Senior Community Nurse

The post holder will provide advanced expertise and strong

leadership within the District Nursing Team, working alongside the Team Leader

to deliver high-quality, person-centred care. They will demonstrate an in-depth

theoretical and practical understanding of a wide range of conditions and will

be proficient in core district nursing skills, including tissue viability,

palliative and end-of-life care, and diabetes management. Using specialist

assessment abilities and diagnostic reasoning, they will interpret complex

clinical presentations, make sound judgements, and implement evidence-based

interventions tailored to the needs of patients with higher acuity and complex

conditions. They will plan, deliver, and evaluate holistic programmes of care,

maintaining accurate records and ensuring practice reflects current evidence,

NMC standards, and professional codes.

In their leadership role, the post holder will act as a

visible role model, supporting effective communication across the team,

promoting a culture of compassion, professionalism, equality, and openness, and

deputising for the Team Leader when required. They will help coordinate the

teams workload, support decision-making in challenging or urgent situations,

and provide guidance, supervision, and mentorship to junior staff, students,

and new starters.

Job Purpose

The post holder will work as a

senior member of the District Nursing Team collaborating with the Team Leader

(caseload holder) and support the provision of clinical leadership within the

team. A key feature of the role is to support the proactive management of

patients with complex or higher acuity conditions on the District Nursing

Caseload. This will include collaborating with other members of the multi-disciplinary

team involved in the patients care to establish a person-centred approach to

management of health/social care needs, that also promotes self-management.

The post holder will be

responsible for an identified cohort of patients with higher acuity needs

within District Nursing Team caseload as identified by the District Nurse Team

Leader. They will use extended clinical skills and expert knowledge to assess

the physical and psycho social needs of a defined patient group, instigating

therapeutic treatments based on best available evidence in order to improve

health outcomes. In doing so, they will assess, plan, deliver and evaluate

patient centred programmes of care ensuring that they practice within their

sphere of competence and knowledge. The post holder will work to professional

and NMC codes, standards and guidance at all times ensuring that their practice

is based on the most up to date evidence-based theory and practical knowledge.

They will be responsible for developing new and innovative clinical practices

responding to emerging knowledge and techniques and working with the District

Nurse Coordinator, Team Leader and other, services, where appropriate to make

improvements.

Duties and Responsibilities

1.

Clinical

1.1.

Demonstrates

a detailed theoretical and practical knowledge of common aetiologies,

pathologies, conditions, and presentations involving a critical understanding

of theories and principles.

1.2.

Be

proficient in core skills required to deliver care within a district nursing

service such as tissue viability, palliative/end of life care, diabetes

management.

1.3.

Demonstrate

innovative and specialist skills required for assessment and interpretation of

complex patient conditions and determining the appropriate course of action.

1.4.

Select

methods and tools to holistically assess, plan, implement and evaluate in a

complex patient condition.

1.5.

Analyse

and act appropriately in complex situation and escalate wherever applicable e.g.,

to District Nurse Coordinator, Team leader, Safeguarding Lead, GP.

1.6.

Make

judgements on complex facts requiring interpretation and comparing treatment/management

options ensuring clinical reasoning is reflected accurately in case records.

1.7.

Aim

to promote community care delivered at home, thus preventing unnecessary

admissions to hospital and reduction in length of hospital in-patient stays.

1.8.

Engage

and actively involve the individual and, if appropriate, their family/carer, in

the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of programmes of

treatment and/or care by using person-centred techniques to promote a culture

of involvement and empowerment

1.9.

Works

to standards of proficiency identified by their professional and regulatory

bodies performing clinical treatments/procedures to a competent standard.

1.10.

Prioritises

their own workload and support the Team Leader with allocation and workload

management of the wider team, within agreed objectives deciding when to refer

to others as appropriate.

1.11.

Provide

and receive complex, sensitive, or contentious information where motivational,

persuasive, empathetic, negotiating and reassurance skills are required whilst

demonstrating an understanding of barriers to communication.

1.12.

Approach

each individual with care, compassion and sensitivity ensuring that these

values are reflected in all areas of practice including the management of any

complaints and compliments.

1.13.

To comply with the organisations Infection

Prevention and Control requirements, including bare below the elbows dress

code for staff with a direct care delivery role

2.

Leadership

2.1.

Deputise

for the Team Leader at internal and external meetings when required.

2.2.

Support

the Team Leader in developing effective lines of communication that ensures

that the team are aware of the Trusts strategic direction and local business

plan objectives and performance targets.

2.3.

