CNM 2 St Josephs Rehabilitation Unit

Rehabilitation Ward profile:

The rehabilitation ward is a 20 bedded unit dedicated to promoting patients over 65 to regain their highest functional capabilities to the best of their current ability following an illness or injury.

The rehab Nursing team strive to restore patient independence and confidence to ensure safe discharge from the Unit through a multidisciplinary approach comprising of physiotherapists Consultant geriatricians pharmacists speech and language therapists Occupational therapists social workers and dieticians.

ROLE SUMMARY:

The post holder is expected to demonstrate team leadership and management in the maintenance and development of a high quality service to the unit.

The post holder will:

Direct co-ordinate and provide a high quality evidence based nursing service in a multidisciplinary environment.

Roster and supervise staff teach and train nursing and support staff and ensure the economic management of resources.

Take responsibility for the co-ordination of workload and the assignment of staff to assist the day to day running of the unit.
Enable the training and development of nursing staff in the provision of safe and effective practice through team leadership management and practical expertise.

Develop implement and evaluate programmes of care set standards of care and review and update nursing policies and procedures based on current and sound research.

Maintain effective communication and professional relationships within the nursing multi-disciplinary teams and clinical support services to ensure that a cohesive effective service is provided within the unit.

Audit the work of the department and evaluate outcomes of care.

DETAILS OF RESPONSIBILITIES

MANAGERIAL

Maintain effective communication and professional relationships within unit and all associated clinical and administrative areas within St Josephs Hospital.

Be responsible for bed management within the unit and communicate with the bed management team

Prepare monthly duty rosters of deployed staff in such a way that best facilitates the workload needs of the unit and will ensure continuity of care.

Liaise with the Clinical Nurse Manager III when staffing levels fall below or are in excess of that considered adequate to meet the complexity and variations in workload.

Allocate nursing and health care staff with appropriate numbers skill mix and levels of experience to meet the case load needs.

Be willing in an emergency to share personnel with other areas of the hospital.

Guide support and supervise the nursing and health care assistant staff to enable them to deliver the highest possible standard of nursing care.

Lead and motivate staff and influence change in response to a changing health service environment.

Ensure that the agreed hospital and specialist policies and procedures are known to and understood by staff and are implemented.

Ensure the maintenance of a suitable environment for patients and staff with particular emphasis on Health and Safety. This will require that relationships with the Infection Control Team Occupational Health Department Fire Officer Technical and Bio-engineering staff and providers of equipment will need to be established and maintained.

Investigate incidents and accidents involving patients staff and visitors in accordance with hospital policy and report these verbally and in writing to CNM III and implement corrective action when necessary.

Establish effective communication with clinical support departments (i.e. Pathology Radiology etc) to ensure that the services required for individual patients are co-ordinated and delivered in a timely manner.

Be responsible for the economical ordering and utilisation of pharmacy and medical supplies for the unit maintaining agreed stock levels and adjusting levels according to peaks and troughs in demand.

Establish and maintain communications with non-clinical departments (i.e. catering contract cleaning linen Portering ward supplies and technical services) to ensure that the services to the Unit are provided to the highest possible standards which will ensure economical utilisation of such services.

Ensure that staff are up to date with mandatory training: cardiac resuscitation manual handling fire hand hygiene standard precautions heamovigilance and are familiar with the hospital internal and major incident plans.

Ensure the implementation of effective maintenance systems for medical equipment in use i.e. maintaining inventory of equipment checking equipment before use ensuring adequate training of staff in the correct use and care of equipment.

Ensure that verbal and written nursing reporting systems are accurate and adequate and that nursing reports accompany patients who are being transferred to other units / centres.

Ensure the appropriate utilisation of the Medical Clinical Management system with regard to the management of individual patients clinical data audit and utilisation of data to establish clinical outcomes standards of care and to update clinical practice.

Contribute to the development of operational and strategic plans to the Hospital and to the wider issues relating to the development to the care of the older persons.

Convene regular ward meetings to encourage a positive staff environment and participation within the Ward.

CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

To be an effective Practitioner able to establish and maintain a high quality evidence based nursing service.
Direct supervise and support the nursing staff in the management of nursing care i.e. provide professional and specialist advice on the provision of nursing care and participate in the delivery of care.
Ensure clinical competency of nursing staff in performing clinical procedures and introduce new clinical practices and techniques in an appropriate manner.
Using a model of nursing consistent with Hospital Nursing Policy assess the health status of individual patients and deliver the appropriate therapy.
Collaborate with the medical team and other healthcare professionals with regard to the effectiveness of care.
Review patient care plans for appropriate patient goals problems approaches and revise based on nursing needs.
Promote patient/family participation in care identifying and meeting the learning needs of patients and their family.
Ensure the provision of timely and complete information and education for individual patients aimed at promoting independence prevention of illness and promotion of health.

STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF CARE

Takes all steps possible to safeguard the welfare of patients through actively leading in:-

Quality initiatives within the unit with the aim of improving patient care and promoting the further
Development of Nursing within the speciality.
Have an awareness of the strategic objectives of St Josephs &Beaumont Hospitals.

Identifying areas of practice which require review and update and lead in the development of evidence based practice in consultation with staff.

Actively participate in the formulation of nursing guidelines and standard operating procedures.

Attend regular directorate meetings and provide feedback to staff.

Ensure the establishment of ward management and clinical standards within realistic targets and explicit limits as set by Director of Nursing.
Oversee the quality of nursing care provided
Monitor and evaluate outcomes of nursing care for individual patients.

