Job Title: Nursing Auxiliary
St Andrew’s Hospice
JOB DESCRIPTION
1.JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: Nursing Auxiliary
Reports to: Deputy CEO / Patient Services
Accountable to: Chief Executive
2.JOB PURPOSE
As part of the multidisciplinary team, the post holder will carry out personal care duties for patients in support of and supervised by a registered nurse. The post holder will also carry out assigned duties to maintain hygiene, order and safety within the ward environment.
To promote at all times to ethos and mission of St Andrew’s Hospice and the Sisters of Charity.
3. DIMENSIONSSt Andrew’s Hospice provides specialist palliative care services to the people of Lanarkshire. It is a specialist resource for those individuals receiving palliative care, who have particularly complex needs that cannot be fully met in their usual place of care. We strive to meet physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs providing the highest standard of patient centred care possible while ensuring choice, dignity, self esteem and an enhanced quality of life. As a multidisciplinary team we engage with family and carers offering them support in coping with the emotional and practical implication of the patients’ illness.
The Hospice is a Company Limited by guarantee and a registered charity and is required by separate and differing legislation to meet finance governance and regulatory requirements.
4. ORGANISATIONAL POSITION
5. ROLE OF DEPARTMENTSt Andrew’s Hospice provides specialist palliative care to people with life limiting illness. Encompassing human dignity and compassion at all times respecting the value of human life.
St Andrew’s Hospice provides physical, psychological, social and spiritual support to patients, their families and carers.
6. MAIN TASKS, DUTIESRESPONSIBILITIES
Patient Care /Communication- Obtain / maintain good relationships with patients, relatives and colleagues.
- Ensure the highest standards of personal appearance are maintained at all times.
- Ensure the highest standard of patient care, hygiene and comfort is maintained at all times.
- Prepare patients for meals; ensuring they are comfortable, have been given choice of menu prior to serving meals or drinks.
- Where require assist patients with meals and drinks, assisting with feeding in supportive manner when appropriate.
- Be aware of Infection Control and Health and Safety Measures at all times.
- When required carryout patient escort duties.
- Ensure all relevant information is reported to senior staff timeously.
- Clinical Bins to be checked /emptied paying close attention to infection control
- Ensuring any equipment used daily is clean and in good working order.
- Good housekeeping measures within the kitchen and ward areas at all times.
- Clean up after any spillages / breakages or accidents
- Report accidents, concerns for patients safety and identified risks
In all activities, the post holder will maintain good relations with patients, relatives and colleagues, and demonstrate understanding of, and compliance with, the values and ethos of St Andrew’s Hospice.
Professional Development
- Keeping self abreast of current developments in the Hospice attending relevant training sessions as appropriate.
- Ensuring continuation of Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
- Ensuring “skills learnt” are communicated between members of the Hospice Team
Other
Ethos and Mission of the Hospice
Lead by example and uphold the mission and ethos of the Hospice and of the Religious Sisters of Charity.
Health & Safety
All employees must:
▪Take care of their own safety and others who may be affected by their actions or
omissions
▪ Adhere to Hospice and Departmental Health & Safety Policies and use any
equipment or personal protective equipment provided to ensure safety
▪ Co-operate with their mangers to maintain safe systems and safe workplaces
▪ Report any accident/incidents or ill health, failings in premises equipment or
personal protective equipment through the Hospice reporting system
▪ Not interfere with any equipment provided to ensure Health & Safety
▪ Not attempt to carry out or tasks or repairs beyond their competence
▪ Deal effectively on a day to day basis with the unit’s waste products i.e. foul linen,
blood samples, body fluids as per Hospice/Infection control guidelines
▪ Follow moving and handling guidelines and principles, utilising all aids and
attending yearly updates
▪ The employee must attend and complete the full induction programme and
appropriate mandatory training relevant to job role
Effort & Environment skills
▪The role entails physical effort to manoeuvre patients and equipment
▪ The role will involve walking and moving around the ward / department and
occasionally to other destinations within the Hospice
▪ The role will involve frequent exposure to and handling of bodily fluids, waste and
unpleasant smells
▪Exposure to and having to deal with situations that can / are distressing,
difficult or aggressive
▪ Dealing with a variety of professionals, patients, carers and relatives who will have
differing values, needs and requirements
▪ Frequent requirement for concentration/ listening when dealing with patient
related issues e.g. reports, documents and results
Annual Appraisal
All members of Hospice staff receive an annual appraisal by their line manager. The purpose of the annual appraisal is to understand how well the job has been worked in the previous year, assess progress towards the targets made at the previous annual appraisal and to set targets.
