Job Description

1. Job Details

Job Title: Senior Nurse

Reports to: Area Service Manager

Accountable to: Area Service Manager

Band: 7

Main Location: ECT Treatment Suite

Date: 1st November 2019

2. Job Summary

• As a Registered Practitioner you are personally accountable for your professional

practice and have a legal/professional responsibility to service users, colleagues,
employers and self.
• You will work closely with the Area Service Manager (ASM) and Clinical Matron for
the defined area to ensure a high performing service that supports the Quality Agenda
• You will provide a professional role model for the delivery of high quality specialist
interventions for people along the acute care pathway.
• You will demonstrate a professional image to promote a positive image for the Trust
for staff, people under our care, carers, key stakeholders and the community as a
whole.
• You will provide strong professional clinical and operational leadership for the ECT
service based within the Radbourne Unit
• You will ensure evidence based practice is delivered to improve the quality and cost
effectiveness of responsive services
• You will be responsible for ensuring the monitoring and maintenance of standards of
care that support safe high quality practice
• Provide advice, resources and support to the Multi- Disciplinary Team
• Supervise and promote staff development
• Lead on complaints/concerns investigations for the Radbourne Unit
• Liaise with relevant Commissioners

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3. Dimensions (Financial responsibility)

 Work with the finance manager to monitor expenditure within the defined budget for the
service area
 Ensure resources are utilised effectively and efficiently in order in order to provide a
high quality cost effective service
 Ensure that all relevant key performance indicators are achieved as defined by the
Trust, reporting evidence based findings with performance structures
 Ensure effective management of sickness/absence
 Ensure all appraisals are completed on an annual basis
 Ensure all team members receive both managerial and clinical supervision on a regular
basis

4. Organisation Chart

Divisional Manager

Area Service Clinical Matron

Manager

This Post

ECT
Team

5. Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Demonstrate the ability to act as a role model and a senior clinician to provide high standards
of professionalism representing the Trust and the profession in the exercise of their duties

Demonstrate the ability to nurture a culture of respect for others , and an environment that
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values and respects ethnicity, gender, culture, experience and individuality for staff and
people in our care

Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and awareness of professional accountability and

codes of conduct

Demonstrate the ability to co-ordinate and lead multi-professional teams

Demonstrate the ability to work in partnership with internal and external groups

Demonstrate a high level of understanding of the Clinical Governance framework in action

(audit, research , clinical effectiveness)

6. Key result areas (main duties/responsibilities)

• Ensure that all relevant key performance indicators are achieved as defined by the
Trust, reporting evidence based findings within performance structures

• Ensure effective management of sickness/ absence

• Ensure robust and effective roster management

• Have a global overview of clinical/ quality audits ensuring their implementation

• Ensure regular and high quality appraisals for staff

• Support the overall Trust vision and strategic implantation within your defined area of
responsibility ensuring that clear communication within teams enables them to understand
their supporting role.

• Uphold and implement HR policy and procedure to ensure safety, effectiveness and
high standards of care.

• Support the development of the skills and knowledge of your team in order to maintain
the competency level of the whole team, including skills analysis to inform the training plan

• Ensure that the Service level agreement is delivered and that robust evidence is
provided to support its delivery via KPI’s.

• Ensure Trust policies, procedures, and legislative directives are robustly implemented
i.e. Equal Opportunities, Human Rights Act, Disability Discrimination Act, Race Relations, Sex
Discrimination etc.

• Ensure that awareness of clinical and resource management information is used

analytically to inform decisions that meet service user, team and organisational objectives

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• Take the lead in implementing or supporting clinical and non-clinical risk management
systems

• Support ‘Improving Working Lives’ initiatives

• Chair both clinical and non-clinical meetings as required

• Challenge poor and unsafe practice, taking appropriate to address substandard

performance in a timely manner.

