Come and Join Us A guide to Nursing in Colchester September 2014 Version 7
Our nurses tell us that they are proud to nurse at Colchester Hospital University. We are a Foundation Trust with a true team spirit. Together we have committed to making positive changes happen daily, wherever we work in the hospital. Opportunities abound for you to make your mark here. Join us to be part of our solution and part of our future as we strive to be the best. We are listening and want to ensure we continue to improve the patient experience and our nurses strive to deliver at our best priorities to be professional, be involving, be welcoming and be responsive which informs everything we do. We want ambitious nurses who share our values to join us and help make our community a healthier, happier place. At Colchester, if you care about your patients, we care about you. In return for your hard work, we ll match your passion with a rewarding role and opportunities to develop your career. You ll gain the experience of a large acute hospital as well as becoming a member of the Colchester Team. Kind Regards Kathy French Acting Directof Nursing, Colchester Hospital University Trust Who are we? Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust opened in 1984 and has two main sites at Colchester General Hospital and Essex County Hospital. Services from Essex County Hospital will relocate to the main site within the next 12 months. The Trust provides healthcare services to around 370,000 people from Colchester and the surrounding area of north east Essex. In addition, we provide radiotherapy and oncology services to a wider population of about 670,000 people across north and mid-essex. Our new 25m state -of-the-art Radiotherapy Centre at Colchester General Hospital started treating patients in June 2014. The Trust also provides outpatient and maternity services at the community hospitals in Clacton and Harwich (run by Anglian Community Enterprise, or ACE) and Halstead Hospital (run by Provide). There are 625 inpatient beds (general and anaesthetic), 44 maternity beds (including at Clacton and Harwich hospitals) and 12 adult critical care beds at present. Each year over 400, 000 people attend outpatient clinics, around 75,000 patients visit A & E, we treat around 90,000 inpatients and we deliver about 4,000 babies. We also provide a limited number of community services such as community midwifery and a community children s team.
Our vision and purpose: To be the trust that patients, carers and staff would recommend 100% of the time to friends and family Our Strategy Our Trust strategy has been aligned to the five domains of the NHS Outcomes Framework: 1. Preventing people from dying prematurely. 2. Enhancing quality of life for people with long term conditions. 3. Helping people to recover from episodes of ill health or following injury. 4. Ensuring that people have a positive experience of care. Our Trust Strategic Objectives for 2014 are: To put the patients at the centre of all that we do To provide high quality and safe care for our patients To realise the potential of our workforce empowering them to deliver To deliver services right first time improving our patient pathways and our waiting times To achieve sustainable financial performance To improve our infrastructure To be a strong partner with health, social care, education and academic colleagues and other key stakeholders To bring our Governance structures up to the standard of best practice Nursing at Colchester Hospital University Foundation Trust Our Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) Strategy has been developed in line with the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) vision and strategy for Nurses, Midwives and caregivers that called on us to develop a culture of compassionate care. The strategy describes the 6 C s of care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment that will support a culture where patients will have the best possible care. These 6 C s put people we care for at the heart of everything we do and are therefore not just the right or preserve of nurses and midwives, but should underpin the values and behaviours of all our staff.
Team Structures Medicine: Langham ward - renal and gastroenterology including dialysing renal inpatients. Nayland ward - general medicine, diabetes and haematology. Layer Marney ward - respiratory medicine. Dedham ward - cardiac medicine including a 14 bed cardiac care unit (CCU). Surgery: Mersea ward - elective surgical patients including ENT, general surgery (including colo-rectal), and urology. Patients are usually admitted from theatre via the Elective Care centre. Brightlingsea ward - emergency surgical ward covering ENT, general surgery (including colo-rectal) and urology. Wivenhoe ward - both elective and emergency vascular surgery. Stanway ward - gynaecology, early pregnancy and breast. Gt Tey/ Copford - elective orthopaedics surgery. Fordham/Aldham - emergency/trauma orthopaedic surgery. Specialist Medicine: Stroke Unit: - a 33 bed purpose built unit offering end to end stroke care to patients across North Essex. Birch, D arcy, Tiptree & Peldon wards specialise in acute medicine for the older person (75 & older). Elmstead day unit is a specialist unit offering day case medical & surgical procedures & investigations. Oncology: Jefferson/Rhys Lewis ward specialises in the care and treatment of patients with cancer. These wards are due to relocate later this year to West Bergholt ward at the main Turner Road site which has undergone a 1 million refurbishment. Accident and Emergency: Our Emergency Assessment Unit specialises in the emergency admission, assessment and discharge/transfer of GP and speciality patients.