General & Corporate Duties
Records Management / Data Protection
As an employee of the Hospice, you have a legal responsibility for the protection of all records (including patient health, financial, personal and administrative) that you use gather or use as part of your work with the Hospice. The records may be paper, electronic, or audio, or x-ray images. You must consult your manager if you have any doubt as to the correct management of the records with which you work.
All employees are personally responsible for the quality of data entered by themselves, or on their behalf, on the Hospice data records (paper records) and must ensure that such data is entered accurately to Hospice data standards, in a timely manner to ensure high standards of data quality in accordance with the Hospice Data Quality and Clinical Record Keeping Polices.
To ensure data is handled in a secure manner protecting the confidentiality of any personal data held in meeting the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998, Caldicott recommendations and other relevant legislation and guidance are applicable and should be adhered to.
Confidentiality and Information Security
As a Hospice employee you are required to regard as strictly confidential, and not disclose to any person, other than a person authorised by St Andrew’s Hospice, at any time during your employment with the Hospice any information acquired by yourself in relation to any patient including the identity of any patient or the medical condition or the treatment received by any patient. Any information acquired about the patient’s relatives and circumstances will be similarly respected and will be confidential. Any breach of confidentiality by yourself may lead to disciplinary action being taken against you. This duty lasts indefinitely and will continue after you leave the Hospice employment. All employees must maintain confidentiality and abide by the Data Protection Act.
Infection Control
All staff are expected to adhere to current infection control policy and procedures as appropriate to their role and responsibilities in their work setting.
The postholder will develop clear plans and objectives with key performance metrics, agreeing improvement targets and ensuring delivery through leading or taking action when performance is satisfactory.
Use the Hospice’s performance reporting tools, as required, to monitor and report progress against key targets and work streams. Provide timely concise updates of action to ensure delivery.
Equal Opportunities
The Hospice provides a range of services and employment opportunities for a diverse population. As a Hospice employee you are expected to treat all patients/customers and work colleagues with dignity and respect irrespective of their sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, age or religion.
The Hospice may take ‘reasonable adjustments’ to the post/work place in order to facilitate the employment of individuals with a disability. These adjustments will be in line with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
Disclosure of Criminal Background
St Andrew’s Hospice is required to check with CRBS the possible criminal background of staff and volunteers who apply to work with vulnerable patients. If it is a requirement of the post that such a check be undertaken, successful applicants will be asked to complete and sign a Disclosure Form giving permission for the check to take place.
Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an applicant from working with the Hospice. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of offences. Please note applicants refusing to sign the form will not be progressed further.
Any other duties within the framework of the post
All employees will take responsibility for their own personal development.
The post holder may be required to undertake any other duties and responsibilities which are deemed appropriate to the grade. Where the duties and responsibilities may change in the light of experience and developments within the service the job description will be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder.
Safeguarding the Welfare of Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults
All employees are expected to adhere to the Hospice’s Polices and Procedures in relation to Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults and to undertake the appropriate level of mandatory training in this area.
Working with Volunteers
Volunteers are a vital resource to the Hospice and it is the responsibility of all staff to treat them with respect and value their contribution appropriately. If a volunteer is assigned to assist you at any time you will retain responsibility for the requirements
of the job in terms of accuracy, efficiency and standards of completion. You should also ensure good communication and be aware of your responsibility towards the volunteer in terms of Health & Safety.
Smoking Policy
St Andrew’s Hospice operates a No Smoking Policy for staff within the Hospice Buildings.
Standards of Business Conduct – Declaration of interest
All Hospice employees should be impartial and honest in the conduct of their official duties and should not abuse their official position for personal gain or advantage.
Employees must not engage in outside employment which may conflict with their official Hospice work or be detrimental to it. It is, therefore, Hospice Policy that employees will not be permitted to undertake business activities or other work where Hospice considers that this is incompatible with its interests without seeking prior written authorisation from the relevant manager/Director, who will be responsible for judging whether a conflict has arisen.
Employees must ensure that they are not placed in a position which risks or appears to risk conflict between their interests and their Hospice duties and to declare any relevant interests either on starting work or on acquisition of the interest.
