Senior Occupational Health Nurse Advisor | East Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust

The EKHUFT Occupational Health (OH) team is responsible for the OH service delivery for all EKHUFT employees and contracted services, including a number of external organisations of other NHS, small and medium-sized business enterprises.

This is an exciting opportunity to support the growing multidisciplinary team, service delivery and quality standards with the Senior OH Nurse Advisor playing a key role in the day to day operational delivery of OH services. You will provide competent, comprehensive and specialist expert advice to service users, providing a high standard of Occupational Health advice on health screening, fitness for work, including advice on any adjustments, support for blood borne virus exposures, immunisation and infection control.

As Senior OH Nurse you will provide competent, comprehensive and specialist expert advice to service users, both internal and external clients, providing a high standard of Occupational Health verbal and written advice to HR, managers, staff and external clients including assessment, advice/education and a management plan.

Contribute to the health and wellbeing of staff and lead on particular service development initiatives and health promotion activities.

You will be a member of the senior management team and provide leadership, guidance and management of the clinical team. You will have clinical and professional input into the planning, provision and future direction of the service. Deputising for the Deputy/Head of Occupational Health in their absence.

You will support and provide professional leadership to facilitate the development and training of the OH nursing staff to agreed service objectives.

You will promote high standards of health and safety amongst staff in line with current legislation.

We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with three acute hospitals and community sites serving a local population of around 700,000. We also provide specialist services for Kent and Medway.

We care about our patients and our people. We are focused on providing outstanding, safe patient care, and a positive working culture that benefits staff and patients alike. With our emphasis on staff training and development, a staff support scheme that’s second to none, and a healthy package of benefits, it’s easy to put down roots in East Kent Hospitals.

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

• Work at an advanced level undertaking a comprehensive assessment of employees including those with diverse or complex presentations; use clinical reasoning skills.
• Be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work.
• Formulate and recommend best course of evidence-based intervention, developing comprehensive client centred objectives and plans for employees referred to the occupational health service, demonstrating autonomous decision making related to history taking and in the use of other assessments.
• Draw upon an appropriate range of multi-agency and inter-professional resources in own practice. Utilise information through a variety of communication media.
• Promote a high standard of specialist occupational health advice through evidence-based practice following agreed policies, protocols and guidelines.
• Undertake assessments and provide health at work advice to management for potential staff following an offer of employment.
• Assessing employee’s fitness for work following long term sickness absence, frequent short-term sickness absence, or where the employee is experiencing health or disability issues impacting upon them at work.
• Provide clear impartial advice to both managers and employees to optimise health at work, reduce sickness absence and prevent work related ill health and injury. Offer advice on fitness for work, return to work plans, workplace adjustments and ill-health retirement.
• Provide clear, impartial health at work advice during case review meetings with managers and human resources.
• Plan and deliver training and coaching to managers in protecting and promoting employee wellbeing, preventing and managing sickness absence.
• Maintain confidential, clear and accurate records that are stored in accordance with the General Data Protection Act Regulations. Maintain documentation to NMC requirements for all seen.
• Support the planning and implementation of an occupational immunisation service. To include the accurate assessment of immunisation requirements in accordance with national guidelines and local policies. Administration of vaccines in accordance with local protocols, phlebotomy, accurate interpretation of tests results and clear and accurate documentation.
• Planning and implementation of health surveillance such as skin…