Overview

This is a staff nurse post specified purpose contract to support absence in the department. This is potentially an exciting developmental opportunity for nurses interested in specialised practice. The department of clinical neurophysiology (CNP) is a highly integrated collaborative department consisting of neurophysiology consultants, clinical physiologists, a clinical nurse manager, staff nurse and administrative staff who together provide a high quality  service for patients across multiple disciplines in the RCSI hospital group, GPs in the region and for complex cases throughout Ireland.

Service Description:

• Nerve conduction studies (NCS)
• Electromyography (EMG),
• Electroencephalography (EEG)
• EEG Wada studies
• Evoked potentials
• Intra-operative monitoring (IOM)

There is a ‘Rapid Access Seizure Clinic’ that provides a diagnostic EEG service for patients presenting with new onset seizures or with refractory seizures. A recently established neuromuscular ultrasound clinic uses ultrasound as a complimentary technique in the EMG laboratory to diagnose various peripheral nerve disorders. The Consultant led Botulinum toxin clinic is a specialist clinic for patients with neurological conditions including  cervical dystonia/torticollis, blepharospasm, hemifacial spasms, limb spasticity and other medical indications. A combined clinic with ENT (Ear Nose Throat) consultants for treatment of patients with laryngeal dystonia is another component of this service.  Toxin is administered using EMG guidance or Ultrasound by the clinical Neurophysiology Consultants. Teaching, research, and clinical audit are integral components of the department's activity.

As a Staff Nurse in Beaumont Hospital you will be expected to take responsibility for a patient caseload.  For these you will assess, plan, implement and evaluate care within the Roper, Logan and Tierney Model of Nursing.  In addition, you are expected to practice within the Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, 2025) and within the guidelines of hospital policy.  You will be held accountable to the Clinical Nurse Manager (CNM2 or CNM3) and in their absence to the delegated nurse holding shift responsibility for the ward.  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.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBIULITIES:

To maintain a high standard of nursing care:

• To develop clinical expertise, leadership and teaching skills through nursing practice.
• To share responsibility with the 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 ensure safe discharge and transit of patients through the hospital.

CLINICAL ROLE:

To provide and maintain effective, individualised nursing care by:

• Assessing (with the patients where possible) physical, psychological and social problems and the need for nursing intervention
• Preparing and up-dating the documentation within a nursing framework to include treatment delegated by the Multidisciplinary team
• Acting as team leader (depending on context) in giving skilled nursing care and treatments for the patients within the unit
• Planning the involvement of the patient’s relatives, teaching and supervising nursing techniques in preparation for the transfer to other hospital departments or units.
• Actively promote effective discharge planning from the critical care area to the ward setting.

CLINICAL:

1. Assessment

• Utilises assessment skills and techniques to determine patient actual and/or potential needs
• Completes and documents the nursing admission assessment in a thorough and accurate manner
• Assesses patient condition on an ongoing basis
• Assesses the need for patient/family instruction

1. Planning

• Develops and documents a plan of care based on patient needs
• Develops patient teaching and discharge/transfer plans as necessary based on their current needs
• Collaborates with other health team members in planning care to expedite discharge safely

1. Implementation

• Provides safe, comprehensive, and competent nursing care to a caseload of patients and within the guidelines laid out by NMBI
• Practices according to established legal requirements, policy and procedures
• Establishes care priorities based on nursing/medical patient problems
• Performs procedures accurately, completely and safely
• Following a period of supervised practice, candidates will provide 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 promptly 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.

1. Evaluation

• Contributes to nursing quality assurance by assisting in the identification of recurrent Nursing problems and co-operating in data collection
• Monitors the effectiveness of nursing and other interventions and documents these findings in the appropriate record

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
• 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
• Supports development of polices and SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) in relation the ward/unit with the CNM/DNM (Directorate Nurse Manager)

MANAGEMENT:

• Demonstrates ability to organise care for all patients within the ward/unit
• Uses time effectively
• Shows ability to delegate work to Staff Nurses, Student Nurses or other
• Uses discretion for decision making regarding patient care
• Displays initiative
• Liase with patient flow and CNMs on the movement and transfer of patients from the unit to the ward or other settings
• Reports on-going problems to CNM

EDUCATION:

• Demonstrates ability to teach and guide more Junior Staff/Students/Healthcare assistants
• Shows interest in Post Graduate Education/Self Development
• Will ensure that assigned mandatory training is complete and up to date
• Will complete local training, induction, and educational programmes to ensure that knowledge and practice are synergistic

Mandatory Criteria

1.      Statutory Registration, Professional Qualifications, Experience, etc

1. Eligible applicants will be those who on the closing date for the competition:
   • Be registered, or be eligible for registration, in the General Nurse Division of the Register of Nurses kept by the Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) (Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann).

And

1. Candidates must possess the requisite knowledge and ability, (including a high standard of clinical and administrative capacity), for the proper discharge of the duties of the office.

2.      Annual Registration

• On appointment, practitioners must maintain live annual registration on the General Nurse Division of the Register of Nurses & Midwives maintained by Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland [NMBI] (Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann).

And

• Practitioners must confirm annual registration with the NMBI to the HSE (Health Service Executive) by way of the annual Patient Safety Assurance Certificate (PSAC).

3.      Age

• Age restriction shall only apply to a candidate where s/he is not classified as a new entrant (within the meaning of the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2004). A candidate who is not classified as a new entrant must be under 65 years of age on the first day of the month in which the latest date for receiving completed application forms for the office occurs.

4.      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.

5.      Character

• Candidates for and any person holding the office must be of good character

6. Experience

Must have at least 1 year’s experience working in an in-patient setting that supports the needs of neurology (e.g. Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neurone Disease, Epilepsy, Guillain Barre Syndrome, Myasthenia Gravis, Stroke, Dementia) and/or neurosurgical patients.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience as a student nurse or registered nurses working in a neurology or neurosurgical setting including overtime shifts in the Neurophysiology Department.