7a. EQUIPMENT & MACHINERY
• Computer hardware
• Monitor and printer
• Moving & Handling, Kitchen equipment, all clinical equipment.
7b. SYSTEMS
▪ Maintaindocumentation as required of role
▪ Maintain CPD log and record of training undertaken
8. ASSIGNMENT AND REVIEW OF WORK
Assignment
▪ Work is assigned to this post by thesenior colleague.
▪ The work is reviewed by thesenior nurse
▪ The post holder works within the to determine priorities and
ensures work is completed within the overall timescales to meet the needs of
patient, the organisation and compliance with external regulatory bodies
Review
▪For a defined period the post-holder will be mentored by a colleague/ more
senior member of staff and will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.
▪ Annual appraisal is carried out by the Ward Manager or her representative.
9. DECISIONS AND JUDGEMENTS
▪Professionally, within the remit of the role, the post-holder would be expected to
make decisions on a daily basis,acting on information, using knowledge/skills
and experience, and taking into account guidance from professional expertise,
Specialist Guidelines/Protocols and Hospice Policies and Procedures
▪Uses flexible and innovative approach to problem solving and decision making
in order to prioritise own workload, within the team
10. MOST CHALLENGING/DIFFICULT PARTS OF THE JOB
.
▪ Maintainand continually developing knowledge.
▪ Achieve and maintaining a balance between patient support and professional
responsibilities within the allotted timeframe.
▪ Recognise the post-holders role and boundaries within the wider
multidisciplinary team.
▪ The post holder needs to recognise emotionally and mentally demanding
aspects of the job, whilst at the same time taking care to safeguard own health
and safety.
▪ Recognising and supporting patients/ families experiencing challenging life
events
11. COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS
Internal
▪ Director of Clinical Services
▪ Departmental managers
▪ Staff
▪ Volunteers
▪ Patients and relatives
External
▪ At all timespromote the ethos and values of Saint Andrew’s Hospice.
▪ Participate in regular team meetings
12. PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEMAND OF
THE JOB
Physical
▪ Be flexible with working practises within the ward environment
▪ May be some use of computers and other IT equipment
▪ Manual Handling issues
Mental
▪ Concentration required when communicating with patients/ families/ colleagues.
▪ Analytical demands when working with complex issues
▪ Managing workload priorities and time constraints to meet the demands of a
multi-faceted service
▪ Concentration required when collating, analysing and reporting information
Emotional
▪ Working with highly distressed individuals and difficult situations
▪ Requirement to be “safe-grounded” and able to focus entirely on the work in
hand
▪ Responding to issues of an ethically and/or existentially challenging
nature
Environmental
▪ Hospice environment – adapting to needs
▪ May have occasional exposure to verbal aggression
13. KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO DO THE JOBSkills and Competences
▪ Experience in care of patients
▪ Partnership Working
▪ Personal Development
▪ Well developed communication skills
▪ Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team
▪ Excellent people skills
▪ Culture awareness and sensitivity
▪ Self motivated
▪ Confident and decisive
▪ Time Management Skills
14. JOB DESCRIPTION AGREEMENT
A separate job description will need to be signed off by each jobholder to whom the job description applies.
The job description is a general outline of the above post and it is not exhaustive. This job description is subject to periodic review with the postholder. Duties may change in line with the service changes and of the postholders own personal development.
I agree that this is an accurate reflection of the duties involved in my current role in St Andrew’s Hospice.
Job Holder’s Signature ______Date ______
Head of Department’s Signature______Date ______
Nursing Auxiliary
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Attributes / Essential / Desirable / Method of AssessmentEducation/
Qualifications / In absence of SVQ qualification must be willing to undertake or working towards appropriate SVQ qualification / SVQ II in health and social care
Be willing to undertake continued professional development / Application Form and Certificates
Experience / Experience of working within a care giving environment / Experience of working within a palliative care environment / Application Form,
Interview and References
Knowledge / Knowledge and skills in order to achieve an organised ward as part of a team delivering effective patient care within a busy Hospice environment / Application Form,
Interview and References
Skills/Abilities / Communication skills
Be able to develop therapeutic relationships with patients, carers and multidisciplinary team
Ability to work as part of a multi disciplinary team
Ability to carry out assigned patient care and tasks effectively within a busy environment. / Application Form, Interview and References
Other / Ability to work a variety of shifts/internal rotation