Clinical Sister/Charge Nurse - Cardiology

The post holder will work primarily within CCU or Malins Ward, providing visible clinical leadership and ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality patient care. Working closely with the Ward Manager, they will support the operational and clinical management of the service, maintaining standards of care, achieving performance objectives and ensuring effective use of resources.

The Clinical Sister will deputise for the Ward Manager in their absence, taking responsibility for the day-to-day management of the ward, including staff allocation, patient flow, bed management and coordination of clinical activity. They will support quality improvement initiatives, risk management, incident investigations, complaints management and compliance with Trust policies and governance requirements.

The post holder will contribute to staff management processes, including appraisal, supervision, recruitment, induction, attendance management and the development of registered and unregistered staff, apprentices and students. As a senior member of the team, they will act as a professional role model, providing support, guidance and clinical expertise.

Working collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team, the Clinical Sister will promote continuous improvement, enhance patient experience and support the Ward Manager in achieving departmental and organisational objectives. Excellent leadership, communication and clinical decision-making skills are essential.

To assist the Ward Manager in leading a team of nurses in the delivery of a high standard of care

To communicate complex sensitive and complex information to patients or careers.

To participate in the Cardiology nurse rota

To audit care against agreed standards

To identify any weaknesses that are evident in the delivery of care and

develop action plans to address weaknesses

To implement information strategies ensuring that patients and carers are given as much information relating to their investigations and their diagnosis as they need

To base own practice on current best evidence

To lead on any shift allocated the care for the unit

To lead in the evaluation of current research findings and if appropriate implement into practice on unit

To lead on identified clinical audit projects

To ensure data with DIGIT, LORENZO and SAFECARE are kept up to date through the shift.

To ensure PCI and other audits are completed for all patients across the unit.

To maintain services to meet contract and quality standards, take corrective action and inform the Unit Manager of unresolved problems.

To review the standard of care and documentation at regular intervals, benchmarking performance against NMC guidelines and other national and local targets.

To promote patient involvement in care. Implements communication system to keep patients and their relatives/families informed of treatment and progress. Undertake audits at required intervals to maintain standards of record keeping.

To investigate complaints and untoward incidents in accordance with Trust policies and procedures. Provide statements accurately, timely and professionally. Supports the Ward Manager in improving systems to prevent recurrence.

To contribute to the planning, monitoring and control of unit resources, assisting the Ward Manager to keep expenditures within budgets.

To assist the Ward Manager to optimise nursing resources by even distribution of staff annual leave and matching skill mix to workload.

To contribute to the recruitment and selection of quality staff for the unit, identifying future job requirements for profiling to complement team.

To contribute to the development of teams, individuals and self to enhance performance. Facilitate staff development to achieve ward objectives using the principles of IPR and PDP. Monitor staff performance and report progress to the Ward Manager at regular intervals

To contribute to the planning, organisation and evaluation of work, ensuring adequate induction of new staff including effective preceptorship for newly qualified nurses (and nurses new to specialty), monitoring of the practice of Band 5 and Band 2/3 staff and mentorship for student nurses on ward/ department placements. To ensure the ward is staff appropriately and within budget at all times.

To create, maintain and enhance productive working relationships within and outside the ward/department by minimising unproductive conflicts and promoting positive team working. Informs the Ward Manager of unresolved and potential problems.

To promote staff compliance of Trust policies and procedures. Undertake counselling as appropriate and report difficult cases to the Ward manager for further action.

Come and join a Trust rated Outstanding by the CQC. South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as outstanding following our latest inspection by the CQC and we are recruiting new staff to come and help us improve even further.

We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the county. We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity.

Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are 'Trusted to provide safe, effective and compassionate care'. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn't matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.

Qualifications

Essential: - Degree in adult nursing (or equivalent).; - Teaching and assessing qualification; - leadership qualification

Desirable: - Recognised cardiology qualification; - ALS qualified; - ECG interpretation

Experience

Essential: - 3 years acute medicine experience

Desirable: - experience in a cardiology setting

Skills

Desirable: - experience in roster management

Personal Qualities

Other Job Requirements

Essential: - Flexible working and able to change duties at short notice