 Complete any investigations required in response to concerns or complaints

Clinical & Quality Assurance

• Provide senior clinical support and guidance to the clinical leadership team and wider
team
• Provide direct clinical care as Clinical Lead for the ECT service in line with ECTAS
Standards.
• Identify and take the lead in developing clinical audit and research activity, ensuring
effective process for clinical compliance checks are embedded within the clinical area.
• Lead on delivering the clinical quality agenda as defined by the Trust
• Ensure that all relevant processes for quality assurance are maintained i.e. clinical
audit
• Develop evidence based standards of care in conjunction with senior leads across the
defined campus area
• With other senior clinical colleagues seek to incorporate best practice integrating the
findings from research, audits, investigations, enquiries, complaints and satisfaction
surveys.
• Promote a multidisciplinary approach in incident analysis, ensuring that clinical
meetings are appropriately multidisciplinary, and sharing wider learning as appropriate
• Ensure that the team has an effective system for reflective opportunities and updating
knowledge/skills
• Ensure a proactive approach to addressing concerns/ complaints in line with trust
policy, ensuring that teams are aware of how to support people in our care to make a
complaint and access relevant advocacy support services.
• Promote a multidisciplinary approach in incident analysis, ensuring that clinical
meetings are appropriately multidisciplinary, and sharing wider learning as appropriate
• Ensure that the team has an effective system for reflective opportunities and updating
knowledge/skills
• Ensure a proactive approach to addressing concerns/ complaints in line with trust
policy, ensuring that teams are aware of how to support people in our care to make a
complaint and access relevant advocacy support services.
• To be aware of National Policy Guidance specifically related to emerging and
established best practice in delivering an evidence based service.

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Professional Accountability

• Exercise professional accountability and responsibility, taking into account the

actions of other professionals who are responsible/accountable to you
• Ensure care is delivered to incorporate health and social care policy
• Ensure care is delivered in a person centred manner ensuring the physical,
psychological, emotional, gender, ethnic, cultural and spiritual needs of service users
inform practice
• Ensure that the people in our care, carers/significant others are included in the
planning implementation delivery and evaluation of care
• Support the interests of people in our care, in complex situations using professional
knowledge, judgements and skills to enable you to account for the decisions you
make, and the clinical leadership you provide for others.

Leadership
 Act as a role model and as a senior clinician to promote high standards of
professionalism representing both the Trust and the profession in the exercise of their
duties
 Nurture a culture of respect for others, and an environment that values and is
respectful of ethnicity, gender, culture , experience and individuality for staff and
people in our care
 Ensure the promotion of good practice, prevention of poor practice, and proactive
intervention of unacceptable practice
 Ensure good communication systems are in place within the clinical area, that support
and enhance high quality care ( IT, verbal, inter-personal, written)
 Support the change management processes through ‘New Ways of Working’
 Empower all team members to participate in implementing change by using problem
solving, considering potential conflicts and planning resolution
 Proactively manage conflict with a multi-disciplinary team, ensuring the needs of
people in our care are maintained and always treated as a priority
 Ensure the team(s) practice facilitates the participation of people in our care and their
carer’s in developing and shaping the service
 Facilitate and support the development of strategic thinking skills, promoting an
umbrella view of clinical situations for the multi-disciplinary team
 Ensure a ‘learning the lessons’ culture by cultivating a reflective practice environment
learning from untoward incidents and investigation

Practice/Professional Development

 Ensure live nursing registration is maintained including revalidation requirements

 Promote and participate in a culture of life-long learning
 Ensure participation in regular appraisal and identification of development needs
 Ensure regular clinical and managerial supervision for self
 Ensure regular opportunities to develop your own clinical/professional practice are
optimised considering service needs and best practice evidence

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  Maintain a professional portfolio as evidence for revalidation
 Develop and maintain effective networks locally and nationally to share and inform best
practice

Other issues

 The job description will be reviewed annually with the post holder; alterations will only
be made after consultation and agreement
 The post holder may be asked to undertake duties not directly highlighted within this
job description. This will only be done when the skills and experience of the post holder
meet the requirements of the role

