Tissue Viability Nurse Specialist

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Main Tasks and Responsibilities:

Clinical Practice (Patient Care - both direct and indirect)

• Triage, allocate, assess the patients referred to the TVS holistically, using a range of different assessment methods and reach valid, reliable and comprehensive patient centred conclusions, which manage risk and are appropriate to their need, context, culture and ethnicity.
• Plan, deliver and evaluate programmes of care for patients referred to the TVS in conjunction with referrer.
• Make and take referrals directly to and from healthcare professionals in both primary, secondary, community, care homes and mental health services.
• Communicate with patients in ways that empower them to make informed choices about their health and well-being and promote independence where appropriate.
• To promote and deliver advanced nursing practice in relation to planning and delivering individualised patient care based upon principles of best practice in all aspects of tissue viability, either directly through personal contact or indirectly by telephone or supervision of others practice.
• To ensure that all advice provided is evidence based and in line with Trust, TVS and national and international policies and guidelines.
• To provide specialist nurse advice, as requested, for patients with tissue viability problems in local care homes, community teams, mental health units and other primary care settings associated with the TVS.
• To promote clear, concise and specific documentation in relation to tissue viability issues.
• To support district and community nursing teams, practice, ward and care home staff with the implementation of local and national practice guidelines, enabling them to initiate appropriate local developments and changes.
• To participate in tissue viability interest groups locally.
• To maintain professional networking relationships with all relevant professionals
• To be accountable for one's own professional practice and professional development and ensure registration and compliance with the NMC and the Code of Professional Conduct, and actively participate in clinical supervision.
• To take a leading role in planning and delivering clinical practice in Care Homes, out-patient settings such as Leg Ulcer and Chronic Wound clinics.
• Responsible for maintaining service and clinical stock
• To work in partnership with an independent medical prescriber, as a supplementary non-medical prescriber, within the designated area of practice.
• As a supplementary non-medical prescriber prepare clinical management plans and prescribe only in accordance with these and within their scope of practice/competency taking full responsibility and accountability for their prescribing decisions.
• Following training and a period of actively prescribing as a supplementary prescriber, to work as an independent non-medical prescriber, within the designated areas of practice.
• As an Independent non-medical prescriber, prescribe for clients with an existing diagnosis taking full responsibility and accountability for clinical assessment and management of patients and their prescribing decisions. They may prescribe medications as considered safe and appropriate under national and local guidance and within their competency.
• Adhere to policy, national/local guidance, legislation and their professional code of conduct.
• Ensure that their professional registration is current and active, with their NMP role registered with their professional body and that all required information is provided for trust NMP register.
• Ensure that their role as an NMP/IP is clearly described in their job description.
• Ensure that they provide evidence-based, safe, cost effective prescribing in accordance with trust policy, guidance and formulary, to their patients/clients at all times which is patient centred and responds to their needs.
• Keep accurate, legible, unambiguous and contemporaneous records of a patient’s care which identifies them as the non-medical prescriber including details of all prescriptions issued in accordance with trust policies/procedures
• Ensure that patients are aware of the scope and limits of non-medical prescribing and ensure patients understand their rights in relation to non-medical prescribing. Patients have the right to refuse treatment/prescribing from a NMP.
• Liaise with other healthcare providers as appropriate in accordance with service policies, ensuring patients are referred to other healthcare professionals as necessary to access other aspects of their healthcare.
• Ensure that prescriptions are written legibly and legally and in accordance with the trust Medicines Management Policy.
• Ensure that they comply with prescription security and maintain a personal record of prescription numbers.
• Take part in peer review, co-operate with investigations and undertake audit and monitoring of prescribing and patient satisfaction surveys as requested
• Hold appropriate indemnity insurance.
• Ensure that their practice is up-to-date and they engage in appropriate CPD, supervision and submit evidence on request.
• Adhere to Trust’s Non-medical Prescribing Policy.
• Provide guidance, supervision and training to other staff in relation to non-medical prescribing issues as appropriate including the mentoring and supervision of NMP SPs by NMP IPs.
• Report all incidents including adverse drug reactions in accordance with Trust policy and Yellow Card System.
• Assist with development of trust policies and procedures relating to non-medical prescribing.

Education and Training

• To be pro-active in creating and promoting a supportive learning environment that embraces a culture of evidence and research-based practice.
• To plan the development, co-ordination and delivery of practice-based education and training in a variety of settings to different disciplines and levels of staff to facilitate the implementation of best practice.
• To plan, co-ordinate, deliver and monitor learning outcomes of skill development workshops.
• To monitor staff’s learning needs in relation to tissue viability and develop, with the Nurse Consultant a programme of education and skill development to meet identified needs.
• To ensure that information detailing study days and workshops provided by the TVS are advertised widely and ensure that access is organised and attendance is monitored, evaluated and reported.
• To encourage the nurses who attend study days, workshops and courses on tissue viability issues to share their knowledge with colleagues at a local level and that practice is enhanced as a result of increased learning.
• To maintain effective links between practice, management and education.
• To co-ordinate the Tissue Viability Link Nurse system.

Research and Audit

• To co-ordinate and participate in clinical Tissue Viability research and audit projects and product evaluations.
• To facilitate the implementation of clinical governance through the implementation of evidence/research-based guidelines, education and audit.
• Facilitate the dissemination of appropriate research findings to the clinicians within the Trust.
• To organise, co-ordinate and evaluate current practice in tissue viability management through the audit process

Managerial including People (HR) Management

• To take an active role in the management, organisation, monitoring and reporting on aspects of the TVS.
• To collect, collate and report on service activities including outcomes data, audits, etc.
• To take an active role in Quality Improvement approaches related to tissue viability.
• To manage junior colleagues within the TVS, undertaking Appraisals, Management Supervision Meetings, monitoring compliance with Trust and Professional expectations and standards.
• Monitor and review TVS Asset Registers, Equipment maintenance and replacement and updates etc.
• Provide and participate in Clinical Supervision
• Day to day supervision of junior staff/local induction
• Deliver education and training as a major job responsibility
• Line management responsibility including recruitment, appraisals, performance
• Information Management: Responsible for the competent use of a variety of computer systems to monitor, create, maintain and report Trust and Service activity.

Service Development

• To work with the Consultant Nurse & Lead TVN to pro-actively develop the TVS
• Work with the Consultant Nurse & Lead TVN to ensure the TVS has a mobile working approach using up to date available IT platforms and software.
• Contributing to business planning
• Support the development of policies, protocols, formularies, practice guidance documents etc.

Communication including Patient and Customer Care

•  Deal with sensitive or contentious information in addition to routine, complex or highly complex
• Plan and organise TV activities
• Deal with complex staff issues or work planning/scheduling
• Deal with problems that require analysis and/or interpretation
• Maintain details of day-to-day contact with patients/customers

   Systems and Equipment

• Responsible for stock and asset control and maintenance activity of service technical clinical and non-clinical equipment and equipment that relates to information management.

 Effort, Mental and Environment

• Working with people with chronic wounds requires a level of physical strength and skills often in challenging situations that may be tight for space, restricted light conditions, working at different heights e.g. kneeling on a floor, bed, couch, standing and bending over for protracted periods of time, depending on the patient’s location.
• Working with people with chronic wounds and learners requires the ability to concentrate for long periods of time and complex mental effort is required.
• Emotional support for patients and learners and colleagues and will require compassion, respect and the ability to tailor approaches to the presenting situations.
• The job and role will involve a variety of working conditions, frequent interruptions, and exposure to substances that come under COSH regulations.

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