Preoperative Assessment Lead

Charter Medical Private Hospital (CMPH) is a 77‑bed surgical hospital located on the outskirts of Mullingar with four operating theatres and an endoscopy unit. We provide a wide range of surgical care across multiple specialties and offer 24/7 Stepdown, Minor Injuries, and Rapid Access services in collaboration with the HSE.

Preoperative Assessment Lead will provide the clinical and managerial leadership for the preoperative assessment clinic. The Preoperative Assessment Lead is responsible for the overall running of the PAC department in addition to the pre‑operative nursing assessment of patients being prepared for a variety of surgical and endoscopic procedures. The role involves working closely with consultants, anaesthetists, the day surgery unit, endoscopy, and outpatients’ departments to ensure capacity within day case areas is safely maximised.

The appointee will coordinate the scheduling of patients undergoing surgical and endoscopy procedures and ensure comprehensive nursing assessments are carried out. The Preoperative Assessment Lead will ensure that all necessary investigations and results are collated prior to the patient's admission to evaluate patients' suitability for general anaesthesia or sedation.

• Provide a high level of professional and clinical leadership.
• Manage patient care to ensure the highest professional standards using an evidence‑based, care planning approach.
• Be responsible for the co‑ordination, assessment, planning, delivery and review of service user care by all staff in Endoscopy, Day Surgery, and OPD/PAC.
• Provide safe, comprehensive nursing care to service users within the guidelines laid out by NMBI.
• Practice nursing according to Professional Clinical Guidelines, CHKS, HIQA, HSE guidelines, local policies/protocols, and current legislation.
• Manage own caseload in accordance with the needs of the post.

• Perform and document nursing pre‑operative assessment in the relevant proforma, including patient history, health screening, and carrying out a nursing assessment.
• Organise relevant pre‑operative investigations as per protocol (e.g., blood tests, ECG, x‑rays, and pulmonary function tests) and communicate abnormalities to the relevant clinicians.
• Familiar with ASA score.
• Exercise clinical judgement and decision making about patients' needs in terms of suitability for surgery, consulting clinicians as necessary.
• Liaise and/or refer to GP's and clinicians to ensure pre‑operative health is optimised.
• Liaise with anaesthetists, surgeons and endoscopists regarding potential medical issues.
• Give pre‑operative advice and support and initiate appropriate referral to other members of the multi‑disciplinary team.
• Plan discharge or transition of the service user between services as appropriate.
• Ensure that service users and others are treated with dignity and respect.

• Facilitate co‑ordination, co‑operation, and liaison across healthcare teams and programmes.
• Collaborate with service users, family, carers, and other staff in treatment/care planning and in the provision of support and advice.
• Assist with the development of assessment and referral protocols and guidelines with the anaesthetic, surgical, medical and nursing staff.
• Participate in teams/meetings/committees as appropriate.
• Communicate verbally and/or in writing results of assessments, treatment/care programmes, and recommendations to the team.
• Maintain nursing records in accordance with local service and professional standards.
• Adhere to and contribute to the development and maintenance of nursing standards, protocols and guidelines.
• Evaluate and manage the implementation of best practice policy and procedures.
• Collect data relevant to National pre‑assessment KPI's and present same at user group meetings.
• Participate in clinical audit as required.
• Initiate and participate in research studies as appropriate.
• Devise and implement health promotion programmes for service users as relevant to the post.

• Demonstrates a strong commitment to developing and…