Deputy Ward Manager

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

1. Support the Ward Manager and Director of Clinical Services provide clinical nurse management, leadership, and expertise in all aspects of service delivery within sphere of responsibility.
2. Delegated operational responsibility for the management of the Unit in the absence of the Ward Manager.
3. Take the lead on the shift, taking responsibility of staff, patient care and other unit matters as required.
4. Deputise and represent the Ward Manager and Director of Clinical Services at key meetings if required, ensuring that comprehensive verbal and written feedback provided.
5. Take on the leadership of specific projects as agreed by the Ward Manager/Director of Clinical Services.
6. Be familiar with ward budget and support the Ward Manager and Director of Clinical Services with budget setting, ensuring the efficient and effective utilisation of resources, both human and financial.
7. Support the Ward Manager and other senior staff in the performance review process, which includes regular review and annual appraisal, individual personal development plans to monitor staff performance against agreed objectives, role competencies and behaviours.
8. Manage sickness and absence on a shift basis and in the absence of the Ward Manager manage in line with policy, in partnership with HR and the principles of safe staffing.
9. Support the Ward Manager in investigating and responding to accidents, concerns and untoward incidents and other significant events.
10. Participate in the recruitment and selection of staff, including interview panels and formal induction programme.
11. With the Ward Manager participate and where appropriate lead audits, ensuring recommendations and implications to practice clearly communicated and actions undertaken.
12. With the support of the Ward Manager, ensure that effective and appropriate educational support provided to staff at all levels, including the maintaining of training records
13. Continually develop clinical expertise and act as a positive role model promoting a high standard of care to fulfil the Nightingale House Mission statement and aims.
14. Deliver evidence-based care to patients and their carers in line with their physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs.
15. Demonstrate effective leadership skills, promote and maintain continuity of high standards of nursing care deputising for the person with continuing responsibility.
16. Lead on the planning and organisation of staff delegation and activity for patients, and in discussion with staff make short-term adjustments to duty rosters.
17. Responsible for ensuring the ongoing assessment of care needs, the planning, delivery and evaluation of care; and to offer supervision and support to staff in the clinical area.
18. Provide supervision and guidance to staff as appropriate and required within role and responsibility.
19. Work at all times in line with the NMC code of conduct and duty of candour requirements.
20. Able to plan own workload and that of others, prioritising in accordance with the complexity of patients and their families.
21. Take responsibility for own and others standard of care and ensure care provided holistically, to a high standard and on time.

Clinical

1. Work as a member of the multi-disciplinary team to provide holistic care, integrating nursing care with psychosocial and spiritual needs.
2. Assist with initial and on-going assessment of patient and family needs and develop skills as a named nurse.
3. Act as a senior nurse to plan, initiate, supervise and participate in patient and family care, discussing issues with other senior team members as appropriate.
4. Evaluate and up-date nursing care plans in response to the changing problems/needs of patients and families, ensuring those completed by other staff are reviewed for accuracy and quality.
5. Monitor nursing practice, encouraging development of colleagues through discussion of current and proposed care plans.
6. At all times maintain appropriate and adequate records of your work, and ensure other members of the team maintain same standard.
7. Maintain effective communication with patients and families throughout their contact with the hospice; providing when necessary: -
8. Telephone support and advice, ensuring this is both structured, recorded and provides evidenced based advice
9. Access to nursing/medical staff for conditional information or future planning.
10. Information and access to allied professionals.
11. Bereavement support and access to follow-up support.
12. In discussion with the Director of Clinical Services and Ward Manager identify an area of special clinical interest in which to develop additional knowledge and skills to act as a link nurse for the rest of the team. Support other staff to do the same.
13. As necessary or required develop awareness and experience working on the unit during all shifts and also within other services across the hospice i.e. family support, days services and rehabilitation, to extend knowledge and skills in this specialist setting.
14. Lead patient case reviews, discharge planning and team meetings.
15. Actively participate in all aspects of the patient experience of hospice care from initial assessment and admission through to discharge planning and placement.
16. Work at all times within the policies and guidelines appropriate to your role.

Management:

1. Regularly take the lead on shift, being responsible for other staff, patient and family care and other unit matters as appropriate.
2. Monitor and ...