Our People The Trust employs 4,500 members of staff and we ask our staff to be At our Best at all times in their dealings with patients, public and carers as well as with all our external stakeholders and each other. The At Our Best framework is closely aligned with the NHS Values, the GMC Good Medical Practice Standards and the Nursing 6-C model At Our Best
The Benefits we Offer Health and Wellbeing Centre- The Health & Wellbeing Centre has a commitment to the health of all Trust staff. Our aim is to provide a specialist advisory service with impartial, confidential advice to all Trust staff about the effects of work on health and health on work. Other services provided: Pre-employment health screening Immunisation programmes and advice Advice on workplace modifications Advice following needle stick or contamination incidents Advice on sickness absence, rehabilitation and ill health retirement Health assessments and surveillance under Health and Safety legislation Skin surveillance Stress management Training for groups Pension scheme As part of the NHS, we offer a well-regarded defined benefit pension scheme. As soon as you become an employee you automatically become a member of the NHS pension scheme. However membership of the scheme is voluntary and, if you wish, you can opt out of the scheme at any time. Annual Leave All employees receive 27 days per annum annual leave, increasing to 29 days after five years and 33 days after ten years (pro rata for part time), plus 8 Public Holidays (pro-rata for part-time). Staff discounts A variety of offers and discounts are available to CHUFT staff which is usually advertised via our intranet. This includes a car lease salary sacrifice scheme which allows staff access to a lease car at a very attractive price. Childcare voucher scheme A Childcare voucher benefit scheme enables you to take part of your salary in childcare vouchers in either paper or e-voucher format. The amount of vouchers you can take is capped at 55 per week.
On-site facilities: Staff parking- The Trust operates a low cost permit system for staff wishing to use the various staff only car parks located around both Colchester Hospital and the Essex County sites. Payment for this permit cost staff only 0.15% of gross pensionable pay and is collected through the payroll system. The Trust operates a car sharing scheme to reduce the number of staff needing to drive to work. There is a designated parking bay for car sharers. There are also very regular bus services that come into the hospital towards Colchester town centre and neighbouring areas. Trust staff are eligible to apply for 50% off local bus travel. At Our Best 360 Transport Links- Colchester main railway station is a short ten minute walk from the hospital. Trust are eligible to a 10% discount off Greater Season tickets. Colchester also has a good network of cycle pathways around the town centre one of which is located adjacent to the hospital into the town centre. There are designated cycle sheds around our sites. The trust operates salary sacrifice scheme for the purchase of bicycles. There is a free hopper bus that operates every half an hour during the day between Colchester Hospital and Essex County hospital. Catering- Senses restaurant with discount for staff open 0800 to 2000 Other Free cash machine Hospital shops in the Main block and Gainsborough wings Book club that meets monthly. Lunchtime walks Beginners running club. CHUFT choir. Holiday vaccination service. 20% off vaccination cost for CHUFT staff and their immediate family.
Joining the Trust Induction All new members of staff are expected to attend a one day corporate induction day. For Registered Nurses there is a further three day induction programme that covers subjects such as infection control, privacy and dignity and the care of the deteriorating patient. Registered Nurses are also expected to complete a number of e-learning programmes related to clinical care. Some time is provided during the induction programme but these can also be completed at home. Preceptorship According to NMC (2006) guidance, preceptorship is about providing support and guidance enabling new registrants to make the transition from student to accountable practitioner. It allows them to: practice in accordance with the NMC code of professional conduct: standards for conduct, performance and ethics develop confidence in their competence as a nurse At Colchester Hospital Trust we have a well-established twelve month preceptorship programme for newly qualified nurses. The programme has evolved utilising feedback from participants. It covers a wide range of subjects to help newly starters develop. Topics include: Tissue viability, Palliative care, Pain management, Cannulation & venepuncture Clinical supervision is included in the programme, giving attendees the opportunity to reflect on and discuss concerns or worries in a safe environment. Some comments from previous participants: Brilliant programme, I feel it has given me much more confidence and I have the support each month of knowing I m coming here I will be able to take my knowledge and use it with my own practice. Also share knowledge with colleagues Participation in the Preceptorship programme is open to nurses returning to practice following completion of their return to practice course. Nurses joining the Trust from overseas are also given the opportunity to participate in a similar programme.
A few facts and statistics Patient Experience Our inpatients told us when we asked in June 2014 How likely are you to recommend Colchester General Hospital to your friends and family? Comment No. of people. Extremely likely 587 Likely 185 Neither likely or unlikely 21 Unlikely 9 Extremely unlikely 4 Don t know 6 Our dedication to improving the patient experience Our new 25m radiotherapy centre was opened in June 2014. We are a regional centre for major vascular surgery. Our operating theatre staff use 3D technology to help with laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery... among the first in the country. In March 2014 a Royal College of Physicians audit found that the Stroke Unit at Colchester Hospital was the second best performing in England out of 175 hospitals who admitted patients directly for acute stroke care. A 2.8m project to expand the capacity of the A & E department and to improve patient flows was completed in May 2014. It included a new reception, waiting and triage area, doubling the number of resuscitation bays from three to six, a new children s unit and building an expanded majors area in what had previously been a courtyard. The two bereavement suites at Colchester General Hospital, which are used by people after the death of loved one, were extensively refurbished in order to create a more homely, softer and sympathetic environment. Infection rates: For the year 2013/2014 we reported 17 C-diff cases against a target of 18. The monthly NHS Safety Thermometer shows that the number of hospital acquired pressure ulcers (Grades 2 to 4) and our falls rates are below the national average for an acute hospital ward. In the first four months of 2014/2015 (April-July) there were 4 cases of C.difficile attributed to CHUFT compared to 8 cases of C.difficile in the same period last year. Our Trust objective is to have no more than 20 cases April 14-March 15. There were no MRSA bacteraemias attributed to CHUFT 2013-2014 and there have been no MRSA bacteraemias attributed to CHUFT this financial year to date.