Speciality specific Requirements

 Raise the profile of the acute mental health care speciality and ensure a clear
understanding of the acute care pathway and in particular the use of ECT as a valid
treatment option
 Ensure nursing staff have the appropriate skill set to work within the acute care
pathway and that its application is embedded in clinical practice :
 > ECT nurse training & updates including Recovery Training
 Ability to implement assessment and formulation skills to inform person centred
care plans with the full involvement of people in our care
 Development of clear nursing identity and roles within the multidisciplinary team
 Therapeutic intervention and engagement skills
 Ability to carry out specialist assessments in line with professional frameworks and
standards set for ECT
 Have an understanding of the role of the Anaesthetist and ODP and partnership
working
 Membership of NALNECT
 Ensure a high level of competence in assessment and management of clinical risk
 Ensure nursing staff maintain a high level working knowledge of medication
management including the requirements for prescribing, administration,
administration and monitoring of rapid tranquilisation and medicines as defined in
NICE guidance NG10
 Ensure that the clinical environment is conducive to positive risk taking and that
proportionate safeguards and staff support/supervision are in situ

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Information Governance

The Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust requires its staff to comply with Information
Governance related standards and policies at all times when dealing with confidential
information, which includes any information relating to the business of the Trust and it’s
service users and employees.
All NHS employees are bound by a duty of confidentiality and must conduct their duties in line
with the NHS Confidentiality Code of Practice, Data Protection Act and Freedom of
information Act.
Post-holders must maintain high standards of quality in corporate and clinical record keeping
ensuring information is always recorded accurately and kept up to date. The post-holder
must only access information, whether paper, electronic or in other media, which is authorised
to them as part of their duties.
All Information obtained or held during the post-holder’s period of employment that relates to
the business of the Trust and it’s service users and employees will remain the property of the
Trust. Information may be subject to disclosure under legislation at the Trust’s discretion and
in line with national rules on exemption.
Any breach of confidentiality or computer misuse could lead to disciplinary action, and in
serious cases could result in dismissal. Breaches after the post-holder’s employment has
ended could result in the Trust taking legal action against them.

Post-holders must ensure that they are aware of their responsibilities by attending the Trust
Mandatory Training and Induction programme.

Infection Control

All staff have a responsibility to appraise themselves of how the prevention of the spread of
infection relates to their role. They have a responsibility to ensure they are aware of Trust
policies and procedures in relation to infection prevention and control, and ensure that they
comply with them in fulfilling their role.

Values

As an employee of Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust you are required to adhere
to the Trust’s overriding value of putting “patients at the heart of everything we do”. In
recognising both the values expressed in the NHS Constitution and the Trust Values:

People first – We put our patients and colleagues at the centre of everything we do
Respect – We respect and value the diversity of our patients, colleagues and partners and
support a respectful and inclusive environment
Honesty – We are open and transparent in all we do
Do your best – We work closely with our partners to achieve the best possible outcomes for
people.

Safeguarding – The action we take to promote the welfare of children and vulnerable
adults and protect them from harm

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SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN & VULNERABLE ADULTS IS EVERYONE’S
RESPONSIBILITY

All staff working within Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust who come into contact
with children, young people and/or their families/carers, including those who are non-clinical
and those who work predominantly with adults has a duty within their role and responsibility to
ensure that they understand what is required of them as an individual and as part of the wider
organisation in order to keep children and vulnerable adults safe.

Health & Safety

In addition to the responsibilities of the Trust under Health and Safety legislation you are
reminded of your responsibilities for health and safety at work under the Health and Safety At
Work Act 1974 as amended and associated legislation. These include the duty to take
reasonable care for the health and safety of yourself and of others in your work activities or
omissions, and to co-operate with your employer in the discharge of its statutory duties.

You must adhere strictly to the policies and procedures on health and safety, and report all
accidents, dangerous occurrences, unsafe practices or damage to your manager promptly
using the Trust’s incident reporting system.

You must make use of appropriate training, safety equipment, protective clothing and
footwear and attend training. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in
disciplinary action.

