to maintain good practice and promote the concept of home management of acute and chronic symptoms.
  • Participate and lead on audits (internal and external) about paediatric haemoglobinopathy issues.
  • Act as a mentor/preceptor for learners and other staff as appropriate.

3. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Flexibility in working to meet children’s needs across the Paediatric Service.
  • Promote and maintain good working relationships with colleagues from primary and secondary and care sectors and other agencies.
  • Contribute to multi-disciplinary communications.
  • Take a proactive role in developing paediatric haemoglobinopathy nursing within the unit.
  • Attend meetings relevant to paediatric haemoglobinopathies and the patients as appropriate and as requested.
  • Be familiar with, understand and follow policy/procedure documents produced by the Trust.
  • Keep up to date with current paediatric haemoglobinopathy nursing issues. Attend mandatory study days.
  • Report and record all accidents, incidents and complaints in line with Whittington NHS Trust policy.
  • Maintain professional accountability at all times, including the planning, delivery and evaluation of care . Comply with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct.

4.QUALITY AND AUDIT RESPONSIBILITIES

  • To actively contribute to research and development programmes with regards to sickle cell and thalassaemia, within the Directorate in order to promote good practice.
  • To monitor the quality of nursing care and action audit information to achieve agreed standards and take the lead on initiatives for children and their families with haemoglobinopathies within the Trust.
  • To establish protocols of care. Set and monitor measurable standards of care and be accountable for maintaining standards.
  • To enable and support staff to develop and implement evidence based practice in child health, developing guidelines and policies with the multidisciplinary team.
  • Ensure clinical governance frameworks are in place and facilitate clinical governance strategies throughout the service.
  • Ensure staff are familiar with national, professional and local quality issues relevant to the delivery of this services.
  • To be involved in the implementation of guidelines from NSF, CHI and NICE in accordance with clinical governance strategy.
  • Participate in and initiate audit, quality initiatives and projects as required to develop the overall children’s service.
  • To collaborate with other professionals to initiate and promote that will include the Trust’s research and development strategy.
  • To develop and initiate benchmarking initiatives related to paediatric haemoglobionopathy nursing.
  • Work closely with colleagues to develop evidence based practice within this area of paediatric nursing, contributing to the clinical governance agenda.
  • Leads the development and facilitates regular reviews of all protocols and guidelines specific to paediatric haemoglobinopathies.
  • To develop and implement nursing/ multi-professional evidence based/best practice guidelines and policies.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY

Employees must be aware of the responsibilities placed on them under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, to ensure that the agreed safety procedures are carried out to maintain a safe environment for employees and visitors.

SECURITY

It is the responsibility of all employees to work within the security policies and procedures of the Whittington Hospital NHS Trust to protect the patients, staff and visitors and the property of the Trust. This duty applies to the specific work area of the individual and the Hospital in general. All staff are required to wear official identification badges.

DATA PROTECTION

This post has a confidential aspect. If you are required to obtain, process and/or use information held on a computer or word processor you should do 'It in a fair and lawful way’. You should hold data only for the specific registered purpose and not use or disclose it in any way incompatible with such a purpose and ought to disclose data only to authorised persons or organisations as instructed. Breaches of confidence in relation to data will result in disciplinary action which may involve dismissal.

CHILD PROTECTION

This post is subject to the applicant not having any relevant criminal convictions, bind overs or cautions and agreeing to the police checking for any criminal records on behalf of the Whittington Hospital NHS Trust should they be offered the post.

NMC REGISTRATION

It is the individual responsibility of every registered nurse, midwife and health visitor, to ensure that registration with NMC is kept up to date. Failure to do so means that a registered nurse, midwife or health visitor cannot continue to be employed with the Hospital as a registered nurse, midwife or health visitor.

NO SMOKING

The Hospital has promoted a No Smoking Policy as part of its responsibility for the provision of health. You will be required to work within the framework of this policy. Smoking is not permitted in offices.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

It is the aim of the Trust to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less than favourable treatment on grounds of sex, marital status, race, colour, creed, religion, physical disability, mental health, learning difficulty, age or sexual orientation and is not placed at a disadvantage by conditions or requirements that cannot be shown to be justifiable. To this end the Trust has an equal opportunities policy and it is for each employee to contribute to its success.

CONFIDENTIALITY

You are required to maintain confidentiality of any information concerning patients which you have access to or may be given in the course of your work, in accordance with current policy on confidentiality in the Whittington Hospital NHS Trust.

METHOD OF PAYMENT

Payment of salary is made into bank account/building society account by direct bank system. Details of a bank account or building society account will be required on the first day at work. There is no facility for any other form of payment.

CUSTOMER AWARENESS

The Whittington Hospital expects its employees to communicate with colleagues, patients and visitors in a polite and courteous manner at all times.

Person Specification:

Roald Dahl Paediatric Haemoglobinopathies Nurse Specialist

REQUIREMENTS

/ ESSENTIAL / DESIRABLE
Education and Qualifications / Registration/ RSCN/RN Child
Graduate
Teaching course eg: ENB 998
Sickle Cell (short) Course Eg: ENB N08 (or willingness to undertake if not)
Evidence of further professional development / Nurse Prescriber
Masters Level Education
Research Course Eg: modules at Level 3 / 4 or ENB 870
Paediatric Pain Management Course
Experience / Minimum of 2 years at F grade which includes working with children with sickle cell and haemoglobinopathies
3 years General Paediatrics experience
Ward / Day Care Management Experience at F/G grade / Community Experience
Knowledge/Skills / Excellent communication skills
Extended clinical skills and knowledge eg: venepuncture and phlebotomy administration, exchange transfusions, CPAP
Leadership skills
Knowledge of change management
IT Skills Eg Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Patient Management Systems
Knowledge of scope of Codes of Professional Practice document NMC
Commitment to research based practice and evidence based care
Able to meet deadlines despite conflicting priorities
Evidence of applying current research into practice
Teaching and assessing skills
Proven written and oral skills
Ability to adapt to NHS Service developments and new nursing theories for use in the clinical area
Able to manage difficult situations effectively / Awareness of professional issues/quality
Participated in audits
Be aware of research and willing to participate in same
Evidence of managing change in a clinical area/situation
Disposition / Ability to work on own
Ability to work within a multidisciplinary team
Motivation and ability to motivate others
Approachable and enthusiastic, flexible, adaptable and supportive.
Other requirements / Good attendance record
Ability to take on new concepts and implement within the Department
Knowledge of clinical issues
Clear understanding of child protection policies.
Car driver (or willingness to use public transport to visit families if not) / Ability to adapt to changing needs of service