Nursing Associate Practitioner | South NHS Foundation Trust

Overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen on Churchill ward at the Harbour for highly motivated and professional band 4 Registered Nursing Associate (RNA) to join the team. In coming into this role, the successful candidate will join an established nursing team, and will have opportunity to further develop their skills in a supportive environment. The successful candidate will bring excellent role modelling skills, a passion for supporting and developing junior colleagues, including student nurses and they should have a keen interest in quality improvement projects that can lead to improvements in patient care and staff wellbeing.

You should bring with you experience of nursing people with acute mental health needs. You may be newly qualified as an RNA, in which instance we will support you on your preceptorship journey, or perhaps you have been an RNA for some time and are looking to develop your skills further in a new environment. The successful candidate will be expected to work across a shift pattern, being part of a team that provides 24/7 care and treatment to male and female service users with acute mental health needs.

There will be occasions when you may need to support other wards, including our 136 suite, PICUs and older adult wards. You will provide support to the nurse leadership within the multidisciplinary team and ensure the effective assessment, formulation, planning and monitoring of care given to service users. You will exercise professional accountability and responsibility using skills, knowledge and expertise in changing environments, across clinical boundaries and in unfamiliar situations as outlined within the NMC Code of Professional Conduct.

You will be required to offer clinical and managerial leadership to Health Care Support Workers as part of your role within the team. You may be required to take on tasks that require you to operate electronic staffing record systems such as PDR/supervision. You will maintain a positive and open attitude towards organisational change and service development. You will work flexibly by working a rotational shift pattern including weekend and night duty to meet the needs of the ward and the wider network.

To move clinical areas at either short notice or no notice in order to meet the changing needs of the service. To participate in the process of internal rotation as and when required. To be compliant with all mandatory training.

• You will be required to liaise with other agencies and health professionals and provide specialist guidance/advice when appropriate.
• You will have excellent communication skills and an ability to engage with, form therapeutic relationships with your patients, and utilise skills to motivate acutely unwell service users to engage in agreed plans of care.
• You will be required to help overcome barriers to understanding, e.g. patients who have physical impairment, mental health condition or learning disabilities.
• You will be required to exchange information with patients using persuasion, reassurance, tact and empathy.
• To maintain confidentiality at all times.
• To understand the need to escalate any patient, staff or environment concerns.
• The ability to make judgements on problems requiring investigation, analysis, e.g. assessment of condition.
• To undertake a short course in violence reduction techniques, utilising these techniques in practice in a safe, skilled and effective manner.
• Under the guidance of a Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN), to implement a least restrictive practice approach considering the safety of service users and staff and consider implementing care in alternate areas such as Extra Care Area and Seclusion where appropriate.
• To report any incidents, accidents or untoward occurrences and to ensure that Datix is completed as per policy.
• To countersign Health Care Support worker and Student PAD documents.

• Band 4 Registered Nursing Associate (RNA) with the ability to work across a shift pattern providing 24/7 care and treatment to adults with acute mental health needs.
• Experience of nursing people with acute mental health needs; new graduates will be supported on a preceptorship journey.
• Willingness to support and develop junior colleagues, including student nurses, and engage in quality improvement projects to improve patient care and staff wellbeing.
• Regular supervision by a nominated Band 5 Nurse; encouraged to take responsibility for clinical supervision and your continuing professional development plan.
• Compliance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct; ability to exercise professional accountability and responsibility within clinical boundaries.
• Proficiency with mandatory training and potential use of electronic staffing record systems (e.g., PDR/supervision).

LSCFT values diversity and inclusion and actively challenge discrimination. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and experiences, including those with lived experience relevant to…