POSITION DESCRIPTION

Position Title:Nursing Team Leader

Reporting To:Clinical Manager

Position Size: 32-40 hrs per week

Functional Relationships:All Hospice Southland staff

Southern District Health Board – all departments, Palliative Care Advisory service and district nursing services.

External health providers, pharmacies and community support agencies.

Purpose of the position: to provide clinical leadership to the Nursing team.

Primary Objectives: To provide nursing clinical leadership and professional advisory services to the nursing team.

Ensure the establishment and maintenance of the highest clinical nursing standards within the services provided by Hospice Southland

Provide day to day operational support to the inpatient unit team

Participate in the development and implementation of the all service delivery policy and procedures and provide education to staff in meeting these policy and procedures.

Key Tasks / Expected Outcomes
CLINICAL
Staff Management /
  • Leadership and oversight of Community and Inpatient Nursing staff,
  • As required provide coaching, mentorship, and teaching of the team and act as a resource person
  • Represent and advocate for the team at leadership and governance level.
  • Is responsible for nursing staff and the staff roster to ensure that both patient safety is maintained at all times, and safe rostering practice is followed.
  • Provide direction and oversight of work loads and patient allocation
  • To act as a professional clinical nursing resource to the inpatient nursing team.
  • Regular visits alongside community team, and working with inpatient team
  • Participates in planning and implementation of compulsory component and clinical compulsory component days.
  • Maintains and completes annual performance appraisal on In-Patient Unit nursing staff and House Manager, including competencies for NZ Nursing Council and PDRP
  • Ensure new staff undergo a comprehensive orientation programme and receive the training necessary for effective performance of their responsibilities
  • On a fortnightly basis, undertake and oversee the draft pay sheet for the Inpatient team to confirm accuracy before passing to Clinical Manager for finalising

Community Team Management /
  • Ensure the Community Nursing team has the resources and support to care for people in the setting of their choice.

In-Patient Unit Management /
  • Communicate daily between inpatient and community regarding high risk, pending admissions and planned respite in the inpatient unit.
  • Ensure appropriate staffing levels are in place to safely manage patient care
  • Oversee RN responsible for admissions and discharges, ensuring they are coordinated and well planned.
  • Oversee the appropriate documentation has been completed on admission, discharge or death – care plans issues, discharge letters and referrals completed by appropriate staff
  • Maintains a functional work relationship with House Manager, ensuring that the needs of the patients and families, and the hospice facility are met.
  • Oversees the commercial cleaner, ensuring that contracts are appropriate, the cleaning is consistent and of the required standard.
  • Participates in regular audits with commercial cleaning company to ensure standards are appropriate.

Triage and Care Coordination /
  • Triage all new referrals, liaising with medical director on daily basis to ensure smooth and prompt response
  • Facilitate the daily 0830 meetings allowing for clear communication between inpatient, community and medical teams to ensure any admissions or discharges are planned and coordinated, as per the terms of reference.
  • Any high risk or after hours community calls are communicated across the teams.
  • Ensure appropriate internal referrals as required or requested by the patient and/or family.
  • Ensure appropriate communication with outside agencies as required for discharge planning i.e. District Nurses, Aged Care Residential facilities
  • Ensure appropriate referrals to external agencies are completed in a timely manner prior to discharge

Documentation /
  • Provide leadership and guidance to the nursing team to ensure all documentation is completed as per policy and procedure – namely service delivery, care planning, medicine management and patient information management.
  • Source appropriate clinical procedures as required
  • Ensure completion of required quality metrics, such as palliative outcome measures and maintaining scheduler for community visits

Supplies and Equipment /
  • Manages and budgets for all consumable supplies requiredby the nursing team.
  • Ensures pharmaceutical and medical supplies required for clinical needs are adequately stocked.
  • Manage all equipment required for inpatient use including safe operating procedures where required
  • Implements prudent budgeting

Education and advice /
  • Act as a resource to the nursing team and wider team as required.
  • Maintain working relationships with external agencies and health providers
  • Provide support and education to patients and families during admission to the inpatient unit.
  • Take part in the in-service education programme as required.

After hours responsibilities /
  • Ensure all staff are aware of the support after hours for medical, staffing or other emergencies, i.e. fire, security
  • Ensure emergency kit is maintained and audited regularly

Service Planning and Management /
  • Ensure there is on-going review and regular reporting to the clinical manager around issues of service planning and delivery.
  • Attends regular meeting time with the Clinical Manager.
  • Participate in the development, review and implementation of annual and strategic planning

ORGANISATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Service Development and Quality Improvement /
  • Take an active part in the review of policy and procedure in relation to the role
  • Participates in annual and strategic planning activities
  • Understands relevant legislation and standards that impact on quality improvement such as H&D Sector standards, Hospice New Zealand palliative care standards
  • Attends monthly service development meetings
  • Takes part in the infection control audit and infection surveillance and provide information to the Service Development Officer

Maintains clinical competency and professional development /
  • Complete required education and competencies to meet the requirements of all Nursing Council domains
  • Maintain a current portfolio at expert level
  • Have or working towards a palliative post graduate diploma or masters.
  • Actively participate in review of job description and personal appraisal annually, setting personal and professional goals – the first of which will be within 6 months of commencement.

