Job description Post: Triage Specialist Nurse Department: Hospice at Home Reports to: Responsible to: Triage Lead Community Team Manager The post holder will review and triage all referrals for Princess Alice Hospice, managing referrals efficiently, enabling the Princess Alice Hospice at Home team to be responsive to patients and carers in a timely manner. The post holder will act as a specialist resource for other health professionals, patients and carers, liaising directly with all referrers, the primary care team and others as appropriate to ensure that the patient s needs are met. The post holder will hold a small telephone caseload of non-urgent patients to help support the CNS team in caseload management. The post holder will be flexible in order to accommodate new ways of working in the future aimed at reaching more people. Our values and behaviours Working together because we care Our I CARE values inspire us and they are at the heart of everything we do. I CARE Integrity: I am open and honest and will treat everyone fairly. Compassion: I am interested in people. I am kind and thoughtful towards my colleagues, patients and their families. Accountability: I don t pass on blame. I take responsibility for my decisions and actions. Respect: I treat everyone with respect, whatever their role, their culture or their opinion. Excellence: I aim for outstanding. I never stop learning and improving. Page 1 of 6
Key responsibilities 1. Clinical Review all referrals to Princess Alice Hospice 1.1. To undertake complex and sensitive holistic care assessments using telephone assessment skills to plan care utilising advance care planning and excellent communication skills. 1.2. Where the referral is for Day Services, therapy or medical staff, obtains information as is necessary and ensure that referral is duly processed, having discussed with the recipient as appropriate. 1.3. Where the referral is for the Hospice at Home team, obtain clarification and supplementary information as necessary. If deemed appropriate or urgent liaise with CNS and ensure that referral is duly processed. 1.4. To provide a consistent approach to the triage process to ensure patients are prioritised appropriately. 1.5. To work with the triage lead to support the Nurse Consultant in the development of Outpatient Clinics at Princess Alice Hospice. 1.6. To support the development and integration of Triage into the Single Point of Access (SPA). 1.7. Liaise with referrer and other health care professionals as necessary and appropriate, gathering as much clinical information as possible. This will include obtaining clinic letters, imaging reports, blood results, discharging summaries and hospital MDT outcomes. Accountable for holding a caseload 1.8. Manage a telephone caseload of low complexity patients prior to being transferred to a CNS caseload to support the hospice at home team when caseloads are working at capacity. Contact patient and/or carer 1.9. Contact patient and/or carer and assess need by discussing referral. 1.10. Undertake a full telephone assessment with the patient and give clinical advice as appropriate. 1.11. If an urgent visit is required liaise with CNS/Rapid Response CNS/Locality Lead Compile and store information about the patient 1.12. Inform patient/carer of services available at Princess Alice Hospice; process of on-going referral will be made. Give patient telephone contact number. 1.13. Make referrals to Primary Care team, other teams or departments within the hospice as is necessary. Page 2 of 6
1.14. Record assessment and inform or update patient s GP, referrer and/or other health care professionals by telephone and letter of referral and actions taken as appropriate. 2. Educational 2.1. Continue personal professional development, to ensure clinical effectiveness of self. 2.2. Maintain contact with consultants and other medical staff, social work, therapy and ward teams to ensure that clinical knowledge and knowledge of services available is up to date and that role is incorporated into the total work of the hospice. 2.3. Visit Primary Care teams and other health care professionals to give information about role and act as an ambassador for Princess Alice Hospice. 2.4. Act as role model and mentor to others on the community team, visiting colleagues, providing informal education and support. 3. Audit and Research 3.1. Participate in clinical audit and research as appropriate to the role. 3.2. Critique current research and adapt to the role. Proactively seek to continuously improve processes and systems within which you are working. Always looking to improve the way you as an individual and we as an organisation work. 4. Management 4.1. Influence palliative care nursing practice and policy through engagement with partnerships and networks with colleagues. 4.2. To act as an ambassador for Princess Alice Hospice at all times, including representing the Hospice in fundraising and PR activities as requested. 4.3. To receive and disseminate information through attendance at appropriate meetings and liaison with other hospices and palliative care teams. 5. Other Responsibilities 5.1 To undertake any other such duties or general tasks and hours of work as may reasonably be required and to work in other locations within the hospice organisation. 5.2 Lead by example, exemplifying the Hospice values and behaviours Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Excellence. A job description is not a rigid or inflexible document but acts to provide guidelines to the duties expected while in post. This job description will be reviewed and amended in the light of changing professional demands. Page 3 of 6
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Personal specification Post: Triage Clinical Nurse Specialist Department: Hospice at Home Qualifications and Training Current NMC Registration RGN qualification European Certificate in Essential Palliative Care or equivalent, or be prepared to undertake Teaching qualification (ENB 998 or equivalent) Relevant degree or in the process of undertaking degree or equivalent Community qualification Palliative Care Degree Work background and experience Post registration experience Palliative care or oncology experience. Interest in research/audit Experience in mentoring P2K and post-basic students Clinical supervision experience Community experience Particular skills and aptitudes Evidence of highly developed communication skills both written and verbal Good interpersonal skills Able to work effectively in an emotionally demanding environment Computer literate Leadership capabilities Clinical assessment and evaluation Decision making skills Organisational skills Ability to influence change Page 5 of 6
Specialist knowledge Evidence of continuing professional development Knowledge of current healthcare and nursing policy and provision Understanding of specialist palliative care provision Personal qualities and other requirements Flexible, motivated, self directed Pleasant and calm manner Ability to work under pressure Ability to work well within a team Car driver/full driving licence Cover on-call rota including weekends and bank holidays Sense of humour Awareness of, and commitment to the Mission, Vision and Values of the Hospice Page 6 of 6