Job description

Job responsibilities

• To deliver high quality, patient centred, compassionate care under the direction of a senior RMN in the Mental Health Team, with a focus on promoting health and independence.
• To provide enhanced care and continuous observations to patients with mental health conditions or patients experiencing psychological distress.
• To act as a resource in caring for mental health patients providing enhanced care, support and advice to other professionals.
• To ensure the safety and wellbeing of service users, and always working in a manner that promotes dignity and human rights through the adoption of person cantered care principles.
• To work closely with the psychiatric liaison team, mental health matron and other clinical staff.
• Be able to work without direct supervision within the parameters of the mental health practitioner role, at times delivering care independently in line with an evidence based care plan implementing clinical and care advice as needed.
• To work flexibly between clinical environments on one hospital site depending on the needs of the service.

• To provide therapeutic engagement with patients who have a mental health condition or are experiencing psychological distress.
• To always deliver care in accordance with the principles of least restriction and in line with national guidance including NICE guidelines for managing disturbed behaviour
• To understand and provide continuous risk assessment of the patient and escalate any increase in risk to the appropriate professional for expert help and advice.
• To identify when patients are experiencing anxiety/distress and therapeutically engage with them to alleviate these symptoms.
• To proactively identify escalation of risk and actively de-escalate the situation by undertaking therapeutic activities with the patient, that are appropriate to their presentation.
• Supporting individuals with activities of daily living, performing & recording physical and behavioural observations accurately in accordance with Trust policy and approved documentation templates on the electronic notes system.
• To report to the nurse in charge of the ward and ensure that you receive a handover of the patient you are allocated to prior to starting your shift.
• Ensuring you are aware of the patients history, including any risk factors, and to commence and maintain timely risk management to manage any known or unknown risks.
• To implement any risk management plan put in place by mental health services (e.g. Liaison Psychiatry) and utilise your own clinical skills to identify if changes are indicated in relation to the implementation of these, and report these accordingly.
• Ensure that the environment around the patient is as safe as possible, actively managing risk in a changing clinical environment.
• To monitor and, if appropriate, restrict access to any item that could be used by the patient to harm themselves or others. This may involve searching the patients belongings following discussion with the MDT and the patient, and in accordance with Trust policy.
• Accommodate the cultural needs of patients to ensure high quality care and a good patient experience, with respect and regard for their customs, religious beliefs and personal doctrines.
• To be an effective communicator with patients/carers/families regarding treatment and management.
• Act as a key member of the multi-professional team in supporting patients and their carers during the delivery of news that may cause distress.
• Identify and intervene where circumstances contribute to an unsafe environment for patients and staff and bring these instances to the attention of the nurse in charge of that area and enhanced care team members.
• Work autonomously within the parameters of the role to deliver quality nursing care aligned to the principles of recovery. This should contribute to the physical, psychological, social, recreational and spiritual care through undertaking evidence based interventions, therapeutic engagement and activities of interest. An example of this is, but not limited to, meeting the fundamentals of care such as nutrition, hydration, hygiene, comfort, emotional and social support.
• Recognise and value service users/patients as individuals, acknowledging the importance of maintaining the service users dignity at all times and ensuring that the care provided respects the right to equality and diversity, across the nine protected characteristics in accordance with relevant legislation.
• Act as an advocate for patients within the department, to ensure a patient orientated, recovery approach to the delivery of care is upheld and standards within statutory, regulatory and clinical guidance is met.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Nursing Associate qualification OR QCF Level 3 in Health (or equivalent) WITH AT LEAST 2 years experience working with patients who have mental health needs.
• Able to speak and write English to an appropriate standard to fulfil the job requirements.

Desirable

• Evidence of continued professional development
• Formal training in mental health risk assessment and management/ prevention and management of violence and aggression/ breakaway training/therapeutic de-escalation skills.

Experience

Essential

• Up to date experience of providing direct care to patients with mental health needs.
• Previous experience of working with patients that present a risk to themselves or others
• Experience of working within a biopsychosocial model
• Experience working with a recovery-focused approach
• Willingness to work across departments, including A&E.
• Experience of the application of the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act in healthcare settings.

Desirable

• Experience of working with patients in an inpatient mental health setting
• Experience working in an acute Trust
• Experience working with children and young people who have mental health needs
• Experience of working in a challenging mental health setting such as a forensic MH unit or Psychiatric Intensive Care
• Experience working with patients who have Dementia.
• Experience of contributing to the delivery of biopsychosocial interventions (e.g. psychology interventions, occupational therapy groups)

Skills/Knowledge/ Abilities

Essential

• An understanding of the impact of adverse childhood experiences and psychological trauma on mental health
• Knowledge of a range of therapeutic interventions to: reduce distress caused by mental health symptoms (such as hallucinations and mania); reduce the risk of self harm; reduce anxiety; reduce self neglect.
• Knowledge of planning mental health care delivery
• Knowledge of risk assessment procedures and an ability to demonstrate clinical skills required to contribute to a risk assessment and management plan for a patient with mental health needs.
• Understanding of requirements of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults
• Understanding of the requirements of patient confidentiality
• Understand the importance of maintaining patient safety and minimising risk in accordance with Trust policy and procedure.
• Ability to promote robust clinical governance by complying with agreed Trust, statutory policies and clinical guidance.
• Proven ability to work as part of a team and accept direction and leadership in carrying out duties.
• Ability to work under pressure, use own initiative and to organise and prioritise own workload, whilst recognising limits of own practice.
• Knowledge of when to seek advice and escalate to the appropriate professional for expert help and advice.
• Proven ability to maintain accurate and contemporaneous clinical records in line with trust guidance and policy.
• Exceptional communication & interpersonal skills with an enthusiastic approach to the provision of high-quality care and safe care delivery.
• Basic IT skills

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Address

The Bays

S Wharf Road

London

W2 1NY