Assess the quality of work provided by individual members of the nursing team.

Play an active role in ensuring the clinical environment meets standards expected with regard to Hygiene Decontamination and the Prevention and Control of Infection including Blood Borne Viruses.

EDUCATION - STAFF DEVELOPMENT

Create and maintain an environment conducive to evidence based teaching learning and practice.

Act as an effective role model mentor and leader of staff i.e. leading by example.

Take all possible steps to promote the development of staff nurses with the aim of facilitating nurses to be autonomous and expert practitioners.

Lead in the training and development of the Healthcare Assistant role in collaboration with CNM III.

Identify training and development needs of individual staff assigned to the Unit and set objectives for such learning.

Facilitate appropriate study days for nursing and support staff in accordance with Department of Nursing policy.

Identify and utilise teaching learning and practice opportunities in the clinical setting and encourage problem based learning strategies based on patient health problems.

Participate in the development implementation and evaluation of Induction/Orientation Training Programmes Continuing Education Programmes and the Post Graduate Nursing Programmes.

Ensure the availability of appropriate information/educational resources for patients and families aiming to encourage independence the prevention of illness and the promotion of health for all patients.

Participate actively with research opportunities within the Unit/Hospital.

PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

Maintain a high level of staff morale promoting team spirit and job satisfaction among nursing multidisciplinary and support staff within the practice area.

Ensure that all staff practice nursing within the code set for the profession by the NMBI.

Take all possible steps to safeguard the welfare and safety of the staff.

Receive with courtesy visiting professionals and lay visitors to the Unit.

Monitor sick leave and late attendances receive calls from staff reporting sick and implement the sick leave regulations in consultation with CNM III. Conduct return to work interviews with staff following sick leave or other absences as per hospital guidelines.

Handle staff complaints grievances and disciplinary matters in accordance with hospital policy and report to CNM III as necessary on serious or unresolved issues.

Carry out development and performance review interviews with individual nursing and health care assistant staff using job performance review in accordance with unit policy.

Ensures that the work of the ward clerical staff is carried out to the required standard and liaise with the Ward Clerical Supervisor with regard to training and development needs of staff.

Health Care Assistant Staff

Ensures that the work of the Health Care Assistants and Household Staff is implemented to the required standard as per job specification.

Ensure that the systems for induction and training of auxiliary staff are implemented in a satisfactory manner.

Supervise support and encourage auxiliary staff in the implementation of their role and ensure that nursing staff know and understand these roles.

SELF DEVELOPMENT

Have a creative outlook enabling progress to be made towards the ultimate objective of reaching standards of excellence in the delivery of nursing care and in the co-ordination of multi-disciplinary care.

Maintain and update knowledge of relevant professional development and all current trends in the speciality of Gerontology/Medical nursing and an awareness of future trends.

Develop personal skills in Gerontology/Medical nursing with hands on nursing commitment.

Attend and participate in staff development programmes and represent Gerontology/Medical Nursing as a speciality at meetings and conferences as required.

Discuss present performance and future needs with the CNM III using Job Performance Review in accordance with unit policy.

ADMINISTRATIVE

Ensure the correct completion of unit records and reports.

Actively promote the utilisation and further development of clinical and administrative computerisation.

Assist in the preparation of the Annual Departmental Report.

Participate in the administration of unit budgetary/management.

The job description represents the main functions of the role and is subject to review and amendment to reflect the needs of the service as directed by the Clinical Nurse Manager III & Director of Nursing.

Selection Criteria:
Selection criteria outline the qualifications skills knowledge and/or experience that the successful candidate would need to demonstrate for successful discharge of the responsibilities of the post.
Applications will be assessed on the basis of how well candidates satisfy these criteria.

Mandatory:

1. Statutory Registration Professional Qualifications Experience etc
(a) Eligible applicants will be those who on the closing date for the competition:
(i) Are registered in the relevant division of the Register of Nurses & Midwives
maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland NMBI (Bord
Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann) or entitled to be so registered.

(ii) Have at least 5 years post registration experience (or an aggregrate of 5 years
fulltime post registration experience) of which 2 years must be in the speciality
or related area.

(iii) Have the clinical managerial and administrative capacity to properly discharge
the functions of the role.

(iv) Candidates must demonstrate evidence of continuous professional development.

(b) Candidates must possess the requisite knowledge and ability including a high standard of
suitability and clinical managerial and administrative capacity to properly discharge the
functions of the role.

2. Annual registration
(i) On appointment practitioners must maintain live annual registration on the relevant
division of the Register of Nurses and Midwives maintained by the Nursing and
Midwifery Board of Ireland (Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann).

(ii) Confirm annual registration with NMBI to the HSE by way of the annual Patient
Safety Assurance Certificate (PSAC).

3. Health
Candidates for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of
undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a
reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

4. Character
Candidates for and any person holding the office must be of good character.

Desirable

1. A management course is desirable
2. Experience of rehabilitation in care of the older persons.

3. Hold a Post Graduate Diploma in Gerontology Nursing

If an appointee has previously been employed in the Civil or Public Service and that appointee is entitled to or in receipt of a pension from the Civil or Public Service or where a Civil/ Public Service pension comes into payment during the appointees re-employment that pension will be subject to abatement in accordance with Section 52 of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and other Provisions) Act 2012.

Please note: In applying for this position you are acknowledging that you understand that the abatement provisions where relevant will apply. It is not envisaged that the employing Department/ Office/ Body will support an application for an abatement waiver in respect of appointments to this position