Ensures

that a professional service and image is maintained at all times, thereby

acting as a role model to all staff promoting a positive image of community

nursing.

2.4.

Provides

a leadership style which is underpinned by strongly held values around

equality, diversity, and openness; effectively builds and maintains

relationships with the wider team, management teams and other key individuals

across the organisation.

2.5.

Provide

an educational role for patients, carers, and new team members.

2.6.

Demonstrates

the ability to delegate, organise and prioritise workload to ensure the safe

delivery of care to an identified cohort of patients including the management

of referrals and discharges using locally agreed support mechanisms e.g., on

call manager and making judgements in complex situations.

2.7.

Demonstrates

clinical leadership, initiative, and creativity in identifying and supporting

projects inspiring others to be positive in their contribution to continuous improvement.

2.8.

Demonstrates

resilience when responding to challenge, change and complex or difficult situations.

2.9.

Ensures

that all objectives, for self and those directly supervised by the post holder,

are clearly defined within the wider Directorate framework and in line with

Trusts objectives, using the appraisal process as a vehicle for this.

2.10.

Takes

responsibility for their own and others health and safety in the working

environment.

2.11.

To

support the Team Leader in the management of higher acuity patients and leading

on the assessment care planning and ongoing management of an identified cohort

of patients.

2.12.

Collaborate

with primary care, secondary care and social services and other colleagues to

plan and implement treatment as required.

3.

Learning and Development

3.1.

Undertakes

any training required to develop and maintain their proficiency in response to

changes in service delivery or new and emerging techniques and demonstrate

competence within professional body requirements.

3.2.

Reflects

on and evaluates own practice and identifies areas of development by setting

appropriate objectives via appraisal and clinical supervision.

3.3.

Conducts

research projects, or other research and development activity, appropriate to

clinical area.

3.4.

Undertakes

supervision and is responsible for teaching and training both inside and

outside work area.

3.5.

Supporting

the Team leaders with the learning and development of others including students

and preceptees providing supervision and mentorship to junior staff.

3.6.

Support

the Team Leader in reporting and investigating complaints and incidents.

4.

Partnership and Team Working

4.1.

Actively

develops and maintains effective clinical and corporate working relationships

both within and outside the Trust.4.2.

Explores

the potential for collaborative working and takes opportunities to initiate and

sustain such relationships to improve and develop service delivery.

4.3.

Actively

contributes to the multi-disciplinary team supporting the patient including

communication with external care providers, voluntary support services and

other agencies; acting as a credible source of information for other

agencies/professionals involved in the care as required.

5.

Innovation and Quality

5.1.

Implements,

monitors, and maintains agreed standards of care, reporting to the Team Leader/District

Nurse Coordinator when standards are not met.

5.2.

Implements

policies relevant to service area and supports the Team Leader to ensure team

members are aware of policy requirements.

5.3.

Identifies

areas for improvement within own team and proactively addresses these with the

support of the Team Leader/District Nurse Coordinator within the overall

organisational governance frameworks and corporate objectives reflecting the

changing needs of the population, local and national initiatives.

5.4.

Actively

works to continually improve the quality of own service area within the overall

organisational governance frameworks and corporate objectives e.g., through

audit or suggesting changes to practice.

5.5.

Contributes

to and undertakes clinical audit.

5.6.

Works

with District Nurse Coordinators, Team Leaders, and other key colleagues to

identify, manage and minimise risks within the overall organisational risk

management frameworks. This includes understanding and applying knowledge of

clinical role in safeguarding and an active involvement in incident management processes.

5.7.

Acts

as an advocate for patients and their families/carers recognising the

boundaries of their clinical knowledge; liaising and referring on to other

services / agencies as required.

5.8.

Ensures

that patient experience is core to all clinical care delivered and gaining

support from the appropriate corporate teams as required.

Flexible working will be considered for all roles.

North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (NCM) serves more than one million residents across the Halton and Warrington boroughs and the wider North West region.

Bringing together community and out-of-hospital services (formerly provided by Bridgewater Community Healthcare) with inpatient and elective care (formerly Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals) we provide services at two hospital sites and more than 70 community hubs and facilities.

Our mission, vision and values are at the heart of North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (NCM).

They underpin everything we do and everything we aspire to be as an organisation.

Our mission

We will be exceptional for our patients, our communities and each other

Our vision

We will be a great organisation providing excellent healthcare and opportunities to work and learn

Our values

Relationships

Right to Work

Experience

Practical and Intellectual Skills

Qualifications

Knowledge and Understanding

Attitude and Behaviour