Communication

Internal

External /
  • Maintain an open and direct line of communication with all members of the hospice team including volunteers.
  • Maintain harmonious and positive working relationships with all members of the Hospice team.
  • Ensures all messages and relevant information are relayed promptly and accurately
  • Attend all staff meetings as required or register an apology, minutes read and understood.
  • Remain up-to-date with current technology used in hospice southland.
  • Attends all relevant staff meetings, or apology registered, minutes read and understood
  • Establish and maintain open and constructive communications with external agencies and health providers.
  • When required deliver external education tutorials or attend public speaking engagements

Health and Safety /
  • Be aware of personal responsibilities in relation to the Health and Safety at Work 2015,
  • ensuring you take reasonable care of your own health and safety, and
  • take reasonable care that what you do or not do does not adversely affect the health and safety of others in your work place and
  • cooperate with any reasonable workplace health and safety policy or procedure that has been notified to workers and
  • comply with any reasonable instruction given by your Line Manager in meeting the HSWA and regulations.
  • Observe and practice safe operating procedures at all times using safety or ergonomic equipment where provided.
  • Report unsafe working conditions or equipment to Clinical Manager through the reportable event process
  • In conjunction with the Service Development Officer review the hazard register in relation to the Hospice facility.

Health and Wellbeing /
  • Be aware of own workload pressures, personal responses to stress and maintain a strategy for personal management of the same.
  • Participate in regular clinical supervision in line with the Hospice Southland Policy.

Hospice Southland Values
Grateful – Mauruuru We embrace the privilege to make a difference every day thanks to our communities’ support.
Collaborative – Mahi Tahi Together Everyone Achieves More
Passionate – Ngakau We are driven to grown our knowledge and expertise every day.
Encouraging –Te Akiaki We inspire others to take action in support of our cause.
Respectful – Whakaute We appreciate and seek to understand other points of view to grow our understanding. /
  • Promote the values of the organisation in personal and working relationships you have with all staff, patients, families and other health professionals and the wider community

Treaty of Waitangi
Hospice Southland acknowledges the Treaty of Waitangi as a foundation document of New Zealand. In recognising the three principles of the Treaty – Partnership, Protection and Participation, we will deliver our services at all levels of the organisation within the spirit of the Treaty. /
  • Understanding Te Whare Tapa Wha model of care, with the concepts of tinana (physical) hinengaro (emotional) whanau (social) wairua (spiritual) and how these can be incorporated into service delivery in meeting our commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi, Maori community, patients and their whanau

Fun and humour /
  • Embraces each day and takes an enthusiastic approach to the days challenges with a sense of humour
  • Communicates and celebrates our successes.

PERSON SPECIFICATION
Nursing Team Leader

Knowledge and Experience

Qualifications:

Essential -

  • The appointee must be a New Zealand Registered Nurse RCpN, RGON or RGN (New Zealand recognised equivalent) and hold a current practicing certificate
  • Have or working towards a palliative post graduate diploma or masters and/or relevant qualification.
  • Be competent operating a personal computer and have sound working knowledge ofMicrosoft software suite, and an ability to master dedicated software used in the patient information management system.
  • Current drivers licence

Desirable –

  • Completion or be working towards the attainment of management and/or leadership qualifications

Experience:

Essential -

Some experience in management of administration and clinical management of a nursing team

Some experience in the budgeting and operational planning, monitoring and review processes

Experience in palliative care, oncology, medical orsurgical setting.

Desirable -

Some experience in strategic planning, risk management and change management would be desirable.

Essential Competencies:

Is able to demonstrate the core competencies of palliative care nursing as defined in the national professional development framework for palliative care nursing in Aotearoa New Zealand

Patient and Family Focus

Has the desire and willingness to meet and exceed patients/family members’ expectations.

Self-Management

Can effectively plan and organise their work to achieve desired outcomes. Is proactive, remains focused and can take action to overcome obstacles and follow through to completion.

Integrity

Is open, honest and consistent in behaviour and can be relied upon. Able to generate confidence in others through their professional and ethical behaviour.

Innovation

Question the way things are done, learn from past mistakes and generate new and creative ideas to improve service delivery.

Teamwork

Ability to show a genuine intention to work co-operatively with others in a team setting in order to achieve results and team goals.

Communication

Effectively communicate with a wide range of people in all situations, both orally and in writing.

Analysis & Judgement

Able to identify and analyse issues and problems, consider alternatives, make sound decisions and commit to a course of action.

Strategic Thinking

Demonstrate an understanding of the big picture and is concerned with forward thinking, seeking and accepting challenges and opportunities.

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Updated April 2008 Supersedes issue August 2002