7. Communications and Working Relationships

INTERNAL EXTERNAL
Senior Nurses Families/carers
Lead Nurses Commissioners
Head of Nursing Volunteer Groups
Clinical Leads Private Organisations
Registered Nurses CQC
Nursing Assistants GP’s
Occupational Therapists/Assistants Police
Consultants Contractors
Psychologists Community Partners
Doctors
Peoples services
Estates
Housekeeping
General Managers
Directors
CEO/Trust Board
Catering

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8. Most Challenging Part of your Job

 Managing demands of the environment to include frequent interruptions and meeting

deadlines
 Balancing clinical and operational responsibilities
 Managing crisis situations

9. Job Description Agreement

Job Holder’s Signature....................................................... Date........................

Senior Officer/Head of Department

Signature............................................................................ Date........................

Title:.....................................................................................................................

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 Job Description Additional Information
Appendix A

Physical Effort
Combination of sitting , standing and walking

Mental Effort
The working environment can be unpredictable due to the needs of the client group.
The nature , level , frequency and duration of the mental effort required for the job (e.g.
concentration ,interruptions and the need to meet deadlines)

Emotional Effort
There will be times when the post holder will need to support both service users and staff in crisis
situations.
The nature ,level, frequency and duration of demands of the emotional effort required to
undertake clinical or non –clinical duties that are generally considered to be distressing and/or
emotionally demanding may be changeable.

Working Conditions
The post is based within a day service setting, the nature, level, frequency and duration of
demands arising from inevitably adverse environmental conditions ( such as inclement weather,
extreme heat/cold, smells, noise and fumes) and hazards which are unavoidable ( even with strict
health and safety controls), such as road traffic accidents, spills of harmful chemicals, aggressive
behaviour of patients , clients, relatives and carers

Job Appendix Agreed

Job Holders Signature ---------------------------------------------------- Date ------------------------------

Senior Officer/
Head of Department Signature ----------------------------------------- Date ------------------------------

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 PERSON SPECIFICATION

Job title: Senior Nurse/Occupational Therapist Grade: 7

Directorate: Acute Adult Services Base: Radbourne Unit

Hours: Full time 37.5hrs per
week
Area Essential Desirable
Attainment/ Registered Nurse (RMN/ LD) r  Degree Level Education
Qualifications  Willing to undertake
Educated to Diploma Level degree or higher training

Post registration qualification

Teaching, assessing and mentoring

qualification

Evidence of up to date Personal

Development Plan, Professional Portfolio

ECTAS accredited nurse qualification or

willing to work towards

Skills Demonstrate a minimum of 3 year’s Knowledge and skills

experience in a leadership role i.e. B6 related to individual with a
learning disability
Demonstrate comprehensive
knowledge and awareness of
professional accountability and codes
of conduct

Demonstrate the ability to co-ordinate

and lead multi-professional teams

Demonstrate literacy and numeric

skills that enable clinical
organizational and financial
management

Demonstrate knowledge and

expertise in CPA/ Risk Assessment
and clinical Management

Demonstrate leadership skills such a

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 motivation, facilitation, mentorship,
coaching etc.

Demonstrate up to date evidence

based knowledge for Clinical Practice
generally and the chosen specialty.

Demonstrate the ability to lead the

clinical team in a service user/carer
focused way

Demonstrate exposure to and a

comprehensive knowledge of Clinical
Governance in action (audit, research
clinical effectiveness etc)

Demonstrate operational
management skills, including change
management, project management
etc

Knowledge/  Demonstrate knowledge of legal and 

Experience ethical issues relating to clinical
practice, including policy and
procedure development
 Demonstrate the ability to deliver
Clinical and Managerial/ Performance
Supervision within an effective model
 Demonstrate an understanding of
work-based legislation
 Be able to contribute to maintaining
high standards of Health and Safety in
the work place
 Demonstrates awareness of NHSLA
targets and contribute to their
implementation
 Demonstrate a working understanding
of ‘recovery’ orientated practice

Values • Respectful and build Trust

• Compassionate
• Be responsive, listen and positive
• Dignity
• Value & support other people
• Engage and Encourage
• Value learning and innovation

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