Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Professional and Clinical Responsibilities

Must be a Registered Nurse (RN1) and adhere to the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Professional Conduct for Nurses, Midwives, and

Be accountable for own clinical practice.

Actively seek opportunities to maintain and enhance knowledge and professional competence.

Act in accordance with the NMC Code and Scope of Professional Practice, maintaining accountability at all times.

Apply clinical knowledge and expertise to make informed, evidence-based decisions as an autonomous practitioner.

Request and interpret investigations to support clinical diagnosis where appropriate.

Participate in multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings and case discussions to enhance clinical knowledge and service delivery.

Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate specialised care programmes for patients, families, and carers.

Promote patient choice and involvement in care decisions, taking appropriate action to support shared decision-making.

Maintain accurate, comprehensive clinical records in accordance with NMC, Trust, and medico-legal standards and ensure these standards are upheld within the nursing team.

Act as a patient advocate, upholding principles of confidentiality, privacy, and respect for cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Serve as a credible, approachable role model for junior staff and students, offering clinical guidance and support as needed.

Provide current, evidence-based clinical advice to patients and healthcare professionals across organisational boundaries.

Ensure patients and families receive appropriate verbal and written information regarding care plans and treatment.

Promote the effective and efficient use of healthcare resources.

Competently operate specialised equipment relevant to the role, including:

§  Slit lamp

§  Humphrey Visual Field (HVF) Analyser

§  Biometry devices

§  Icare tonometer

§  Optos imaging systems

§  Optos OCT scans

Deliver enhanced services including:

§  Intravitreal injections (R&I and injection-only model clinics)

§  Medical Retina face-to-face consultations

§  Medical Retina virtual review sessions

Leadership

·         To work within relevant trust policy in order to determine and maintain acceptable standards of conduct and performance.

·         Participate in local and national forums to promote best practice and raise the profile of the service and the Trust.

·         Act up as required in times of line manager absence

Governance/Quality Control

• To facilitate high quality, cost effective care through the use of audit, benchmarking, observations of care and other quality initiatives as determined by the Trust. Ensuring that all feedback where necessary action is taken to improve standards.
• To attend and participate in multi professional meetings and represent the ophthalmology nursing team as required.
• To identify risk to patient or staff safety taking appropriate management action including management of the risk Patient Safety Incident Framework Process.
• To keep the Nurse Manager / Matron informed of any adverse incidents and complaints. Investigating complaints and adverse incidents as required by the senior nurse, intervening at an early level to resolve informally where possible and implementing any identified outcomes.
• To participate in the development and implementation of assessment and mentorship/preceptorship processes for new staff to ensure quality standards are met.

Education and Training

• To contribute to an assessment of own educational needs, developing and agreeing a professional development plan with your line manager.
• To keep up to date with clinical and nursing developments as required to meet NMC revalidation and own standards of practice and knowledge.
• To maintain links with affiliated educational organisations and ensure that there is an appropriate learning environment for students and trainees.
• To ensure that own mandatory training is up to date.

Research and Service Development

• Take the lead for clinical audit and development of knowledge within the specialist field of practice.
• To carry out research in relation to specialist area of practice taking into account local and national guidance.
• Undertakes evidence based practice and ensure dissemination of relevant research and best practice.

People Management and Performance

• Lead, coach and manage the performance of the team in line with good people management practices. Ensuring excellence is recognised and underperformance is addressed.
• Participate in regular performance appraisal meetings and ensure each member of the team has a clear set of objectives and development plans.
• Ensure the team is compliance with all statutory, mandatory training together with any professional training requirements, ensuring they are up to date and fully compliant.
• Manage team absences including sickness in line with Trust policy ensuring the appropriate return to work meetings occur, e-roster is updated and productivity is at keep to the highest possible level.
• Identify and fill any vacancies that arise within the team in line with the Trust’s recruitment policy and process.
• Identify talent and support the internal talent management process in order attract and retain and succession plan for your people.
• Review skills mix at regular intervals in order to identify any potential opportunities to maximise resource utilisation / allocation, ensuring job descriptions are kept up to date.
• Ensure overall wellbeing of the team is maintained. Continuously support in improving the morale of the team and implementing a culture of zero-tolerance for bullying and harassment.

General

• The post holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety and wellbeing and that of work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with this post.
• To observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.
• We want to be an organisation where everyone shares a commitment to delivering the very best care and feels like their contribution is valuable and valued.
• At King’s we are a kind, respectful team:

Kind. We show compassion and understanding and bring a positive attitude to our work

Respectful. We promote equality, are inclusive and honest, speaking up when needed

Team. We support each other, communicate openly, and are reassuringly professional

• To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
• To be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.
• This job description is intended as a guide to the general scope of duties and is not intended to be definitive or restrictive. It is expected that some of the duties will change over time and this description will be subject to review in consultation with the post holder.
• All employees must hold an 'nhs.net' email account which will be the Trust's formal route for email communication.
• Everyone is responsible for promoting inclusion no matter their role or team. At King’s, we want to create an environment where everyone feels valued, respected and welcomed

Safe Guarding

The Trust takes the issues of Safeguarding Children, Adults and addressing Domestic Abuse very seriously. All employees have a responsibility to support the organisation in our duties by;

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• attending mandatory training on safeguarding children and adults
• familiarising themselves with the Trust's processes for reporting concerns 
• reporting any safeguarding child or adult concerns appropriately

Infection Control Statement

The post holder has an important responsibility for and contribution to infection control and must be familiar with the infection control and hygiene procedures and requirements when in clinical areas.

The post holder has an important responsibility for and contribution to make to infection control and must be familiar with the infection control and hygiene requirements of this role.

These requirements are set out in the National Code of Practice on Infection Control and in local policies and procedures which will be made clear during your induction and subsequent refresher training.  These standards must be strictly complied with at all times