Pre Assessment Staff Nurse

Position Summary:

As a Staff Nurse in Beaumont Hospital, working within the Pre Assessment Service, you will be expected to take responsibility for a caseload of patients. This Case load will comprise of patients for Day Case Surgery and Day of surgery Admission, who require Pre Assessment. In addition, you are expected to practice within the Code of Practice guidelines from An Bord Altranais and within the Nursing and other Hospital Policies and Procedures. You will work under the guidance and direction of The Pre Assessment CNM2s. Discretion, initiative and an interest in teaching student nurses and preliminary training students to function independently is also a prerequisite. At all times you will practice within the limits of your experience and will have available to you more senior expert nurses. Overall, your responsibilities may be divided into clinical, professional, managerial and educational categories. 

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

To maintain a high standard of nursing care. 

• To develop clinical expertise, leadership and teaching skills through nursing practice.
• To share responsibility with the nursing team for the management of nursing care and the patients environment under the direction of the Clinical Nurse Manager/Charge Nurse.
• To maintain a high standard of professional and ethical responsibility.
• To provide and maintain effective, individualised nursing care.
• Manage own patient caseload
• Be responsible for ensuring the accurate planning and evaluating care for all patients attending pre assessment clinic.
• Carry out an accurate and comprehensive assessment of all patients attending pre assessment clinic
• Accurately complete all pre assessment documentation in a timely fashion.
• Be actively involved in health promotion and patient advocacy

• Liase with multi-disciplinary teams regarding pre-assessment outcomes
• Develop and maintain own clinical competence through direct patient care.
• work under the close guidance of the pre-assesment CNM 2
• Demonstrate competence in phlebotomy
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators in conjunction with pre-assesment team 
• Carry out audits in relation to Pre Assessment service and action same.

• Participate in research developments of the service
• Evaluate patient satisfaction and action same
• Liase with clerical officers re: bookings and pre-assesment outcomes
• Communicate pre-assesment outcomes with the relevant stakeholders
• evaluation of pre-assesment guidelines to ensure best practice
• Evaluate DNA/cancellation rates and contribute towards quality improvement.
• Assesses the need for patient/family instruction

Implementation  

• Provides safe, comprehensive nursing care to a caseload of patients and within the guidelines laid out by An Bord Altranais.
• Knows and practices according to established legal requirements, policy and procedures.
• Establishes care priorities based on nursing/medical patient problems.
• Performs procedures accurately, completely and safely.
• Provides care with minimal supervision in a timely manner.
• Maintains a safe environment for patients.
• Respects the dignity and confidentiality of patients, serving as an advocate as necessary.
• Functions quickly and effectively in an emergency situation.
• Adapts to changing workload.
• Deals with ward incidents and accidents in accordance with hospital policy. Accurately record and report detail.
• Evaluation
• Contributes to nursing quality assurance by assisting in the identification of recurrent nursing problems and co-operating in data collection.

Communication Skills:  

• Documents according to policy and procedure.
• Reports verbally and in writing pertinent patient care information to appropriate nursing/medical personnel.
• Communicates appropriately with patients/relatives and colleagues and other members of the health care team.
• Works as part of a team, liaising with colleagues, communicating all relevant information.
• Ensures handover & follow-up of patients with team members as required.
• Approaches interpersonal relationships in a manner that avoids antagonism, reduces conflict and prevents undue anxiety.
• Recognises self-limitations and requests assistance.

Professional: 

• Supports the philosophy, objectives and goals of the nursing department and hospital.
• Follows appropriate lines of authority by discussing issues firstly with Clinical Nurse Manager, then with Unit Nurse Manager and then with the Director of Nursing.
• Demonstrates flexibility by assisting in other areas of the Hospital as needed.

Management: 

• Demonstrates ability to organise care for caseload of patients.
• Uses time effectively.
• Shows ability to delegate work, as appropriate, the pre assessment Health Care Assistant
• Uses discretion for decision making regarding patient care.
• Displays initiative.
• Reports on-going problems to Line Manager.

Education 

• Demonstrates ability to teach and guide more Junior staff/ students.
• Shows interest in Self development
• Attends required mandatory study days in the year.

The job description indicates the main functions and responsibilities of the post and is subject to review and amendment. Other specific work not covered in this job description may also be assigned by the Director of Nursing from time to time.

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:

Be registered in the relevant division of the Nurses kept by NMBI.

Have the clinical managerial and administrative capacity to properly discharge the functions of the role

Demonstrate evidence of continuing professional development at the appropriate level

Desirable:

Experience in Nurse Led  Pre Assessment

Further Information for Candidates:

Supplementary information:

Informal Enquiries ONLY to: