Advanced Clinical Practitioner Acute Medicine

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Result Areas:
EXPERTISE & EXCELLENCE IN CLINICAL PRACTICE

Deliver evidence-based personalised and compassionate care which places quality at the heart of specialist practice in a range of clinical settings appropriate to the speciality. Care will be responsive to individual patient needs and reflect current local protocols and national guidelines.

Utilise highly developed clinical knowledge and advanced level physical 
examination skills as indicated by the patient’s condition to independently assess, diagnose, plan, implement and evaluate treatments and interventions for patients presenting to the specialty with undifferentiated and complex presentations.

Requests and interprets appropriate investigations such as laboratory tests, electrocardiograms (ECGs), ultrasound scans, and radiological investigations in accordance with IR(ME)R regulations and local policies.

Analyses multiple sources of data including patient history, physical examination and investigation findings when making diagnoses, clinical judgements and evaluating care provided. 

Manage their own caseload of patients including comprehensive review of patients, requesting diagnostics, reviewing results and creating and implementing management plans within the speciality and prioritise workload to meet patient and service need.

Prescribes and reviews medication for therapeutic effectiveness appropriate to patient need and in accordance with evidence-based practice and national and local protocols and within the role’s scope of practice and legal framework. This may not apply to selected ACP roles where prescribing is considered optional and the individual ACP is from an allied health profession that is legally unable to undertake an independent non-medical prescribing qualification.

Performs clinical procedures requiring highly developed skills and precision that are relevant to the speciality and appropriate to the history and physical examination of the patient.

Refer directly to senior medical colleagues, other health care professionals and specialities as required, to ensure optimal efficiency and quality of care with individual scope of practice.

Support development and implementation of personalised care pathways for the speciality through holistic needs assessment, planning, evaluation and a coordinated approach to care.

Act as a patient advocate to facilitate the process of shared decision-making in respect to health, choice of treatment and care. Use interpersonal and communication skills where there may be significant barriers in order to build confidence. Ensure that patients’ individual needs are expressed and valued and individual management plans are understood.

Empower patients to self-manage their condition, undertaking risk stratification to determine those who can self-manage following education, those who will need guided support to self-manage and those who will need ongoing face-to-face support.

Act as a resource, providing clinical expertise, specialist advice and support across service boundaries to ensure optimum liaison and co-ordination of care.

Utilise a professional portfolio and relevant speciality credentialling (where appropriate) to evidence achievement and maintenance of clinical competencies and skills relevant to the speciality.

LEADERSHIP (AND MANAGEMENT)

Provide clinical advice and leadership to others across the organisation, acting as a role-model and demonstrating high standards of holistic care.

Support trainee practitioners including responsibility for annual appraisal where applicable.

Contribute to budget planning and management as required.

Contribute to the clinical governance agenda including risk assessment and audit.

Works in partnership with clinical and non-clinical teams in the department to drive service improvement and lead delegated projects, monitoring progress in terms of milestones and key measures of performance.

Develops and contributes to local SOPs, policies and guidelines, interpreting and adapting national protocols and standards to enhance patient care and safety. 

EDUCATION

Support the development of trainee ACPs within own speciality and provide development opportunities for trainee ACP’s in other specialities to ensure their access to a wide variety of clinical presentations throughout their training.

Act as a clinical supervisor in line with local, national or course specific guidance for supervisors as appropriate.

Deliver formal and informal teaching initiatives as part of the Trust’s education strategy as agreed with the appropriate senior staff to ensure practice development, staff empowerment and improved care for patients.

Identify and use educational strategies to deliver complex information to patients and carers and support self-management and health promotion.

Influence the development of other professionals and promote a culture of learning by leading or contributing to relevant education and training locally or regionally.

Take personal responsibility for life-long learning and personal development through clinical supervision and appraisal. Actively engage with learning and development opportunities needed to work as an ACP and take appropriate action to ensure these needs are met and evidence in a professional portfolio e.g. trust e-portfolio.

Contribute to the Trust-wide advanced practice education agenda.

RESEARCH (INCLUDING QUALITY, AUDIT, INNOVATION)

Attend local forums to network and debate issues to inform the Advanced Clinical Practice role and service delivery.

Use critical appraisal skills to ensure research findings are utilised appropriately in practice, SOPs and guidelines.

Support the development of a research-based culture within the clinical area and act as a resource to others in relation to evidence-based care.

Designs, coordinates and undertakes collaborative audit, research and service development into the specialty and related practices. 

Shares research and innovation through publication and abstract submission to relevant healthcare conferences.

Prepares and delivers presentations and participates in workshops on a local, regional and national level, to ensure the communication of good practice.

Participate in relevant clinical trials in the department. Provide support to patients considering entry to clinical trials in relation to informed consent and advocacy.

Develop links and systems to seek the views of patient and carers to ensure research activities and service development is in line with user need and preferences.

COMMUNICATION

Demonstrate advanced empathetic interpersonal and communication skills in supporting, informing and advising patients and carers through diagnosis, treatment, disease progression, prognosis and supportive and palliative care where applicable. This may involve imparting significant news or supporting patients and carers during and following such consultations.

Effectively and sensitively communicate highly complex and sensitive information to emotionally distressed patients and family/carers at key points along the care pathway on a frequent basis.

Develop and maintain links with local and national organisations which support the care of patients within this speciality.

Create, manage and maintain robust links with inpatient specialities and 
community services to ensure patients are identified and moved swiftly into optimal care pathways to improve flow and patient outcomes.

Recognise and deescalate potential verbal and physical conflict when 
communicating with individuals in line with local policy and legal frameworks.
Maintain appropriate and accurate electronic, and written patient records to ensure effective documentation in line with professional, national and trust guidance.

Network both locally across the sector and nationally to ensure that services within the Trust are at the leading edge of development within the speciality.